Benet’s Howe jumping back into track
Benet Academy senior Eliot Howe gained 1,000 yards rushing last football season for the Redwings.
He survived that pounding, then in the first week of the indoor track season the jumping specialist landed hard on his right heel.
“I figured out it was a stress fracture,” said Howe, a four-year varsity track athlete. “I sat out a few weeks and finally when it started feeling a little bit better I decided it’s better to come back and just play through some pain then just sit out altogether. I’m working my way back right now.”
Howe’s comeback continued Friday at Hinsdale South’s annual Mike Yavorski Invite in Darien.
Twice Howe won a duel against Ben Rogers of Geneva, the meet team winner with 153.50 points. Following were Hinsdale South (121), Glenbard East (92) and Downers Grove South (90).
In long jump Howe’s distance of 20 feet, 9 inches held off Rogers’ last effort, of 20-8½.
In triple jump Howe scratched on his first two attempts then connected at 41-2. Rogers applied pressure at 42-3¼ right before Howe’s last try, his 2011 outdoor best of 42-10½.
“When I saw he beat me I knew I had to step it up on the last one,” Howe said. “I got kind of scared, just to face the competition, but then that pretty much fueled me. I knew that I could get it if I really wanted it.”
That was Jon Aldrin’s deal, too. The Downers Grove South sprinter recalled Hinsdale South’s Dominic Abiagom beating him in the 55-meter dash indoors.
No one beat Aldrin on Friday. The dreadlocked junior anchored a winning 400-meter relay, won the 200 and also took the 100 dash with a hand-held time of 10.8 seconds. Glenbard East’s Antwon James barely got Abiagom at the wire for second, 11.05 to 11.07.
“I didn’t like that at all, I really didn’t,” Aldrin said of losing indoors to Hinsdale South’s tall sprinter. “Since then, that’s one of the reasons why I’ve been working really hard outdoor. I wanted to beat him, and I guess my work paid off.”
James also earned retribution over Abiagom, who edged the Glenbard East junior in their preliminary heat.
“He was just as equally as fast as me, I won’t even lie,” James said. “But my technique and my willingness to win really was persistent. I ducked down my head and actually beat him just by a hair, literally.”
Hinsdale South’s Dijon James won high jump at 6-4, and teammate Don DeSalvo outran Downers South’s Harry Miles to win the 3,200.
Downers South’s Anthony Farinella took the 400 dash in 50.9 seconds, while Glenbard East’s Evan Schiewe won the 800 in a dandy 1:58.
Mike Fahey, the sole returner from Glenbard East’s 3A state champion 3,200 relay, hung with the leaders in the 1,600 then closed out Geneva’s Connor Bartel down the stretch.
“I saw the seed sheets and there were a couple kids that ran like 4:29,” Fahey said, “so I felt like I could just stay off them and see what happens.”