Boys track and field: WW South's Rowzee gets season off to a blazing start
It all fell in line for Cedric Rowzee.
Enjoying the best weather of 2019 at Wheaton North's 34th Best 4 boys track invitational, the Wheaton Warrenville South senior sprinter had one of his best days on Saturday.
The two-time all-stater beat Lake Park's Adam Wiatr and Glenbard West's Tyquan Cox to win the 100-meter dash in a personal-best 10.45 seconds and won the 200 over Naperville Central's Dylan Greenhagen at 22.18. Rowzee began his day anchoring the Tigers' 400 relay, another win with teammates D.J. Almada, Robert Gerwing and Nasri Khayal.
Rowzee cut .32 seconds off a 100-meter personal record that earned him seventh in Class 3A in 2018.
"The 100, I was surprised by that one - 10.45, I couldn't believe it. I had to check a couple people, like, is this right? Luckily it was right, so a good day for me," Rowzee said.
He noted Wiatr and Cox - who won long jump at 22 feet - "are probably going to compete downstate." Cox ran on two of Glenbard West's 2018 all-state relays, but battling the frequent flyers is a newer experience for Lake Park senior Wiatr.
"Racing against people of that caliber, it's really special, because you only get so many times to do that in your lifetime, or even in high school," said Wiatr, also third in the 300 hurdles top heat. "I'm just cherishing that, and I think it's awesome that I can race with amazing athletes like that."
The Best 4 rewards team depth. The 14 non-relay events are competed on four levels and the champion based on the cumulative point total. Host
Wheaton North won the meet with 208 points, ahead of Naperville Central (186.5), WW South (157.5), Glenbard West (147.5), Lake Park (104), Plainfield South (100.5) and Willowbrook (54).
In addition to top-level wins by Connor Zydek in the 3,200, Briggs Cecil in the 400 and Ben LeVasseur in high jump, the Falcons swept each level of discus - led by Jake Johnson at 157 feet, 10 inches - and won three of four levels of both 110- and 300-meter hurdles.
"(Don) Helberg is probably one of the best hurdles coaches there is, so it's nice because he just gives us all the best drills and training for hurdles and encourages us to keep at it, all the underclassmen, too," said Josh James, who won the 110s in a crisp 14.49 seconds with Eli Odell taking the 300s at 40.25.
At 50.98 seconds in the second 400 race, Naperville Central's Thomas Codo would have won the top heat. The senior also ran a 1:58.6 leg of the Redhawks' winning 800 relay. Naperville Central's Aniketh Rayuda took second in the No. 1 triple jump just past Lake Park's Pat Amerlan, each over 42 feet. Rayuda soared 13-8 in pole vault, like Lake Park's Michael Schuff and Zach Frye, while top-flight winner Jake MacConnachie of WW South won at a personal-best 14-8.
"It was perfect weather today so I was ready to do some good stuff," Rayuda said.
Returning all-stater MacConnachie, joined by 800 winner Sean Maison among Tigers' winners, earned his 2-inch PR moving up to a 15-foot pole.
"I think everyone's kind of shooting for 15 feet right now in the state, so it's kind of good just to push a little bit closer to that," he said.
Glenbard West's Rory Cavan ran nearly nine seconds faster than anyone else in the 1,600, at 4:16.18. In a top heat that featured Naperville Central ace Thomas Shilgalis, his buddy, Cavan hammered the start and literally never looked back.
"I didn't really know where the guys were behind me," Cavan said, "but I knew that regardless of if they were two steps behind me or a couple more, I knew I just had to keep pushing it."
Willowbrook's potential showed in the horizontal jumps, with level winners Jaylon White and Sam Glass as well as Deandre Holliday, Alex Simmons, Terell Regans and D'Ondre Gholston.
"It felt good to get out here, see some great competition," said Gholston, at 19-7 in long jump. "We usually want to go for a 20, but we'll take what we can get."