Quick quartet keeps Spartans in the running

You can't dismiss Mark Kachmer, Ryan O'Donnell, Garrett McKnight or Vince Perry.

These St. Francis Spartans did their maximum -- as in four events each -- to try to defeat Marmion at Monday's Suburban Catholic Conference track meet at the host's Fichtel Field in Aurora.

The Cadets, for a third straight year, were too much.

"It's hard competing against Marmion since they have so many more people than us and we're always quadrupling and tripling (in events)," said the Marquette-bound McKnight, who ran, in order, anchor on the 3,200-meter relay, the 3,200, the 800 and the 1,600.

"I think it just really shows the character of our team this year, about how we don't give up and we always go fighting."

St. Francis' 130½ points trailed Marmion's 177. Montini, led by pole vault winner Vince Lawdenski and second-place 3,200 runner Andrew Larsen, was fifth.

Driscoll took sixth, Immaculate Conception eighth.

"We didn't lose, we didn't do anything wrong or make mistakes, they just beat us. One of those days where they were stronger," said St. Francis coach Scott Nelson.

Of McKnight and his four-event horsemen, Nelson said: "Everyone says it can't be done. Well, he did it."

The reason Kachmer didn't win athlete of the meet was because his main competition ran in, and won, two of the same elite races.

The speedy Spartan junior won the 400 at 51.5 seconds, right ahead of O'Donnell, but took second to Marmion's Alex Rindone in the 100 and 200.

"I wanted to be in first in all of them. That's what I was expecting. It's rough to come in second, but hat's off to him," Kachmer said.

Kachmer also earned an "unexpected" victory in triple jump with a personal-best 42 feet, 4½ inches, nearly a foot past Montini's Brian Zirko, who also finished second in long jump.

McKnight had every reason to be winded. Yet he surged past Driscoll's constantly improving Jeremy Wilk to win the 800.

It's not Wilk's preference to take the initial lead. But, hey, someone had to.

"I thought I'd be able to hold him off for a little bit, and I had a little confidence. But then he picked it up with like 100, 110 left. He was able to kick it in and my legs just wouldn't let me go," said Wilk, who nonetheless ran a personal-best 1 minute, 59.6 seconds.

Immaculate Conception's sprint relays of Jonathon Ellis, Brendan Ryan, Nick DiBrito and Andy Larem finished second and third, respectively, in the 400 and 800 relays.