Knights reclaim crown
Its usually takes a lot to make Prospect boys assistant track coach Mike Stokes and head coach Mike Kamedula speechless.
But with the effort the Knights put forth at the Mid Suburban East division meet at Rolling Meadows on Monday night, it was easy to see why.
The Knights raced without two key performers in Pat Ziegenfuss and Mike Prezpolewski and still managed to rustle up 105 points to take back the East crown they had owned the previous five seasons. Wheeling earned the team title a year ago.
"Over the past five or six years the kids in this program have put their hearts into being the best they can possibly be," Kamedula said. "For a while this season I thought I saw that pride start to slip a little. But I am very proud of their efforts tonight."
Prospect needed every point to hold off second place Hersey (102). Host Meadows suffered through a tough night in the relays but still managed a third-place finish with 95 points. Defending champion Wheeling was fourth with 94.
"I am still stunned," Stokes said. "It was just an incredible performance by all the kids tonight."
Prospect used superior depth to win the meet. The Knights won just two events -- Matt Babicz won the discus with a career-best of 160 feet and Matt Kennedy took the shot put at 52-11.
Even with the depth and the two event wins, Prospect had to finish no worse than fifth otherwise, a win in the 1,600-relay would win the meet for Hersey.
Hersey did its part taking the event in a season-best 3:26.7, but the Knights, anchored by Marcin Kwiek finished fourth to hang on.
The Huskies combined for three individual event wins and a win in the 3,200-relay. Stanford-bound senior Kevin Havel took the 1,600 (4:17.0) and the 3,200 (9:43.5) while senior Mike Tisza captured the 800 in 1:57.6.
Other multiple event winners included Jason Zerfahs of Elk Grove in the 200 and 400 and Ty Kirk of Rolling Meadows in the long jump and the triple jump.
Pirates repeat in West: It was no secret before the season that Palatine was the team to beat in the MSL. On Monday at the MSL West meet at Hoffman Estates the Pirates reconfirmed those very same predictions.
The Pirates wracked up an amazing 170 points to win the West title for the second straight season. Host Hoffman Estates was an impressive second (93) followed by defending outdoor champion Barrington (86).
"This one is nice, but we still want the big one," said Palatine coach John Nalley. "Now is when it really starts to get interesting."
As has so often become the case, Palatine relied on its seniors to get the job done and Wisconsin-bound Mat Smoody and Tim Williams carried the mail.
Smoody won the 800 (1:56.6) and the 1,600 (4:27.5) while Williams was the busiest of the Pirates winning the 100 (10.7), 200 (22.1), long jump (22-4) and triple jump (46-0). Nick Busch won the high jump (6-4) and George Faber the 300 hurdles (39.2) for the Pirates other wins.
The Hawks had a pair of event wins in the 3,200-relay and the 3,200-meter run. Barrington earned four event wins that included the 400 and 800-meter relays.