Boys track and field: Prospect, Maine South take top two spots at 52nd Gummerson Classic

The 52nd annual Ron Gummerson Cougar Classic was the final big area boys track and field meet of the season Friday night at Conant before the conference meets are run next week.

Prospect continued to show its power and depth by winning the championship of the rugged 16-team meet by a 188-172 margin over runner-up Maine South. Glenbard West (137 points) took third followed by Schaumburg (106 points) in fourth, and Hoffman Estates (64 points) in sixth.

Prospect's 4x100 team of Alonzo Deleon, Oliver Koczaj, Andrew Moreth, and Nathan Cichy took first place in 42.39 seconds to edge Maine South by .11 seconds. The Knights also got a first-place throw of 50.13 meters from Shea Lewis in the discus, and he took second in the shot put. Prospect's 4x400 team of Deleon, Cichy, Moreth, and Seamus Heil won in 3:22.51.

"It was a PR for our 4x100 team by .02 seconds, and that was under the state qualifying time," said Prospect coach Jeff Collier, whose team also got a first from senior Quinn Davis in the 1,600-meter run. "Caden Moran won the high jump (1.88 meters), it was under his PR, but he just missed his PR."

Maine South's 4x100 team of Niko Kokosioulis, Keaton Vitel, Aidan Curry, and Payton Donaldson have high hopes heading into the final three weeks of the season. Kokosioulis took second in the 100 (11.00 seconds) and 200 (22.10 seconds).

"We ran a season-best 42.5 in the 4x100, and I think if we run a little smoother we'll be under 42 seconds," said Maine South coach Jason Kacprowski. "Niko and Payton both went downstate last year in the 4x100, and Niko medaled in the 4x100 and 4x200 last year."

Maine East's Saul De La Rosa was the 400-meter champ in the A Division with a time of 50.16 seconds, but Glenbard West sophomore Owen Ashmore ran an even faster time of 50.14 seconds to win the B Division. Glenbard West junior Ben Schoettle won the 110-meter hurdles in 14.00.

"He (Ashmore) really looked great, and he probably PR’d by at least four seconds," said Glenbard West coach Dave Voland. "He (Schoettle) made it downstate as a sophomore last year (in 110 hurdles), he just missed finals, and if he has a great race I think he could win finals this year."

Conant senior Charlie Calderone easily won the 3,200-meter run in 9:36.50 while senior teammate Justin Czepiel won the 800-meter run in 1:55.57. Schaumburg senior Ray Black won the 300-meter hurdles in 39.02 seconds and he took second in the 110 hurdles.

This is the final season for Conant Hall of Fame coach John Powers, who is retiring after 30 years as the track coach and 34 years as the cross country coach.

"It's very bittersweet, I love track, I love coaching kids, and it's going to be tough to just stop," said Powers, who was honored for his decades of service at the meet. "We had two winners in the 800, Justin Czepiel in the A Division, and our sophomore (Johnny Basile) broke the sophomore school record (1:58.36 in B Division)."

Hoffman Estates junior Micah Pickett showed great speed in winning the 100-meter dash in 10.94 seconds and the 200 in 21.68 seconds. The Hawks also got first-place medals from J'Mari Jackson in the long jump (6.76 meters) and triple jump (14.14 meters).

Second-place finishers included Glenbard West's Chase Martin Scott (400), Addison Trail's Nathan Gundersen (1,600), Glenbard East's Mason Hephner (3,200), Maine South's Henry Ward (300 hurdles), Maine South's Philip Kozik (high jump), and Schaumburg's Anthony Say (triple jump).