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Boys track and field: A gem of a sectional outing for Agnew, Vernon Hills

Vernon Hills senior Noah Agnew complemented his royal-blue track and field jacket with an MLB lid.

A Cubs cap.

It seemed appropriate since the star high jumper and his teammates were piling up wins. Vernon Hills turned in a dominating, Jake Arrieta-like effort in its own Class 2A sectional Friday night. Capturing all four relays and six individual events, the Cougars racked up a hefty 157 points. Runner-up Woodstock North (56) and third-place St. Viator (52), despite a pair of hurdles wins from Denzel Downing, finished way back in the team standings.

"Easily our best meet of the year," Vernon Hills sprinter Josh Williams said.

The 6-foot-2 Agnew got it going, winning the high jump with a personal-best 7 feet 1. His seed was 6-9.

"No, I did not expect this," said the Memphis-bound Agnew, who was second in the high jump at state last year. "All year, the team's been working together. I've been on this team for four years, and I've never seen a team like this year. I don't know. Something has gotten into us now that we're at a point where we can go to state."

Williams enjoyed a 4-for-4 night for Vernon Hills. The senior blazed to wins in the 100- (season-best 10.82) and 200-meter (season-best 21.85) dashes, after starting the finals by anchoring the Cougars' 400 relay (43.52). He also led off the Cougars' 800 relay (1:29.87).

"My legs are exhausted," Williams said after the 200. "We've put in a lot of hard work in the past two weeks, a lot of training. We just came out today and performed our best."

Vernon Hills' Tim Krashevsky won the 800 run (1:55.69) and also anchored the 3,200 relay (8:02.65). The Cougars' Kacper Jaskowski (13-1) and Aidan Williamson (13-1) went 1-2 in the pole vault. Vernon Hills' Caleb Ju earned a state berth in the 1,600 run (4:28.18, second place).

St. Viator's Downing won the 110 hurdles (14.53) in a good race against Antioch's Landon Keefover (second, state-qualifying 14.71). The Lions senior then captured the 300 hurdles (season-best 38.59).

Downing wasn't down, mentally, after he and his three 400-relay teammates were disqualified due to an infraction on the baton exchange. St. Viator's seed time of 44.35 was close to the state-qualifying mark (43.30).

Downing said the key for him was "moving on" and "staying focused." He ran the third leg on St. Viator's 1,600 relay, which finished third and hit the state-qualifying time of 3:27.50 on the head. Downing ran the 110 hurdles for the first time just last week in the East Suburban Catholic Conference meet.

"I had a little stutter-step in the beginning tonight, so I'm going to practice on that," said Downing, who went downstate for the first time last year and placed eighth in the 300 hurdles.

St. Viator also got through Jacob Bonanotte in the 800 run (state-qualifying 1:57.57, second) and its 3,200 relay (8:18.19, second).

Vernon Hills' 6-1 sophomore Nikolay Kravtsev was a surprise winner in the 400 dash, clocking a season-best 50.11 after being seeded third. In the 1,600 relay, Kravtsev was in second place when he grabbed the baton with a lap to go, but he overcame the deficit to give the Cougars one final victory.

Not bad a night considering Kravtsev recently pulled his hamstring.

"So I had to start without blocks (in the 400)," said Kravtsev, who was born in Ukraine and grew up in Russia before moving to the United States in the summer of 2012.

"Personally, I think it's better for me. My legs are long, so I'm not comfortable with blocks."

Another Vernon Hills runner who overcame injury to qualify for state was junior Shane Williamson, who clocked a season-best 9:39.69 in the 3,200 run (third place). He had what he called a bad back injury in late January, sidelining him for a month. Then he got a sinus infection that kept him out again.

His cross-country season ended because of illness. He didn't even run in the North Suburban Conference meet last week.

"It's been a tough year for me," Williamson, who also went downstate in the 3,200 run last year, said with a smile. "But I came out here today, and obviously the team is doing amazing. There's nothing more we can ask for. This is the best Vernon Hills track team that we've had, ever."

Antioch was jacked after its 1,600 relay (3:26.95) took second and qualified on time, as well. The foursome featured Keefover, Dylan Duckworth, Marc Gillespie and Pat Schoenfelder.

Carmel Catholic junior Ryan Thompson qualified for state with runner-up finishes in the 100 (state-qualifying 10.98) and 200 (22.51, just off the state mark). Jeremy Stutzel won the long jump (20-0) and advanced as well in the triple jump (41-2.75). The Corsairs' 800 relay (state-qualifying 1:30.82, second) also got through.

Carmel and Richmond-Burton tied for fourth in the team standings (50 points each).

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