Boys track: Montini's Mondschean sets the pace
Friday's Mike Yavorski Hornet Invite at Hinsdale South may have set a boys track record. It took 2 hours, 3 minutes.
"It's a meet that runs fairly quick because it's just seven teams and it's varsity-only, two entries per event," said Hornets coach Dean Norman. "I think these guys know what the next race is, so they're reporting a little quicker than probably normal."
Hastened also by deteriorating weather, the pace meant a quick turnaround for Montini senior Jake Mondschean, a two-time individual cross country state qualifier who with Broncos coach Eric Brechtel is determining his best path toward a downstate track berth.
Mondschean was pushed by, then passed Benet's Connor O'Keefe to win the 3,200-meter run. He returned for the 1,600.
"It was difficult. It's my first time this season doing a 2-mile and a mile double, so that in and of itself was a little rough," said Mondschean, who hit a wall then recovered in a sixth-place 1,600.
"This is a nice challenge," Mondschean said. "We're trying to test things, seeing how they'll work for sectionals and going onward. I'm pretty happy with the performance today."
Illustrated by its 2017 Class 2A 400 relay runner-up finish, Montini's strength has been sprints. The foursome of Jalen Slater, Nick Fedanzo, Johnny Palumbo and Matt Quaglia won both the 400 and 800 relays. In the 100 dash Glenbard North sophomore Xavier Curtis ran 11.11 seconds to beat Quaglia, Fedanzo and 200-meter winner Jacob Marcus of Hinsdale South.
Panthers sophomore Maurice Abdalla got a win in shot put; junior Matt Solucha battled wind, rain and two Lemont runners to win the 800.
"I guess it's how you perceive it mentally," Solucha said of the conditions. "Running, especially mid-distance, is like 80 percent mental. You have to have a good mindset to face it head on. Otherwise, a bad mindset especially about the weather will affect your race."
In the 110 hurdles Glenbard East senior Alec Wolff battled Bloomington's Jante Hatfield until Hatfield tripped over the final hurdle, Wolff winning in 16.11 seconds.
"I started out all right. My form was pretty tight. I was neck and neck with that kid from Bloomington, and he tumbled," Wolff said. "I just stuck to what I do, work hard on every day, and I just stuck through and stayed consistent. That's probably what won it for me."
Hinsdale South went 1-2 in the 300 hurdles with Carmelo Lazzara and Sam LaPlante, and got a triple-jump victory by junior Kamron Lipscomb at 40 feet, 10 inches. Lipscomb may also have scored a 20-foot long jump had he not taken off a good 2 feet behind the board.
"For this year I kind of changed up my (approach) close to the end of the season," he said. "My marks aren't really consistent now, but I try to stay consistent. But I know that since I'm 2 feet behind the board and still making it into the pit, I have more in me."
Benet brought a few athletes, such as Matt King, fourth in discus, and Ben Grundman, fourth in the 1,600, but most will run Saturday in a Fenwick meet. That left Bloomington's 150 points topping Hinsdale South (122), Glenbard North (106.50), Montini (74.50), Glenbard East (52), Lemont (51) and the Redwings (19).