St. Charles East’s Williams, Abel start fast
The 400-meter dash is hard enough without worrying about the opposition.
Whether by design or by donning mental blinders, St. Charles East’s Brittney Williams didn’t realize her top competition in the 400 at Naperville North on Friday wasn’t running. She didn’t even check who was there.
“My coach (Denise Hefferin) wouldn’t let me look,” Williams said. “I had no idea, which is probably better anyway.”
Williams entered the Gus Scott Invitational seeded second in the A Level heat of the 400, at 59.50 seconds. Leading the way was Waubonsie Valley’s Morolake Akinosun, seeded at 57.40. Akinosun, a junior, has expanded her range after finishing fourth in the 100 dash last year in Class 3A, fifth in the 200.
As a protective measure for a somewhat thin squad, Waubonsie Valley coaches pulled Akinosun and the rest of the team’s sprinters and jumpers from the meet due to the cold.
“I didn’t even know she was supposed to be here, honestly, until you said that,” Williams said. “I just ran and tried not to worry about what other people are doing, just worry about what I’m doing.”
Williams did just fine, winning her heat with the fastest 400 time by a girl. Williams still looked downcast until Hefferin talked with her as she walked off the track.
“She just told me that I need to work on not leaning back at the end of the race and told me that I did good,” Williams said. “She was just saying encouraging words because I felt a little disappointed afterward.”
Off like a shot:The cold weather at Naperville North meant all three heats of the distance races went off at once, a merciful measure to spare the athletes#146; as little chill as possible.St. Charles East#146;s Mallory Abel is a mighty runner but a little thing. The prospect of a herd of girls hemming her in along the rail did not appeal to the junior. In the 1,600 she took off like somebody goosed her. That started off as a good thing, but may have come back to bite her she said after the race. Once she got her head start, she never relented.#147;I think I started off a little bit too fast. I should have conserved myself more, I think my time would have been better if I went more conservative. I just didn#146;t want to get boxed in at the beginning,#148; Abel said.These Saints must be perfectionists, and since they know their bodies#146; abilities so well they can sense what went wrong, and when.Although Abel won the 1,600, as well as the 3,200 earlier in the evening, she knew there was room for improvement.#147;I feel like my second 800 probably could have been a lot better,#148; she said. #147;Like my coach (Hefferin) always says, push the third lap hard, so I feel like I should have done that more.#148;Fremd Throwers Invite: At the annual Fremd Throwers Invitational last Thursday, West Aurora#146;s varsity boys team was represented by seniors Alex Chollet and Elawrence Langston and juniors Mike Reyes and Lijah Spears.As would be anticipated, Chollet had the best results. He threw the shot put a few inches over 44 feet, but his real strength is discus.Chollet sent the disc 154 feet, 8 inches to place fifth in the 26-man competition. Each of his three scoring throws sailed at least 152 feet.Among the other Blackhawks, Spears had the best day with a top shot put throw of 44-1frac12;, and a discus distance of 137-6. Chollet, who won the discus event at the Blackhawks#146; own John Bell Invitational on Saturday, rode into Fremd with momentum. In a home meet on Tuesday he threw the discus a reported 174-4 to establish a new school record.Weather woes: Saturday was to be the 2011 outdoor invite debut for Batavia state-qualifying hurdler Rob Mohr, who had been feeling tightness in his side. The weather had other ideas and Glenbard West#146;s Haake Invitational was canceled.Mohr, the boys school record-holder in both the 110- and 300-meter hurdles, is among those taught by Mike DiDomenico, the assistant who Bulldogs coach Dennis Piron was praising the week before, at Batavia#146;s Les Hodge Invite. DiDomenico has also helped Batavia hurdlers such as state champions Kathryn Warner and Natalie Tarter, and all-stater Melissa Norville. Dave Voland, the senior who hopes to overcome hip and back injuries that knocked him out the last two seasons, is another of DiDomenico#146;s charges.#147;A Hall of Fame-caliber coach in our program, (DiDomenico) has coached hurdlers and sprints here for years, has really been part of what our training methodology is,#148; Piron said. #147;I mean, he invented it. How we train our guys, what I ask them to do during the week in terms of strength. We do no speed work really, ever, and we work intervals and strength and the kids do it and they believe in it.#147;And boy, we really run well at the end of the year. And now we#146;re running well at the beginning of the year really, I think, in large part to having an opportunity to compete a big more indoors.#148;Piron spoke with Batavia#146;s new field house gleaming in the background. The Bulldogs hope to get Mohr, Voland and the rest of them running outdoors Saturday at the premier Jim Arnold Invite at Glenbard West. 19842802St. Charles Easts Mallory Abel, pictured Friday in the 3,200 at the Gus Scott track meet Friday at Naperville North, won both that race and the 1,600 yet said there is room for improvement.PAUL MICHNA/Pmichna@dailyherald.com