Falcons keep DVC title in Wheaton
What happens in Wheaton stays in Wheaton.
At least on Friday night at Wheaton Warrenville South, where Wheaton North won the DuPage Valley Conference boys track title, holding off West Aurora and dethroning two-time DVC defending champ WW South.
Each led by a hall of famer named Helberg, the Wheatons have combined to win 18 straight championships.
It took some bad luck on West Aurora's part and both winning and point-earning performances by the deep Falcons to haul the hardware to the north side for the first time since 2005.
"I was afraid of the field events," said Don Helberg after his Falcons banked 150 points to West Aurora's 99.5. Naperville Central finished third (78) ahead of Ken Helberg's WW South squad (70).
"West Aurora, they were just loaded. They had to stub their toe in order for us to be in the meet. And they did, unfortunately.
"You don't wish that on anybody, but they didn't come through in the field events like I think they were planning on. And so our kids really stepped up."
West Aurora's Colton Winston, top seed in triple jump, strained a hamstring on the runway in his only attempt. Teammate Joel Vincent then twisted an ankle, and Falcons Dayton Henricksen and Jeff Rosenwinkel took advantage in the horizontal jumps.
Wheaton North didn't need much help. It won the 3,200 and 400 relays and then the open 3,200, as Chase Kadlec surpassed Naperville Central's gutty, Purdue-bound Stephen O'Donnell.
At that point, "we caught fire," Don Helberg said.
Victories came from Mike Trumpy in the 110 hurdles and Graham Farnsworth in the 800, passing Notre Dame-bound Randall Babb of Wheaton Warrenville South.
The timing camera was consulted on Ken Collier's dead-heat tie for first with West Aurora's Josh Zinzer in the 100. Collier came back to run down Zinzer in the 200, a replay of the 2007 final.
"I had to try all I could do to catch up," said Collier, also part of winning 400 and 800 relays. "I had to kick it in, and somehow I did catch him."
Falcons like Jon Frano, Matt Shatswell, Ivan Tamba and Brian Schlick ensured West Aurora's field event edge of 37.5-19 didn't hold.
"I'm just proud of everybody," Don Helberg said.
Joining 1,600 titlist Steve Couch for Naperville Central, Aaron Petty won both high jump and long jump, the latter with a personal-best distance of 21 feet, 9½ inches.
The yin and yang of throwing events, Naperville North's Tommy Quevillon and Sean Denard, won shot put and discus, respectively.
Quevillon threw a personal-best 56-5½ after fouling on all three discus tries. Denard won that at 152-2½.
"I wanted to have fun with Tom," Denard said. "it's our last senior meet at conference, and we just wanted to have fun out here."
Out of nowhere, WW South's Kevin Piraino bested his top triple jump by more than 3 feet, winning with a school record 45-11½.
"I've still got to work," said the even-keeled sophomore. "I've got a long ways to go before being anything close to good."