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Kendziera shines in Wanner

If anyone wondered why Prospect’s boys track team had ascribed the nickname “Super Dave” to senior Dave Kendziera, they need not look further than the performance put up by Kendziera at the 45th annual Knights Wanner Invitational at Gattas Stadium in Mt. Prospect on Friday night.

On a night where the meet had to be run earlier because the stadium lights at Gattas Stadium did not work, Kendziera kept the track well lit with his sparkling performances.

He took home the top spot in the 300 hurdles running the fastest time in the state so far this spring (38.45).

But Kendziera’s top performance came in the 110 high hurdles. Battling with Northwestern-bound senior Matt Harris from Lyons Township, Kendziera took off and simply would not be caught, winning in a state best and school record 14.06 — the 10th fastest time in the country this spring.

“(Dave) is just way more explosive than he has been and you can see that in the long jump especially,” Prospect coach Mike Kamedula said. “I looked at my watch at first and thought he might have gone (under 14), but that’s still a very impressive time.”

Harris did get the best of Kendziera in the long jump, leaping 23-6.5 to edge Kendziera, who jumped a personal best 22-9.5.

The team race was not much of a race at all as York defended its team title with 122 points. Lyons ran second with 97 followed by Prospect (73), Zion-Benton (57) and Naperville Central (53).

The Dukes captured three relays included the coveted 3,200 relay to start the meet. Jack Achen, Alex Bashqawi, Alex Baughman and Zach Herrera ran a state best 7:56.89 leading a pack of four teams that got under eight minutes. Prospect and the team of Max Daleiden, Mike Leet, Max Gonzalez and Quentin Shaffer (7:57.94) also ran a season best.

York captured individual titles in the 800 meter run from Bashqawi (1:57.03), and Reid Smith in the high jump (6-5) and pole vault (13-3).

Libertyville, which finished ninth in the team race, earned a pair of individual wins from Illinois-bound senior Matsen Dziedzic. He threw a personal best 59-5 to win the shot put and took top honors in the discus (158-4).

Senior Odell McFarland of Downers Grove South won the 100 in a quick 10.93 and took third to Keontay Williams of Zion-Benton in a wildly fast 200. Williams ran a state best 21.33 to 21.85 for McFarland. Sam Bransby of Naperville Central was second in 21.70. Bransby took top honors in the 400 earlier in the meet winning in 49.14 finishing just ahead of Malik Harrison of Springfield (49.34).

Zach Dale of Conant, who ran in the 3,200, took the event win by edging out Chris May of York in 9:24.82.

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