HERALD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: GLENBROOK SOUTH'S NATHAN SHAPIRO

The John R. Davis Titan Invitational at Glenbrook South on Friday will provide Titans junior Nathan Shapiro another opportunity to hone the form that looks good for another downstate appearance.

A sprinter, hurdler and long jumper - who as a freshman in 2019 qualified for the Class 3A 300-meter hurdles - Shapiro has set one program record already this season and is ranked among the top three athletes statewide in two events.

Shapiro won long jump for a fifth straight meet, with a distance of 22 feet, 1¾ inches, on May 15 at Deerfield. The week before, also at Deerfield, Shapiro set a program record in long jump at 23-3½, or 7.10 meters, currently second in the state to Glenbard West's Sean Hopkins at 7.28 meters according to Athletic.net.

At Conant's Gummerson Classic on May 7, the junior ran the 300 hurdles in 39.38 seconds, then the fastest in the state and now ranked third. That's nearly a full second faster than his time at the 2019 Niles West sectional, and more than a second faster than his Class 3A preliminary time. The 2021 state-qualifying standard is 39.97 seconds.

The 2019 Central Suburban League South champion in long jump and 300 hurdles as a freshman, of the 14 events Shapiro has participated in this season - including the 100 dash, the 110 high hurdles and the 400 relay - he has failed to win only two of them. On May 4 at Niles West he won both hurdles events, long jump and joined Zach Goldstein and George Dornan, as well as his twin brother, Noah, on a winning 400 relay.

Noah Shapiro "is another stellar sprinter and jumper that scores a lot of points for the team," said Titans coach Kurt Hasenstein. "Both Nathan and Noah are extremely talented and dedicated athletes that will do anything you ask of them. Their best asset is how team-centered they are."