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Neuqua Valley's Moss sees results

Neuqua Valley junior Ty Moss has big dreams. He continued building toward them at Metea Valley's Mustangs Invitational on Saturday in Aurora.

Heading a 400-meter heat loaded with Marmion all-stater Kevin Grahovec and state-qualifying relay runner Jack Feeney of St. Charles North, Moss commanded the race from lane four.

Countering Feeney's early lead from lane six, Moss fended him off over the last 180 meters to win a tight one, Moss' 49.71 seconds edging Feeney's 49.79.

An AAU All-America with the Aurora Sundowners, Moss aims to run in college and possibly "the Olympics or professionally as well." He's clocked sweet 800 times since February but hasn't had much work in the open 400, though he joined Jeremy Stern, Nick Rafacz and Zac Espinosa to win the 1,600 relay Saturday.

"It felt a little rusty, but I felt good once I got going," Moss said.

"I haven't run a whole lot of open 'fours' yet, so I wanted to try to get the best time I could and then get sub-50 (seconds) because I know I've done it in the past," he said. "I just wanted to remember, and said I could do it again."

Metea Valley coach Aaron Lewis has staged the Mustang Invite four times, but due to poor weather it's been run just twice. Wheaton Warrenville South, the 2012 winner, won Saturday's close competition with 107 points to Neuqua's 106.5, ahead of Plainfield East (103) and Plainfield North (100.5).

WW South's Iowa State-bound Nolan McKenna fairly leapt to a huge lead in the 1,600, Neuqua's Dan Weiss, Connor Horn and Grayson Jenkins straining to finish 2-3-4.

A freshman phenom in 2013, Horn is waging a gradual comeback from surgery last June to correct a stress fracture in his right foot. Bypassing the cross country season, his first race was at the Upstate Eight Conference indoor meet, a frosh-soph 800. He's run three races since.

"I feel OK," Horn said. "I didn't get to start training really until, like, February. I kind of have a lack of base mileage for this track season, but I'm still looking to do the best that I can."

McKenna's distance pal at WW South, Luke Schroer, saw Neuqua's Kyle Bender take an early lead in the 800. He watched Marmion's Grahovec fly from sixth to assume the lead. Schroer kept chugging, running a negative split to nip Grahovec and Plainfield East's Sergio Llanes, at 1:59.19.

"I felt good," the Illinois recruit said. "When (Grahovec) passed me before the turn I felt good, like I'm going to have something left in the tank."

Another Tiger, Jon Callaway, placed second in shot put then went 1-3 with teammate Cain Bialas in discus. Asked his secret to adding 16 feet in discus since junior year, Callaway simply said, "Weight room."

In the 3,200 WW South's Kyle Cepeda, Plainfield East's Joseph Suarez and Metea's Connor Oats formed a distinct lead pack. Cepeda led all but the last 120 meters when Suarez swooshed past to win by less than a second, Oats in third.

"I need to work on my finish a little more," Cepeda said, "but it's only the beginning of outdoor season, so I've still got time to go and I have a great team to back me up, too."

Oats said he "mentally backed off" slightly after the fifth of eight laps. He felt content, though, and he's got a plan.

"I guess in the future I've just got to tell myself, like, stick it out with them for one more lap," said Oats, a senior. "And then that'll turn into six laps, seven laps, just keep saying that. Then by that time you're done with the race."

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