Boys track and field: Barrington's all-in relay approach suits Cossio
CHARLESTON - Barrington senior Luis Cossio will always have his 48.33 seconds of fame.
This year, however, it's about team. And Cossio is cool with that.
"I got my chance last year to be selfish," Cossio said.
He took advantage of it.
Cossio won the Class 3A state championship in the 400-meter dash as a junior, but he won't get a chance to defend his title on Saturday at Eastern Illinois University's O'Brien Field. Exhausted after running the anchor leg on the Broncos' finals-qualifying 800 relay, he had little time to rest on the 88-degree day - "My dad timed it at about 11 (minutes)," he said - and failed to advance after running 51.35.
"I just wasn't able to get it done in the (400)," the University of Notre Dame-bound Cossio said. "My legs were too heavy. I gave it everything I had."
He sped across the finish line in 48.33 last year in winning his state championship. It was his only race of the day.
"Last year was awesome," Cossio said. "It was one of those things where it was basically just me (on the final day). I got to run the (400) fresh and I got to go after it. Going into this year I had a conversation with Coach K (head coach Todd Kuklinski), and I was 100 percent onboard with him. We knew this combination (800 relay plus 400 dash) was going to be tough, but this is for the team."
Cossio wasn't lamenting. Barrington broke its school record again in the 800 relay (1:26.95) on Friday with Cossio, Alec Andrea, Ray Niro and EJ Darlington.
"I'm excited because I think we got a real shot at the state championship in the (800 relay)," Cossio said. "We have some seniors who I've played football with and have ran with since the eighth grade."
Barrington also advanced its 400 relay (42.31) of Niro, Andrea, Michael Dreiling and Cossio. In both the 800 and 400 relays, Barrington was edged out by Hoffman Estates. The Hawks went 41.84 in the 400 relay with Malik Whitehead, Conner Kiley, Declan Rustay and Anijel Jones. In the 800 relay (1:26.58), Rustay anchored, again joining Whitehead, Jones and Kiley.
Rustay will defend his state championships in the 100 and 200 dashes after twice edging old friend Bobby Nuzzo of Mundelein. Rustay ran 10.50 in the 100 (third-fastest time of the day) and 21.50 (fastest) in the 200. Nuzzo went 10.54 and 21.76, respectively.
"I love it," Rustay said of running against Nuzzo, his former lacrosse teammate. "We're teammates over the summer (with Tom Nelson Training in Mount Prospect). I know that he's a great competitor. When I saw that he was in my heat for the (100) and (200), I got happy."
The Illinois-bound Rustay looks forward to taking on all competitors on Saturday.
"I'm feeling confident," Rustay said. "Times don't really matter until we get into the finals."
Fremd senior Jaden Jackson, who's also going to Illinois, clocked the fastest time (38.26) in the 300 hurdles on Friday. He and teammates Zach Balis, Ben Konopka and Justin King started by advancing in the 400 relay (42.33).
"We weren't expecting to get to (finals)," Jackson said. "Finding out that we did make it really gave me a lot of motivation to keep going."
Without a lot of rest time, Jackson and Konopka failed to advance in the 110 hurdles. Jackson finished sixth in the 300 hurdles as a sophomore and second last year.
"This year hoping to bring home gold," Jackson said.
Barrington senior Brad Warman will look to medal again as well after heaving the shot 61 feet in the preliminaries. He was fourth last year.
"I had a good day today," said Warman, who will throw the shot for Grand Valley State University. "I felt good. I definitely have more in me, though."
Warman watched Lockport senior John Meyer set a state record with a heave of 68-8.
"He's something else," Warman said. "It's going to be tough to try and catch him."
Also advancing were Hoffman Estates' Jones in the long jump (22-8), Fremd's Jim Leahy in the pole vault (14-0), Prospect's Michael Shafis in the high jump (6-3), Rolling Meadows' Will Rezny in the shot put (56-1ΒΌ), Fremd's Matt Bilek in the shot put (56-0), Schaumburg's Victor Olaitan in the 110 hurdles (14.36), Barrington's Nick Laning in the 1,600 (4:17.92) and St. Viator's Jeremy Yoder in the Class 2A long jump (21-4).