LZ’s Brend: Big Time, to the end
CHARLESTON — Lake Zurich coach Chad Beaver refers to senior Alex Brend as “Big Time Brend,” and on Saturday in the boys track and field state championships at O’Brien Field, Brend showed why the nickname fits.
Heading into the state meet on the Eastern Illinois campus, Brend was one of a host of runners that were considered favorites in the 800-meter run. It was a position that Brend has faced during the regular season, but never in such a large setting as the state finals.
In the first alley, embedded deep in the pack, a good start was critical for Brend, and he got one. As the field moved past the first 100 meters and blended together, out popped Brend. He took the lead — and it only grew from there.
Over the final 100 meters, Brend looked over his right shoulder a handful of times then tossed his arms into the air as he crossed the finish line. His 1:52.18 clocking was a school record and made Brend the first male track and field state champion in Lake Zurich school history.
“I can’t believe it, I won a state championship,” he said wandering around almost in a daze. “This is so amazing — I can’t believe I did it.”
It’s rare that a race goes exactly to plan, but Brend ran the race exactly as he had to in order to win it.
“We had talked before the meet that I had to get out fast,” Brend said. “I knew with guys like (Joe) McAsey of Minooka and guys like that who could really kick that I had to get out to a lead.”
The state title was part of a remarkable day for the Bears as Lake Zurich finished 15th in the team race with 21 points — its highest placement in school history.
Lake Park defended its team title in Class 3A without scoring a single point on the track. The Lancers scored 74 points to 43 for second place York.
Lake Zurich’s best haul of medals at one state meet continued in the shot put, where Mark Tabaka earned a sixth-place medal with a best effort of 56-0.25.
Back on the track, junior Pat Juras broke another school record in his ninth place finish in the 1,600. His time of 4:17.29 earned Juras another all-state spot; he’d earned one in cross country in the fall.
The final race of the season turned out to be one of the most exciting at this weekend’s meet. The group of Brend, Jacob Brinlee, Mike Rantis and Chris Rantis battled the best Class 3A had to offer in the 1,600-relay. The foursome broke another school record, racing to a fourth-place finish in 3:18.00.
Grayslake Central junior Luke Zygmunt took down the school mark in the 1,600-meter run for the second consecutive day and almost added a state title as well.
Zygmunt took the lead in the Class 2A 1,600 and looked to take control of the race before Paul Zeman of Belvidere North took the lead back from Zygmunt with a little more than a lap to go. Zygmunt placed second — the highest finish ever for a Grayslake runner at state meet. His time of 4:18.78 was more than a second faster than he ran on Friday.
“I am excited, but at the same time I feel like I can go faster,” Zygmunt said. “Next year, when I come back here, I feel like I can win it.”
The Rams earned two more medals in their best haul in school history. Jahard Nelson, Will Reed, Jordan Bustos and Bryant Jennings finished seventh in the 800 relay in 1:29.90. Junior Joel Valdivia earned his first state medal by finishing fourth in the shot put. His mark from Friday’s prelims of 54-3 held up. Jennings also finished 11th in the triple jump, leaping 44-1 in the process, and Will Brewster finished 10th in the 3,200 in 9:39.25.
Lake’s John Pfeiffer moved up 8 spots from Friday’s shot put prelims to finish third with a best effort of 56-3.5. He also improved and medaled in the discus, moving up to finish fourth with a throw of 159-11.
Grant sophomore Brandon Lombardino earned the Bulldogs’ first throwing medal in school history with his fifth-place finish that included a personal best 169-4 throw in the prelims.
Stevenson senior Kevin Wood and Brandon Stryganek earned medals for the Patriots. Stryganek suffered all weekend through brutal back spasms but still was good enough to finish fifth in the 200 in 21.91. Wood finished ninth in the 3,200-meter run in a personal best 9:19.15.
Jeremy Birck of Libertyville earned his third medal in four years with a sixth-place finish in the high jump.
Isaac Jean-Paul of Warren and Matt Kendzior of Grayslake North also competed in the state finals on Saturday.