Sectional win a group effort for Naperville Central
Naperville Central continued a hallmark boys track and field season Friday by advancing 10 downstate qualifiers and winning the Class 3A Downers Grove North sectional.
"Every single person that's going down to state deserves what they got," said senior Thomas Codo, who anchored the Redhawks' 3,200- and 1,600-meter relays hours apart. The Redhawks qualified all four relays.
"Every single person on our team that ran here deserved to be here and they gave it their all, they poured their hearts out for this season. It's definitely one of the best seasons we've ever had, and I'm really excited to see what we're going to bring next week," Codo said.
Naperville Central was the DuPage Valley Conference's third sectional champion following Thursday's wins by Metea Valley and Neuqua Valley.
Redhawks returning all-stater Thomas Shilgalis led start to finish with ease in the 800-meter run at 1 minute 57.15 seconds and rallied for the 1,600 title in 4:21.96, bringing Naperville North sophomore Tommy Paltzer with him.
"It puts me in a position to at least run two races," said Shilgalis, who may join others like Codo, Seth Klein-Collins, Patrick Julian, Jack Moccio or Aaron Benson in the 3,200 relay.
The Redhawks' Jay Coleman was the first DuPage County athlete to qualify at Downers North, going 22 feet, 1½ inch in long jump on his second attempt.
Triple jump, won by Downers Grove South's Jayden Lambert at a season-best 46-8, provided late drama. Naperville North sophomore Justin Gnade leapt into the second and qualifying position by a quarter-inch over Hinsdale South's Kam Lipscomb. On his last chance Lipscomb answered with a personal-record 45-6½.
"I'm so proud of myself right now," Lipscomb said.
Lambert's teammate, junior Shawn Lee, achieved one of his goals by breaking Tyler Rocco's school shot put record with a qualifying second-place mark of 56-8.
The Mustangs qualified five positions downstate as did Naperville North, an upwardly trending group of youngsters like Paltzer and Andrew Li and veterans such as Ameir Wilbourn and 400 dash qualifier Will deBolt.
Sophomore Henry Young ran in "not a single meet," he said, until his hamstring finally allowed him to join Wilbourn, deBolt and Li on a qualifying 400 relay.
The Huskies duo of Jake Allen and Nick Trattner paced Downers North's Jack Roberts throughout the 3,200, an event that qualified six athletes including Downers South's Canyon Stage.
"He was awesome," Trattner said of Roberts, who'll be joined downstate by high jump champ Connor Hopkins. "He did a ton of the work, he's a beast runner. I knew he was going to come out and kill it."
Benet senior Brendon Carter jostled with Hinsdale Central's Ethan Ruth and Andrew Novatney in the 300 hurdles but as Redwings coach Brian Quick said, a challenge fuels Carter. He got Ruth at the end, 39.74 seconds to 39.85, both moving on to Charleston. Benet also qualified 200-meter winner Ian Smith.
"I saw that I was about third or fourth on the straightaway, and then I just really kicked it because I do really good with competition. That really pushes me," said Carter, like Ruth a returning qualifier.
"So I just attacked the last three hurdles and that's how I got ahead."