Boys track and field: Stars take center stage at Red Grange Invitational
Track and field lends itself to exceptional athleticism and versatility.
The famed Red Grange Invitational certainly illuminated the concept in the 800-meter run Friday night at Wheaton Warrenville South.
Micah Wilson, the defending Class 3A boys state champion in both the 3,200 run and cross country finals, was pitted against reigning Batavia all-state 400 runner Jonah Fallon.
The Wisconsin-bound Wilson overcame a narrow Fallon lead at the gun lap and came home in one minute, 59.28 seconds to deny the Bulldogs' leader of their reigning state runner-up metric-mile relay by 32 one hundredths.
"I don't run the 800 very often," Wilson said. "I am running the mile (Saturday) night at Palatine. I knew (Fallon) was fast. I wanted to think of my abilities and not what he would do."
Batavia held a double-digit lead over North Shore powers Evanston and New Trier at press time as weather issues delayed the conclusion of three field events.
On the track, Aidan Killmer and Reese Young were dual winners in the championship flight of the three-division competition in the 14 individual events.
Killmer, a Lake Park senior, remained undefeated in the 110 high and 300 intermediate hurdles with respective times of :15.69 and :41.37.
"There are amazing athletes at this meet," Killmer said. "(The sweep) felt really good tonight. I felt like I ran a perfect technical race in the 110s."
Young also emerged victorious in loaded fields at 100 and 200 meters by claiming both dashes with split-second wins over the likes of Danny Eloe and Jamie Harris of Naperville North and Waubonsie Valley.
"I just had a good finish in both races," said Young, the WW South senior who is the top returnee in the state at 200 meters.
Young was clocked in 10.92 and 22.65 seconds.
Metea Valley sprinter and hurdler extraordinaire Jalen Johnson missed the competition with knee soreness.
"I still need a lot of work (out of the blocks)," Young said. "When the weather warms up, I will open a lot more and get better times."
South Elgin Top Times indoor 400 champion Konrad Sacha won his specialty distance in 50.36 seconds.
"I really wanted to run against the top Batavia guys and Jalen Johnson to lower my time," Sacha said.
Waubonsie Valley weight man Sam Mika chucked the discus 168 feet, 4 inches to join the state leaders with his win.