Boys track and field: IC Catholic's Ricobene back on track
There won't be many better sights this spring than seeing Luke Ricobene run track for IC Catholic.
Saturday's 51st Carlin Nalley Invitational at Bolingbrook was Ricobene's first big event, other than surgery, since the former all-state quarterback suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2 of the football season.
The senior debuted Tuesday in a four-team meet at Ridgewood and on Saturday ran on the Knights' 400-meter relay and placed fourth in the Class 1A 200 dash in the two-level, 30-team invite.
"I feel good," said Ricobene, bulked up and headed to Dayton as a receiver.
"A little past six months out of surgery, so I'm cleared for light physical activities," he said. "I can run track, all the football stuff is kind of questionable right now, but track's fine so that's what I'm doing right now. It's fun to be back."
Knights coach Bob Cronin had hoped Ricobene could return, but that was just hope.
"He's clearly one of the leaders of our team, one of the leaders in our school," Cronin said, "and to have the gruesome injury he had during football and be able to make it back for a spring sport is really remarkable and a testament to his determination and willingness to work hard to be a part of something in his last opportunity as a high school athlete."
"I finally get to compete with other people," Ricobene said.
Using second-place finishes by Dan McCann in shot put, Pat Shannon in the 800 and yeoman's work by Sean Hipskind - third in the 300 hurdles, second in long jump, triple jump and in the 1,600 relay with Shannon - IC Catholic placed fourth of 11 Class 1A teams.
Westmont won the 1A title for the first time since 2013, its 107 points topping Hope (89) and usual suspect Seneca (87).
Kyle Casper won triple jump and the 110 hurdles, set a Sentinels record of 39.79 seconds in the 300 hurdles and anchored a winning 1,600 relay. Westmont won three of four relays with Trevino Fukar running on three winners, T.J. Bueser and Ishmay Kone on two.
"I've worked with a lot of coaches, for private clubs to other great teams, but I think what makes Westmont so great and what's shown in our scores before, (coaches) make an environment that makes everybody drive to get better," Casper said.
Twice he battled Timothy Christian senior Xavier Ross; Casper earned the 110 victory and Ross won the 300s at 39.39 seconds to Casper's 39.79. Ross decisively won the 1A 200 dash in 22.56 seconds for the Trojans, who gained second-place finishes by Will Terpstra in the 3,200 and Caleb Mitchell in the 1,600.
"You can tell he's been working a lot on his hurdle technique and the 110s, he's so smooth over them," Ross said of Casper. "To be honest, I'm not as competitive in that event. On the 300 I do exponentially better."
It's still hard to believe meet host Lisle is a 2A/3A team, where the Lions placed in the middle of the pack behind Lincoln-Way East (90 points) and TF South (85). Heading Lisle's effort was Martin Bandzomouna's second-place triple jump of 42 feet, 3 inches, Cam Stitt's 6-4 high jump - tied for height but second on a prior miss - sprinters Jared Hunter and Kenney Smalley. In discus Charlie Waldusky exceeded his prior best four of five times, topping out at 145-1.
Stitt made his first attempts ever at 6-6: "I've just got to flick my heels over and I think I'll easily be able to clear that."
Ben Grundman's Class 2A/3A third-place 800-meter run was Benet's top finish. Sophomore Brendon Carter took fourth in the 300 hurdles at 41.90 seconds.
Nicknamed "The Beast" as a freshman due to an ability to "run up the bleachers really quick," the grueling 300s puts that stamina to good use.
"It's tiring," Carter said, "but I like it."