Boys track and field: Lake Zurich hits goal, brings home NSC championship

After finishing just three events on Thursday due lightning in the area, the North Suburban Conference boys track and field meet was completed Friday night after another lengthy lightning delay.

Lake Zurich stormed to its first NSC championship since 2018 with 144 points to outdistance host Stevenson with 97 points. Warren (77 points) and Zion-Benton tied for third.

Freshman Karanveer Patil (9:46.88) and sophomore Luke Marshall went 1-2 for the Bears in the 3,200-meter run while Patil also won the 1,600 (4:24.87).

Lake Zurich's 4x100 team of Dan Hope, Chris Chang, Jack Miller, and Nick Gast won in 42.77 seconds. Gast won the 100-meter dash in 11.30 seconds while teammates Connor Strauss (triple jump), Cameron Libby (800), and Chris Chang (300 hurdles) also placed first.

"It's been a long time (since winning the NSC crown). It's one of the goals we set forth with my coaching staff, and the kids just bought into it," said third-year Lake Zurich coach Todd Anderson. "He (Patil) is doing outstanding, and he's still getting used to running against high school kids instead of middle school kids."

Stevenson's Thomas Simmons posted a winning time of 15.45 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles. The Patriots' Alexander Moser (7.14 meters) and Andrei Konstantinidis went 1-2 in the long jump as Moser broke the school and NSC records. The Pats also got seconds from Troy Valoaga (51.29 meters in discus), and Andrew Timmons (14.63 meters in shot put).

"Simmons was sixth last year (at state) in the 110s. He ran a 14.33 on a cold night last week, and he could flirt with breaking 14 seconds," said Stevenson coach Scott Sommers. "(Valoaga) had four of his five discus throws over the state qualifying distance yesterday."

Libertyville's 4x800 team of Filip Vojvodic, Taylor Rihm, Trace Whildin and Thomas Chudy won in 8:13.18 on Thursday while Chudy placed second in the 800 on Friday. The Wildcats' Brendan Hoch (3.54 meters) won the pole vault over Mundelein runner-up Nicholas Osorio.

"He (Chudy) has a shot at state in the 800, and he's very close to the state qualifying time," said Libertyville coach Nick Korhumel. "All four guys have to show up (at sectionals in the 4x800), and if we have consistency from everybody we can qualify."

Mundelein coach Kurt Rutz was very impressed by Osorio. "In terrible wind he came here and fought, he had a PR, and darn near won it," said Rutz. "He (Holden McFall) took third in discus, he had an 18-foot PR, and he (Maddux Hermestroff) had a solid performance with a third in the high jump."

Warren got seconds from Nathaniel Welch (100), Jackson Wiklund (110 hurdles), Chris McBride (triple jump), Jacob Rasmussen (1,600), and its 4x100 relay.

"Our 4x100 ran their best time of the year (42.90) so they're really close to the state qualifying time (42.62)," said Warren coach Dave Wilson. "We have a lot of good underclassmen and a lot of good juniors so we'll see some more power next year."