Barrington relay leads big MSL day
CHARLESTON — Barrington distance coach Ty Gorman may have known something no one else on the Eastern Illinois University campus or anyone in the O’Brien Field area had any idea of Saturday.
As the Broncos were preparing to race in the 3,200-meter relay in the state finals of the Class 3A state track and field championships on Saturday, the foursome of Erik Peterson, Eric Schneider, Karl Eiring and Pat Mangan ran their warm-ups past the discus area.
Gorman found one of the billboards outside the discus ring and put up the numbers 7447. He was just a little off.
The fabulous Broncos foursome ran 7:44.87, destroying the old school record set the day before and finishing second. The finish set off a wild celebration after their coach predicted what the final time, almost was.
“They came running by and I had the numbers up and they just smiled,” Gorman said. “I think we all knew they had something big in them today.”
Running the second-fastest 3,200 relay time in Mid-Suburban League history, the Broncos earned their highest relay medal in school history.
“This is such an amazing feeling to be able to go out and race with my three best friends,” Schneider said. “This makes all that I have done at Barrington so worth it. Really it leaves me nothing left to do which is a great way to go out.”
Lake Park defended its 3A team title with 74 points to 49 for second-place York. But the MSL had its best showing on the track in many years.
In the 3,200-relay alone, four of the top eight teams all came from the conference. Prospect earned its eighth medal in nine years with a fifth-place finish from Josh Campos, Kellen Strobel, Mike Thill and Matt Ashton (7:46.54).
Hersey had its best finish in a relay in 10 years as Steve Tubergen, Robert Somary, Nate Knautz and Sam O’Neil ran 7:52.57 to finish seventh. Palatine’s Tim Johnson, Zach Gates, Ryan McGough and Erich Kuerschner ran 7:52.78 to take eighth.
“That shows some serious power for the MSL,” said Strobel, who will run at Butler next year. “We ran the second-fastest time in school history so we can’t be all that disappointed.”
Prospect finished 11th in the team standings and Ohio State-bound senior Nick Batcha had a lot to do with that.
For the second year in a row, Batcha medaled in three events. This time he improved each of his marks from the day before.
Batcha placed third in the 100 in 10.75, third in the 200 in a personal-best 21.64 and sixth in the long jump, where he improved to a season-best mark of 22-3.5.
“It started with the long jump and I just stayed relaxed from there,” Batcha said. “It was a great way to finish my season.”
In his two trips to state, Batcha earned six medals making him the most decorated boys track athlete in school history. He leaves holding the school record in the 400 and 800 relays, the 100, 200 and 400 and the long jump.
Conant junior Ben Bowers earned a trio of medals for the first time in his career with a sixth-place finish in the 110 high hurdles and ninth-place finishes in the high jump and in the 300 hurdles.
Bowers was edged out by Justin Johnson of St. Viator in the 300 hurdles. Johnson became the second Lion in school history to earn medals in consecutive state meets.
Fremd senior Brian Bobek tossed a personal-best 61-5.5 to finish fourth in the shot put. Hersey senior Jason Olson also tossed a personal best of 159-1 in his sixth-place finish in the discus.
Fremd also earned a ninth-place finish from Eric Wolski, Justin Wallace, David Ferguson and Christian Vail in the 800 relay.
Tony Gregorio and Ruben Frey of Palatine, Greg Netols of Prospect, Evan Prizy of Schaumburg, Ryan O’Donnell of Hersey and Nick LaRocca of Palatine also competed in Saturday’s state finals.