Jacobs’ Hennessey all smiles after winning mile

Finally. An appropriate use for the term “shock and awe.”

That was how Jacobs’ William Hennessey termed his surprise in passing Oak Park’s outstanding Malachy Schrobilgen down the homestretch to win the 1,600-meter run on Friday at the Gus Scott Invitational in Naperville.

It capped a great day for the senior, named the male athlete of the meet at the annual coed, three-level invite. Hennessey anchored the Golden Eagles’ second-place 3,200 relay for Nick Matysek, Pat Nerja and Ryan Ross, and returned to anchor the victorious 1,600 relay, with Matysek, Grayson Meunier and Dom Blake.

But that open mile took the cake.

“I had no idea I’d be able to do that. This is the best race I’ve ran so far, I’d say,” Hennessey said.

“It was that four-by-8 when (New Trier 3A cross country champion) Leland Later anchored it. I got like a second behind him and as we were coming into the final 200 I felt, I can get him, that’s the state champ right there ... oh he got me. But I kind of felt maybe I closed a meter or two on him,” Hennessey said.

“That was the best race of my life so far, this is the new one.”

Hennessey was only half of what was a big, award-winning day for the locals out in Naperville. Actually a third, because Cary-Grove’s Sarah Ryan and Kathie Wollney tied for the honor of female athlete of the meet.

Ryan won both the 100- and 200-meter dashes, anchored a third-place 400 relay and also anchored a victorious 800 relay for Annie McGarrigle, Wollney and Jenni Maki — the same foursome who won it in 2011.

Wollney ran the fastest 100-meter hurdles race and did the same in the 300 hurdles, and also anchored the winning 1,600 relay, with McGarrigle, Lizzy Klicker and Paige Freund.

It was the second straight year Wollney won both hurdles events.

“I think it’s just a lot of repetition and muscle memory, doing the drills over and over again, just to get it into your muscles,” said Wollney, who’s considering running at Miami of Ohio or Grand Valley State. “When it comes time to race time, you know what you’re doing and it’s all in your head.”

Kind of the same thing for Ryan, who ran her 100 in 12.25 seconds, her 200 in 25.21.

“I just came in with a good attitude and got good results,” she said.

Utilizing the lessons learned by Jacobs’ former all-stater Danny Trevor, Dom Blake captured the 300 hurdles in 40.15, while on the girls’ side freshman Lauren Van Vlierbergen won the 800 ahead of a solid cast of athletes.

Both athletes were buffeted by a northbound wind down the backstretch.

“I felt really good. That backstretch is really long and that wind is brutal, so you’ve got to keep a good (clip) going on and that wind carries you,” Blake said.

Cary-Grove’s girls cruised to the title with 188 points, while Jacobs’ girls took third with 123 points.

The Jacobs boys finished sixth, back of champion Oak Park. And while Elgin finished eighth, Maroons coach Kevin Cleveland’s sprints core of Dennis Moore, Devante King, Malik Dunner, Derek Moorman and Terrell Campbell is as deep as it’s been in years.

“It’s a fun year,” Cleveland said.