Boys track and field: Cary-Grove 2nd at Al Bohrer Invite
Ryan Magel had every reason to smile.
The Cary-Grove junior sprinter claimed the 100 meters in a personal best of 11.10 at Saturday's Al Bohrer Invitational held at Cary-Grove.
"I was really happy with my effort especially in the cold," said Magel. "I had a good start and I had good push in my legs. All my training is starting to pay off."
Magel's effort propelled the Trojans to a second-place finish with 110.5 points. Belvidere North, with 7 first-place finishes, claimed the team trophy with 147.5 points.
Magel was joined in the winners circle by teammate Tommy Williams, who claimed top honors in the 800 in a time of 2:02.30.
The Trojans raced to first-place finishes in the 3,200 relay (8:24.30 - Jon Altendorf, Alex Ratkovich, Sang Seo, Kyle Adams) and 1,600 relay (3:37.30 - Nick Zanetti, Magel, Williams, Altendorf).
Round Lake, with two individual first place finishes, placed fifth with a score of 52 points.
Placing first for the Panthers were Francisco Villanueva (110 high hurdles, 15.20) and Jameson Hamlin (200, 23.50). Hamlin edged Antonio Acosta of Wauconda (23.60) at the finish line.
Wauconda placed sixth in the eight-team meet with a score of 43 points.
The Bulldogs' lone first place effort came from Tyler Theel (51.20), who nipped Johnsburg's Myles Rozell (51.60) in the last 5 yards of the 400 meters.
"I am still battling from a quad injury in the off season so I am still in transition," said Theel. "Our coaches, who do a great job, want us to push out of the blocks, cruise with an easy speed and then burst at the end. The weather wasn't the best. It is still too cold and it was hard to get loose. I am happy with my progress."
Hampshire placed seventh with a score of 27 points.
Junior jumper Douglas Stuehler accounted for more than half of the Whip-Pur points with 14.
Stuehler claimed top honors in the long jump with a leap of 19 feet, 4.5 inches, and placed a disappointing fourth in the triple jump (37-6).
"It was kind of a slap in the face day for me," said Stuehler. "It is great to win the long jump but I have been jumping over 20 feet in practice. I was really off in the triple jump and have a lot of to work to do. It was the first outdoor meet so I have something I can work off."