Boys track and field: Neuqua Valley meets another expectation at Red Ribbon

Myles Gascon and his Neuqua Valley boys track teammates like to set lofty expectations for themselves.

Every training session, every meet, Gascon and the Wildcats have one thing on their mind.

"We want to get first place in everything," the senior sprinter said.

And even when they take home a team title - like they did winning Saturday's Red Ribbon Invitational at Waubonsie Valley with 135 points, 20 ahead of Homewood-Flossmoor - they aren't necessarily satisfied.

"I don't think today was one of my stronger days," said 300-meter hurdle champion Donovan Turner. "(In the) 300 I messed up my stepping because of the wind, it was a rougher day."

That's the kind of culture the Neuqua Valley athletes have created for themselves.

"These guys have high expectations, there's no doubt," Neuqua Valley coach Mike Kennedy said. "We foster their expectations. At no time will the coaches ever win a championship. It's theirs. They have high expectations for the end of the season and that means high expectations in between."

The Wildcats' 3,200-meter relay team got things rolling. The team of Tyler Bombacino, Zach Kinne, Alexander Johnson and Danny Winek took first in 8 minutes, 8.53 seconds.

"We started racking up points early on," Kennedy said.

They added 8 more points with a second-place finish in the 400 relay. Turner, Kai Larson, Jackson Edwards and Gascon finished in 42.92, 4-tenths of a second behind Yorkville.

Gascon ran the anchor leg into a headwind, giving him a preview of what to expect in the 100-meter dash.

"There was a lot of headwind there so I had to change my race plan a bit," Gascon said.

It worked.

Gascon took the 100 in 11.22 seconds, just edging Waubonsie Valley's Tre'Von Petty.

"The 4x100, obviously running into the wind, it was good to know my race plan," Gascon said. "It made things a little bit easier for me."

In the shot put Waubonsie Valley's Connor Forrest took first place with a toss of 51 feet, 3 inches, edging teammate Mantaj Singh.

"It's our home turf," Forrest said. "It's basically like practice. It was nice."

For Forrest, it was a culmination of the work he's put in this season with new throwing coach Pat Trofimuk.

"I started at 44 feet," Forrest said. "He came in and really molded and shaped me. I've added eight feet to my throw and I still have more in my tank, hopefully."

Forrest has improved by making a small, yet major change.

"I switched over to the glide, Coach 'T' helped me with that," Forrest said. "It's been going decent so far."

Jaylan Alexander of Hoffman Estates took first in the discus with a throw of 159-4.

Jake MacConnachie of Wheaton Warrenville South took first in the pole vault, clearing 13-2, ahead of Marmion Academy's Andrew Saloga. MacConnachie won the title, as he and the field battled some cooler temperatures and windy conditions.

"It felt good," MacConnachie said. "It was a bad day overall for vaulting, but it was still nice to get the win. It was just a cold day and the wind kind of screwed everyone up."

Pryce Giwa-Osagie of Metea Valley took first in the high jump, clearing 6 feet. It's quite an accomplishment for the first-year track athlete.

"Pryce has been a really good find," Metea Valley coach Aaron Lewis said. "Never done track and field before so every meet is a new experience for him. We know he can achieve those higher heights."

Dakota Getty grabbed another victory for Neuqua Valley, taking first in the 800 at 1:59.76, beating Wheaton Warrenville South's Sean Maison.

"It was great, especially given the high wind and the pace went out a little bit slow," Kennedy said. "He held on great. He had a great week of training and it was nice to see it pay off on Saturday."

Hoffman Estates' 800 relay team of Anijel Jones, Conner Kiley, Malik Whitehead and Declan Rustay took first in 1:30.06, beating Neuqua Valley's team of Ife Oketona, Larson, Patrick Hoffman and Gascon. Rustay passed Gascon with 150 meters left and held on for the win.

"He passed me on the first curve," Gascon said. "I just couldn't keep up with him. I felt pretty accomplished, because I know his stats and being able to keep with him in the end, I felt pretty accomplished."

Gascon made a final kick in the last 25 meters of the 200 but finished second to Grant Floyd of Homewood-Flossmoor. Petty finished fourth with a time of 22.72.

"I was really trying to (catch Floyd), but with the three other events I ran earlier, my body just said it's not happening," Gascon said.

Hoffman Estates' 1,600 relay team of Jones, Kiley, Alan Wagner and Rustay took first in 3:23.81.