Badger recruits go the distance
The University of Wisconsin men's track team is usually pretty well stocked.
It'll get more help from two future Badgers who showed all-America caliber stuff at Saturday's Midwest Distance Gala meet in Lisle.
A tribute to the talent at the fourth annual meet at Benedictine University, Palatine's two-time Illinois 800-meter champion Mat Smoody wasn't the favorite in the event.
Eighth in the country in the 800, the Wisconsin recruit was seeded second to Andrew Perkins of Wisconsin, fourth in the nation and in his fourth MDG appearance.
Neither won. Comfortable despite being boxed in as at the May 24 state meet, Smoody couldn't reel in Michigan's Tommy Brinn, who won in 1:51.07 to Smoody's 1:51.73.
Waubonsie Valley's Sean Wiggan followed Brinn, Smoody and Perkins. Wheaton North's Graham Farnsworth, in sixth, edged Wheaton Warrenville South's Randall Babb and Willowbrook's Jeff Stapleton.
Disappointed by his first 800-meter loss in two years and stating the difficulty of competing after a three-week layoff, Smoody still felt primed for next week's Nike Outdoor Nationals.
"This is just to get another race in," he said. "This is my first race since state. I'm trying to get that feeling again -- it's been awhile -- and then I'll go for it next week.
"I've got that box thing down. Next week I'll know exactly what to do."
Smoody will have a teammate at Wisconsin next year named Rob Finnerty, out of Burnsville, Minn.
On the fast, orange track in Lisle, Finnerty not only set his state's record in the full mile, but his time of 4:01.09 is the nation's fastest this spring. Converted to 1,600 meters, it's about 3:59.
"It really gives me a sense of belonging," Finnerty said. "For a long time I felt like with the top guys in the country, I was just outmatched. But this changes things a little bit."
Vernon Hills' Mahmoud Bahrani took second in the 2000-meter steeplechase but still broke the meet record. In the girls mile run it was no shock Bloomington's Ashley Verplank won it, in 4:57.30.
Lake Park's Lindsay Flanagan, among the nation's top 3,200 runners, was fifth in the mile mainly as training for the Nike Outdoor Nationals.
"I've got the two-mile next weekend," she said, "so I really just wanted to get out and get a fast mile before that."
For others it meant the end of high school track. An April injury kept Randall Babb from achieving a new personal record in 2008 -- till Saturday.
"Running that and feeling good throughout it, it was just really encouraging," said the Notre Dame-bound Babb. "It makes me want to run another race, but it's a great way to end the season."