Boys track and field: Prospect noses out Barrington for MSL title
As the 2019 Mid-Suburban League boys track and field championships got set to began at Barrington High School Friday evening, the big question that needed to be answered was this: Could anyone break through and challenge East Division winner Prospect and West Division titlist and reigning MSL champ Barrington for this year's top team honors?
Despite some strong individual performances the proverbial cream rose to the top by the final event of the night, the 4×400-meter relay that Barrington (3:27.44) would capture.
However, a third-place effort by Prospect (3:31.19) allowed it just enough points (128.50) to stave off the Broncos (126.50) to take the team title back home to Mount Prospect for the first time since 2016.
Rolling Meadows (106), Fremd (95.5), and Hoffman Estates (86) rounded out the top five.
"What a fantastic way to come down to the last event," Prospect head coach Jay Renaud said as he accepted the MSL championship trophy.
"I think we have decent depth. It's those kids that are scoring in the events that make the difference."
Among his big scorers was John Moellenkamp. He converted personal bests into wins in the both the 100 and 200 meter races for the Knights. He also anchored the Knights' victorious effort in the 4×100 meter relay (42.69).
"He helped get us the win there," Renaud said. "He's a stud."
Moellenkamp, on the other hand, praised his teammates' efforts, which led to eight top-three finishes on the night.
"We really came back at the end of meet," Moellenkamp said. "It was good to compete out there."
One of the notable performances on the night came in the discus as Mark DiOrio, Barrington's All-Area football honoree, bested Illinois State-bound Joe Boyer of Rolling Meadows with a winning toss of 164-feet
The University of Illinois preferred walk-on spoke of how he and other teammates tried to control what they could control in the meet-by-meet battles with Prospect.
"We knew coming into the meet that Prospect would be tough," DiOrio said. "We tried to beat a Prospect kid every single chance we could and we were able to that throwing."
Another double-winner was Fremd's Justin King, who captured the 110-meter hurdle crown at 15.23 seconds and the 300-meter hurdle title at 40.04 ticks.
For the MSL champion Knights, as well as the other MSL teams that departed Barrington, a new challenge confronted them.
Next week's sectional meets including Prospect at Niles West in Skokie and it has their head coach already beginning the thought process of his lineup.
"It will be different to the extent of trying to qualify as many to state as possible," Renaud said.