Boys track: Timothy Christian's Ross does well with chance

If at first you hit every hurdle, you want another shot.

Basically, Timothy Christian junior Xavier Ross did succeed in the 110-meter hurdles in Saturday's 50th running of Lisle's Carlin Nalley Track & Field Invitational, held at Bolingbrook High School. He edged Westmont's Kyle Casper to win the Class 1A portion of the two-level meet but left a wake of hurdles that may still bear his footprint.

"Frankly," Ross said, "it wasn't my best race ever. So I was like, you know what, let's put it down all on the track in the 300 (hurdles), and I did."

Ross broke 40 seconds for the first time to win at 39.70. Then he held off IC Catholic's Luke Ricobene to win the 200 dash in 22.52 seconds.

"I haven't peaked yet, I'm still going up," said Ross, a 2016 state qualifier in the 300 hurdles, 200 and triple jump. "By the time state rolls around I think I can make it to the finals."

IC Catholic's Jordan Rowell has done so nine times. Saturday the senior won the 1A long jump, outran a sluggish start to win the 100 dash and anchored a winning 800 relay with Ricobene, Khalil Saunders and Luke Calles.

Certainly the 200 favorite, Rowell and Knights coach Bob Cronin held off when Rowell felt hamstring tightness after his long jump win of 21 feet, 1 inch. Treatments will determine whether or not Rowell competes at the May 12 Metro Suburban Blue meet.

"I'm OK with that because the big meet is for sectionals and, of course, state," Rowell said.

Lisle and Westmont were somewhat hamstrung figuratively and, in Casper's case with his right trail leg, literally. Thursday's Interstate Eight Conference meet left one day of rest, and Lisle's prom was Saturday.

Regardless, Lisle sophomore Charlie Waldusky threw a personal-best 134-9 in discus to place fifth in the Class 2A/3A division. He then shot out to attend prom with Lions female thrower Skylar Spence.

"You know, I think I can throw this (distance) more often, but today was just a good day," Waldusky said.

Also in Class 2A/3A, Benet hurdler Michael Welsh cruised to win the 110 hurdles in 15.24 seconds, with teammate Will Lang in third overall. Welsh's form was super; now, speed work.

"When you get down to sectionals and state there are guys who are just a lot faster than me doing sprints," Welsh said. "I think that's mainly what I need to work on, is really going out and just shortening my steps and just straight-on sprinting."

Won by Oregon on the 1A level and by Lincoln-Way East in 2A/3A, the Nalley's golden anniversary drew an appearance by retired coach Warren Hogar, whose Walther Lutheran squad won the 1968 inaugural; and several generations of Nalleys, including the meet namesake and his son, Palatine coach John Nalley.

Yet Lisle coach Ken Jakalski looks forward, considering seeding all athletes by event for tougher competition, then separating the results by class.

"Anything we can do to make the meet continue to be fun," he said.

Jacobs placed third in Class 2A/3A, behind Lincoln-Way East and just one point after Riverside-Brookfield. Golden Eagles coach Jason Borhart noted another top-three: senior Aidan Ludlum's time of 22.18 seconds to place third in the 200-meter dash. Ludlum already was in the top three, but this time was even faster.

"I was pretty pleased," Ludlum said. "I felt like it was a good run, we had some nice tail wind. I was going up against a lot of competition, too. I'm not disappointed with the result. I felt like it was a good race."

Ludlum also anchored a victorious 800 relay, time of 1:31.22, with Loren Strickland, Caleb Walker and John Jameson. Ludlum said the group looks to reach the state meet in the event despite a hamstring pull that has sidelined senior Steven Bellefontaine.

"We're kind of doing that in 'BLT's name at this point because he's our best runner, we miss him a lot and feel so bad for him having his career end like this, especially him being a senior," Ludlum said. "But there's still a slight chance he could come back for sectionals, but it's looking a little dim right now. He's just got to recover first, get healthy before he has to worry about running."

Borhart said junior Jermaine Maegdlin-Ferguson reached the program's top-four times in the 300 hurdles at 40.22 seconds, which won the event at the 2A/3A level. He also placed second in the 110 hurdles at 15.51, with teammate Tommy Subaric placing fourth.

Jacobs' Zach Albrecht is only a sophomore, but he's already 2 for 2 in winning the Class 2A/3A 1,600-meter run at the Nalley Invite. In 2016 he clocked in at 4:28.95, and Saturday he ws more than seven seconds faster, winning handily at 4:21.35. In the months between, Albrecht said he'd learned to start his race quicker, and Golden Eagles distance coach Kevin Christian kept him on task.

"Just to get out faster. Because then you just get better times if you go out faster," said Albrecht, who after a short turnaround anchored a second-place 1,600 relay with Conrad Beech, Jacob Mobeck and John Jameson.

"My goal is make it to state, and maybe all state. That'd be awesome," Albrecht said.