Barrington boys, Prospect girls, win Nagel-Saylor Invite
Barrington boys track coach Todd Kuklinski figured he’d bring some freshmen, give his veterans a lighter load, and test the Broncos’ depth during Saturday’s Jim Nagel-Mark Saylor Mid Suburban League Indoor Invite.
He didn’t figure on winning it.
“To be honest with you I’m kind of shocked,” Kuklinski said after Barrington scored 98.5 points to surpass Hersey and Fremd (80 apiece), and Prospect (77) at North Central College in Naperville.
It was Barrington’s first win at the coed meet since 2018.
Senior Micah Hall’s performance did not shock the coach. Hall set a meet record in the 400-meter dash at 49.97 seconds and followed only Fremd sophomore Marquan Brewster in the 200.
“The sky’s the limit for him,” Kuklinski said of Hall. “He’s just scratching the surface of how good he really could be. We saw it coming last year and he’s really capitalizing on every opportunity he has right now.”
Prospect’s girls won their half of the Nagel-Saylor for the fifth time in the last seven runnings. Their 133 points topped Barrington (102), Hersey (65) and Fremd (60).
All-stater Charlotte Deines landed the Knights’ first win, in long jump. She then followed Buffalo Grove’s Martyna Ostrega and Fremd’s Tammi Foreman in the 55 dash, and won the 200 with teammate Anna Niebrugge in second.
“Not really too satisfied with two out of three, I hope by the outdoor season I’ll be able to get them all. But everyone ran super-well on behalf of Prospect today, so I couldn’t be more proud of us,” Deines said.
Barrington’s Mia Sirois and Prospect’s Veronica Znajda broke quickly from the pack in the 3200. Freshman Sirois held the lead, Znajda hard on her heels, until Znajda surged with 600 left.
“I just felt good in that moment, and I just decided to seize the moment because you never know what can happen in the last 50,” Znajda said after setting a meet record at 10 minutes, 39.50 seconds.
Sirois’ time — 10:42.76 — also surpassed the previous record.
Znajda also placed second in the 400 to Rolling Meadows’ Hazel Nadal, with Palatine four-event junior Aisha Kazeem in third.
Hersey promises the state’s best one-two punch in boys throws. Instead of graduating early, future University of Iowa lineman Will Nolan stuck with Huskies pals like Logan Farrell, a junior recently committed to North Carolina as a tight end.
“It’s something I won’t get back and I just want to make the most of it while I still have the opportunity to be here,” Nolan said.
Nolan answered Farrell’s opening throw, 17 meters (55 feet, 9 inches), with a victorious school record mark of 18.27 (59-11) in a battle of returning all-staters.
“We’ve created such a strong bond and brotherhood that I couldn’t bear to see him go,” Farrell said.
Wheeling senior Sincere Williams gained confidence with his win in high jump. Schaumburg junior Kaylee Meyer won that event while jumping with a floating bone fragment in her left ankle.
Hersey senior Liam Naughton breezed in the 800, then reeled in Palatine’s Alexander Krieg to win the 1600. Rolling Meadows sophomore Arman Lepuzanovic won both the 55 dash and long jump.
Rolling Meadows junior Will Viken, aiming to become the fourth all-state pole vaulter in his family, won at 14 feet, 9½ inches with final attempts at 15-0 and, for kicks, 15-3.
“I’m exhausted,” he said.