Boys track and field: Prospect produces another impressive effort
A Prospect boys track team seeking to carefully maintain momentum after its Mid-Suburban League East Division victory did more than that Friday at Wheaton Warrenville South.
The Knights finished second behind the host on Friday, anchored by middle-distance and distance runners in the three-tiered "A-B-C" meet.
"After we came out of the East meet, we're trying to manage the wear and tear on our athletes as we enter the championship phase, the last four, five weeks of the season as we start the peaking process," said Prospect coach Frank Mirandola.
One who may benefit from a break is senior Karson LeComte, who just committed to Nebraska this week, Mirandola said. But LeComte, who missed six weeks as a junior due to tendinitis of the knee, was having none of that. He shot to the lead of the 800-meter run and won by nearly 5 seconds, at 1 minute, 55.59 seconds.
"Coming into this I knew I had to get out hard because I've never raced against these guys. So I came out hard and tried to hold on as long as I can, and tried to close as hard as I can, too," said LeComte, who had run 1:57.3 indoors and ran both the 1,600 and 3,200 on Tuesday.
"I'm very happy about being healthy," he said. "I just need to stay healthy now."
The Knights looked real healthy in the 1,600. In the A heat Matt Cozine handled a push by Waubonsie Valley's Riley Miller to win in 4:25.65 (kid brother Nate Cozine won his heat of the 800). Then came fellow senior Luke Filipic, who won his heat by more than 8 seconds, at 4:27.45.
Freshman Michael Shafis took second in the A-level high jump, at 6 feet, 3 inches, tying his personal record. Junior brother Andrew Shafis placed eighth in the A long jump and ran on a third-place 800-meter relay.
Prospect's Vince Shields won his flights of both discus (130-4) and shot put (46-10) in personal-best form. His work with throws coach Tim Beishir - keeping hips up and leg sweep low - did the trick.
"I tried to work on that today and it just popped out of my hands," Shields said.
Palatine, which like Prospect came off its own MSL meet, in the West Division, saw senior Joe Roy finish fourth in A-level long jump. He started off at 20 feet, 8 inches, tailed off slightly then went big at 20-11. A football receiver, he then jumped into a car to take a placement test at Wisconsin-Platteville.
The Pirates were strong in hurdles with John Elischer; in the 200 with Courtland Cornelius and Cole Wasowicz; and in high jump with Dan Garcia and Elliott Hardwick. All reached top-three of their levels.
Palatine's distance coach, Chris Quick, was already hyped up for Saturday's "Distance Night in Palatine," which he hopes becomes an annual destination.
Saturday's inaugural, starting at 7 p.m. with the "real poppin' main event" beginning around 9, Quick said, will donate gate receipts to the Special Olympics. He's got some 300 ace runners lined up for heats in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200.
"It's like every idea I've ever had happening at a track meet, all at the same time," Quick said.