At Silver meet, 1,600 a golden race
What set hearts aflutter Saturday at the West Suburban Silver boys track and field meet was the 1,600-meter run.
The event’s top eight seeds had previously run it in 4 minutes, 18 seconds or less. The field included the state’s five fastest “milers” including the No. 1, Hinsdale Central’s Billy Fayette, teammate Zac Withall and Downers Grove North’s Brian Llamas.
Then there was DuPage County champion Mike Lederhouse of host Glenbard West and the event’s 800-pound gorilla, York’s Jack Driggs, third in Class 3A in 2010.
The 1,600 proved superb indeed. Yet Driggs’ victory over Fayette was just one reason the Dukes won the Silver for a ninth straight year and 29th time overall. It was a fabulous and somewhat surprising team effort after York finished third behind Lyons Twp. and Oak Park at the Silver indoor meet.
Mo Watkins, a first-year soccer convert voted by teammates as York’s man of the meet, won the 200 dash and ran on victorious 400 and 800 relays. Paul Golen went from fourth seed to discus champ in a personal-record 153 feet, 5 inches, then placed second in shot put.
Shawn John and teammate Nick Sgarbossa engaged in an extreme pole vault runoff, 10 extra attempts apiece to decide John edged Sgarbossa on misses, each at 14 feet.
Then there was Gavin Wegner. He arrived from his confirmation to take third in triple jump and add points for a York squad that needed every last one to defeat Lyons Twp. 130 points to 128.5. Oak Park (100.5), Glenbard West (80), Hinsdale Central (57), Downers North (47) and Proviso West (15) followed.
“I basically said to (Wegner’s) parents, ‘You do what you have to do. I’m not going to argue with God,’” said York coach Stan Reddel.
“He didn’t place for us indoors and he was third today. We had a lot of kids do that kind of stuff.”
The 1,600-meter, though, was about who took first. Fayette courageously lit out at breakneck pace, 59 seconds through the first 400 meters and 2:04 through 800 meters. Driggs, Oak Park’s Malachy Schrobilgen and Lederhouse separated themselves from the pack.
Fayette maintained a 5-meter lead over Driggs through 1,200 meters, run in 3:11. With about 300 left Driggs accelerated. Fayette looked ready to regroup with about 180 to go. Driggs, not to be denied, dashed home to win in 4:14.47 with Fayette at 4:16.31 and Lederhouse third in 4:16.78, his fourth straight PR in the event.
York legend Joe Newton told Driggs, “You scared the (heck) out of me, Jack, but it was perfect.”
“Me and (York distance coach Jim Hedman) were talking about just demoralizing people, just remembering that, like, I’m still here,” said Driggs, 100 percent after resting a hamstring strain. “I mean, everyone ran fast last weekend. I kind of felt left out a little bit. I just wanted to make a big move at 300 and never look back.”
The slim yet gutsy Fayette admitted he took the pack out too fast.
“I’m happy with it, but I know I can run faster and run smarter. So it’s a bit disappointing at the same time,” he said.
Glenbard West’s Josh Nibbe, part of a Hilltoppers track renaissance that includes such fellow seniors as C.J. Watson, Nick Burrello, Mark Hiben, Jordan Walsh, Derek Minkus and Phil Woods, earned the title of fastest draw in the West Suburban Silver.
Nibbe won the 100-meter dash in 11.22 seconds, ahead of York’s Watkins and Will Sullivan. Nibbe also finished second in the 200.
“After 50 meters I just thought I had to hold it and that’s what I did, basically,” Nibbe said of his sprint title.
“I take great pride in it. It feels great, actually. It’s such a tough conference, too. It’s an honor.”