Lake Zurich repeats in North Suburban
Teams that rebuild are not supposed to be this good — or at least, not this good, this fast. Lake Zurich was both Thursday night.
The Bears had graduated over half their medalists from a year ago, and it looked like they’d have some lineup questions to figure out this spring.
Lake Zurich, though, quickly found winning answers.
Of course, it helps when the process starts with seniors Alex Brend and Jacob Brinlee. Throw in veterans in Chris and Mike Rantis, and it adds up to a repeat North Suburban Conference championship.
The host Bears racked up 118 points to easily outdistance runner-up Stevenson (72 points). Zion-Benton, the last team to win back-to-back conference titles, was third (67) followed by Grant (56) and Warren (55).
“I don’t know if it is so much about reloading but who you reload with,” said Lake Zurich coach Chad Beaver, who won this third title in five years as head coach. “We just told the kids that tonight was not about running for time, but running for points.”
Lake Zurich accomplished both. The Bears earned four individual titles and numerous second-place finishes. The Purdue-bound Brend coasted to an easy win in the 800 meters (1:57.09) and held off teammate Pat Juras in the 1,600 in a 1-2 finish for Lake Zurich.
Colton Gray edged Sam Littlefield of Libertyville to win the pole vault with a best mark of 12-9, and Brinlee took the 400 in a great race with Antonio Farley of Round Lake. Brinlee won in a personal best 49.27, ahead of Farley’s school record of 49.31.
“I wanted to get that time for a long time,” Brinlee said. “I’m glad I was able to finally get that.”
Brinlee also ran second to Illinois-bound Brandon Stryganek of Stevenson in the 100 and 200 dashes. Brinlee ran season-best times in both races while Stryganek had another brilliant night under the lights at Mel Eide Field.
To go with his 10.76 effort in the 100 and his 21.74 mark in the 200, Stryganek also anchored a pair of relay wins, including a clocking of 1:29.36 in a fabulous 800 relay race over Zion-Benton. Stryganek was more than 50 meters behind the anchor leg from Zion when he took the baton.
He caught him with 70 meters remaining and put the Zion runner in his rearview mirror.
“I found another gear in that race,” Stryganek said. “I am happy with my night, but I know I can still improve.”
Kevin Wood and Alan Velev were the only other Patriots athletes to take individual titles. Wood won the 3,200 in 9:26.31 and Velev captured the hurdles in 15.50.
Records were falling all night in the throwing events for Grant senior Kyle Lombardino. Dodging the rain drops in the prelims of the discus, it was Lombardino’s last throw that earned him a spot in the finals.
An hour weather delay allowed Lombardino to focus, and when he came back after the weather delay, his first throw of 173-1 set a school record, breaking his previous mark of 172-10 and giving the Bulldogs a discus conference champion.
“I was getting kind of frustrated and I knew I just needed to stop thinking so much,” Lombardino said. “I just took a deep breath and focused on what I needed to do.”
That focus carried over to the shot. In his first throw in finals, the school record in the shot put went with it as Lombardino reached 58-10. His rival, John Pfeiffer of Lakes, had just broken his own school record in the previous throw with a toss of 56-10.
“I knew I couldn’t lose to (Pfeiffer) again,” Lombardino said with a smile. “I just got such an adrenaline rush and I just couldn’t let him beat me.”
Lombardino completed a sweep of throws for the Bulldogs as Grant won the shot and discus on the boys and girls levels for the first time.
On the track, junior Sean Wells put an earlier disqualification in the 110 high hurdles behind him to take a great race over Wauconda senior Brandon Dorsey. Wells ran the second fastest time in the state this spring at 38.94. Dorsey also ran a personal best and finally got the school record previously held by Kris Gehrke.
“I knew Sean was going to go after it after what happened in the 110 hurdles,” Dorsey said. “I’m glad I was able to get a personal best and the record.”
Other winners included Dartmouth-bound Jeremy Birck of Libertyville with a personal best of 6-8 in the high jump. Nick Lange of Round Lake won the triple jump (43-10.75), and Mundelein’s 3,200-relay team of Gian Carlo Vassalo, Robbie Munnings, Martin Mena and Kyle Hendrickson established a school record in 8:01.24.