Falcons let fly in relay
Wheaton North saved its best for last.
Dayton Henricksen, Matt Shatswell, Jason Marocchi and Jon Frano combined to run the fastest 1,600-meter relay in the state this year at the 77th annual DuPage County Track and Field Meet at Wheaton North. Setting a new meet record of 3:19.09, the four Falcons clipped the school record of 3:19.10 set in 1972.
Set 37 years apart, both marks were recorded under the tutelage of hall of fame assistant Jim Martin, and Marocchi is the nephew of one of the former recordholders, Don Hewing. Another 1972 runner, Guy Larsen, was a spectator Friday at Rexilius Field, Martin said.
"I've been looking at that record ever since I started running here," Marocchi said, "and that's my goal since freshman year, to beat my uncle's record. I've worked - we've all worked - so hard for it. It feels great to finally accomplish it."
Shatswell came back after winning the 300 hurdles ahead of Willowbrook's Anthony Jordan and Wheaton Warrenville South's Joe Krob.
"I used to be really bad as a freshman," Shatswell said of the intermediates. "The coaches have been helping me a lot with that, and I lifted (weights) a lot. And, of course, all my friends have been cheering me on all the way."
Heroics that included Mike Trumpy's No. 2 state 110 hurdles mark of 14.42 seconds, and the 400 relay win of Trumpy, Henricksen, Frano and D.A. Covington, were not enough to unseat York's grasp on the County title.
The Dukes won their fifth straight DuPage County Meet, 119 points to Wheaton North's 101. WW South - chipping away with second-place finishes by Kevin Credille in the 100, Dan Hohenstein in high jump, Jarrett Ferguson in the 400 and its 1,600 relay - took third with 87 points.
York's Khara Williams blistered the 200 in 21.68 seconds, anchored a winning 800 relay and, like relay mate Jimy Williams in long jump, abandoned triple jump finals after securing second place so he could work on the relays.
"I'm happy that our team is working together to win the meet," Williams said. "It's not just one person doing everything, it's everyone contributing the points together to win the meet."
Last year at County, York's John Fox was a heavy lifter with wins in the 100, 200 and 400. Friday featured Fox's 2009 outdoor debut, a lingering hamstring injury limiting him to a leg of the second-place 400 relay.
"It's getting to where I just have to cut it loose," Fox said.
The Paynes of Glenbard South did just that, senior Andrew winning the 100 in 10.91 seconds, sophomore Garret taking the 400 in 50.41. Mother Nancy watched from the stands, impressed.
"It's got to be the chicken," she said.
Naperville North's Tyler Jermann broke York's distance party. The Dukes won the 3,200 relay, Steve Sulkin took the 800 and Jordan Herbert won the 1,600. In the open 3,200 Jermann defeated all-state teammate Kyle Gibson and his own mental barrier by going 9:19.57.
"I've been stuck at, like, 9:24, 9:26, around there all season since indoor," Jermann said. "It was really big for me to break 9:20. It's a lot mental, mostly mental."
Field events were won in bulk. Bartlett's Dan Karys won long jump at 22 feet, 111/2 inches and triple jump at 46-1. Lake Park's Dan Block threw 60-2 to win shot put and extended his own county discus record to 193-4.
Tom Stacey Jr. won pole vault at 13-6, while West Chicago coach Paul McLeland pulled up sophomore Jeff Foreman to varsity high jump. He outdueled Hohenstein at 6-4.
"I'm so excited right now," Foreman said. "I can do, like, anything."