Boys track and field: Red Ribbon lives up to its billing
It was a night of firsts at Waubonsie Valley's Red Ribbon Classic boys track invite.
The first time Warriors coach Kevin Rafferty believed the meet ran on Friday rather than on Saturday, moved to avoid expected horrid weather.
The first time York attended the Red Ribbon after years at Prospect.
"We've had a lot of night meets, but it doesn't meet the eventuality of the state meet," said Dukes coach Charlie Kern. "And I love Kevin Rafferty, and it's got great competition for our guys."
Such as Michael Moriarty. The junior brought home a 1,600-meter victory with a 400-meter runner's pocket-to-socket form to finish in 4 minutes, 24.96 seconds.
"Coming in seeded second, I knew me and Ethan (Kern), my teammate, needed to go out there and do something. The way the meet was going we needed some York wins."
It was to be the first outdoor invite of the season for Neuqua Valley returning all-state hurdler Donovan Turner. Alas, after clearing two hurdles in the 110-meter race he pulled up, not wanting to push the hamstring strain he'd suffered April 3, which had kept him out.
"He didn't make it any worse today," Wildcats coach Mike Kennedy said, "we just want to get him back to where he's full strength. As much as that looks like a failure, that was a huge success."
Another was Wildcats throwers Matt Appel and Hunter Danton, the first Neuqua duo to sweep discus and shot put on varsity and sophomore levels in an invite.
Appel, a junior, threw the discus 156 feet and the shot put 55-8. He scratched on farther throws in each discipline.
"I've been throwing those types of throws in practice, but it's the first time I've thrown them in a meet," Appel said.
It was the first time Metea Valley's Temi Osobamiro won three events in an invite - long jump, triple jump and the 100 dash. He'd been "struggling" in the triple, he said, before Friday's distance of 44-4.
"I'm grateful for being able to perform as well as I did today," he said.
The mighty Cedric Rowzee of Wheaton Warrenville South denied Osobamiro a fourth victory, edging he and York's Christopher Radcliff in the 200, at a sizzling 22.03 seconds.
Also helping the Tigers win the meet with 105 points to York's 80.5 was the 1-2 punch of pole vaulters Jake MacConnachie and Joe Ives. MacConnachie outlasted Marmion's Andrew Saloga by clearing a personal-best 15-2, while Ives took third at 13-8.
"It helps, especially to push us, and to have fun, especially at those heights," MacConnachie said of his partnership with Ives.