Metea Valley’s Stewart sets the pace
Metea Valley’s Joe Stewart was raring to go Saturday.
The senior quickly dusted the field with a 60-second first lap to start the 1,600-meter run. He couldn’t maintain that, but he went on to win in a new personal-best time of 4 minutes, 25.14 seconds at the Metea Valley Invitational in Aurora.
His fast start meant he ran the race basically alone, and in more ways than one. Twin brother Matt was at home, one of several flu victims. Matt actually had been signed up to run the 3,200.
“Hopefully that’ll go away by next week and we’ll be right back on track,” Joe Stewart said.
“I was looking forward to this race all week,” he said. “I wanted a 4:20 but went out a little fast, so I fell short a little, but I’m happy with the PR. I was really focused on this race this week.”
After this meet had been rained out and snowed out that past two years, Metea sprinter Jarrell Ross likewise was primed to show his stuff on his home track.
Ross finally got a chance to burn and won the 100 dash in 11.05 seconds.
“It was really just my acceleration,” said Ross, who also placed third in high jump at 6 feet, 3 inches. “I’ve got the good speed and I can get faster as I go through.”
The Mustangs placed third in the eight-team invite with 81 points. Wheaton Warrenville South won with 123 points, and Plainfield East was second with 89.
Neuqua Valley traded getting lots of athletes in the meet rather than placing, finishing sixth with 66 points. The Wildcats loaded their 3,200 relay with Mark Derrick, Alekh Meka, Andrew Smith and Taylor Soltys — and won by 21 seconds. Jake Bender, the 2011 Class 3A runner-up at 400 meters, was limited to legs in a winning 400 relay and a second-place 800 relay.
Field events rarely take a break, so Brad Mikulecky went 43 feet, 4½ inches in triple jump, behind winner Oshay Hodges of St. Charles North and Will King of Metea.
“It was good to have the good jumpers from St. Charles North and Metea Valley there to push me,” Mikulecky said. “I was kind of mad that I didn’t get it at the end, that extra half-inch to get into second. But it’s OK. I was happy with the PR.”
WW South found itself a couple new triple jumpers to go with a field events corps that offered Kyle Joyce, first in shot put, second in discus.
Tigers senior Alec Brazeau — who won pole vault at 13-3 — competed in triple jump for the first time since his freshman year. Fellow senior Brooks Greene, who later won the 200 dash, had never done it. He landed his first competitive attempt jump 42 feet, 5 inches, which stood for fourth place.
“Brooks, we found a new event for you,” 41-foot jumper Brazeau said after Greene’s attempt.
Greene’s secret?
“I couldn’t tell you,” he said. “I pretty much just went for it and hoped for the best.”