Boys track: Neuqua Valley makes news at sectional
Late-breaking news from the Neuqua Valley boys track camp was all-state long sprinter Isaiah Robinson would run neither the open 400- nor 800-meter runs. Instead he'd run on three relays at Thursday's Class 3A Naperville North sectional.
This maneuver by coach Mike Kennedy and the Wildcats brain trust helped Neuqua win its sixth sectional and advance a program-high 11 events into next week's state finals.
"I think we have a great shot," Robinson said after anchoring the winning 1,600 relay.
Neuqua, whose 116 points topped Minooka's 96 and Plainfield North's 79, qualified all four relays. It will send down athletes including established stars such as Jake McEneaney in the 1,600 to return triple-jump qualifier McKenzie Mitchell and up-and-coming sophomores Alexander Kiefer in pole vault and Donovan Turner in the 110 hurdles, Neuqua's first 110 state qualifier.
"You look at that standard and you think maybe you can do it and maybe you can't," said Kiefer, who reached the 13-foot, 7-inch qualifying mark after being seeded at 13-1. "And you look down and you've still got the same two feet you always have. You're going to do what you're going to do."
Neuqua's Kai Larson joined Robinson on three relays while JaQuere Williams and Myles Gascon each ran on two, Gascon adding his successful 100 bid in 10.64 seconds. Waubonsie Valley's Tre'Von Petty ran in Gascon's heat of the 100 and also qualified for state at 10.79 seconds, still perfecting form after an earlier quadriceps injury.
"I'm feeling pretty good," Petty said, "but that definitely wasn't my best race."
Just before the wind shifted and the temperature dropped some 20 degrees, Petty's teammate, Wes York, did battle with Naperville Central's Peter Villanova in the 800. York took an early lead over Benet's Colin Luwanja, but Villanova kicked with 210 meters and held off York, both runners advancing with sub-1:58 times - as York had predicted.
"We're both strong guys," the Waubonsie junior said.
"That last 100 I felt Wes on my right shoulder, right there, and I was just glad I was able to edge him out by two-tenths of a second," said Villanova, a future ROTC man at Illinois. "But the roles could have easily switched because Wes is that good of a runner."
Jumps were a boon for Naperville North. Doug Howard won the long jump at 23-1½, breaking Scott Pavel's 2005 Huskies record. Barry Cate qualified at 22-2 on his last jump.
"Doug said you've got to take your hardest penultimate step or my last jump of my life," Cate said. "And that's when I gave it all I've got."
Last year Huskies senior Kris Heinz missed the sectional, academically ineligible. Thursday Heinz won high jump at 6-5 and returned to qualify in the 400 dash at 50.09.
"I've been working to stay in track and finish the season," he said.