York’s Brendan Hill (pictured) made some noise at Proviso West Friday night clearing a state tying 14-8 in the Pole Vault (Mike Newman Photo)

By Michael Newman

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This past weekend marked the first weekend of “full” action that took place in the northern part of Illinois. We did not see “eye-catching” performances like we did last weekend when Marcellus Moore of Plainfield North ran a US #2 6.71for 60-meters at an international meet in Iceland, Thomas Shilgalis ran a solo 1:58.2 800-meters at a dual meet at York, and Sam Liokumovich of Deerfield improved his personal best by four feet with a 63-0.25 put in the Shot Put at Rockford Auburn that moves him to the #3 spot nationally.

ILLINOIS WEEKEND RESULTS

What did catch our eye was the performance from Daryn Davis of Huntley in the Triple Jump at a meet at Rockford Auburn. Her mark of 39-6.75 puts her on top of the leaderboard in the state as well as #8 in the United States as of February 10.

This first weekend of meets was in a way “rust-busters” as athletes were getting their legs under tm as we head into a long track & field season.

Here is a look at some of the highlights of meets that took place this past weekend.

Video from this weekend:

Proviso West Boys Quad 2 2/8/19

Wheaton-Warrenville South Girls 2/9/19

Hinsdale Central Girls Meet #1

We saw six of the top ten times in Illinois in the Girls 1600 Meter Run happen Saturday at Hinsdale Central’s 160 Meter Indoor Track. Claire Hill of Naperville North led the way covering the distance in 5:03.8. She was seven seconds ahead of teammate Alex Morris (5:10.6) and another six seconds ahead of Kennedy Warden of Downers Grove South (5:16.9).

Erin Reidy of Downers Grove South started off with a win in the 800 Meter Run (2:18.2) as well as the second fastest time in the state to this point.

Halle Bieber of Naperville North started her senior campaign in style with a pair of back to back wins. She started off by running 43.4 (hand-timed) to win the 300 Meter Dash ahead of Downers Grove South’s Clarice Maes (44.8). Bieber came right back to run 8.4 to win the 55 Meter Hurdles.

Proviso West Boys Quad #2

York High School sophomore Collin Hill had just pulled ahead of Palatine’s Richie Jacobo in the final 100-meters to win the 1600 Meter Run (4:34.2). Jacobo ran 4:35.9 to finish second. Ten seconds after Colin won his race, his older brother Brendan cleared a personal best 14-4 in the Pole Vault.

That event had the attention of most of the athletes on the track and the fans in the stands where the 200 Meter Dash had to be delayed as Hill attempted 14-8. On his second attempt, he cleared is second attempt at that height to tie for the state lead.

“It was so loud,” Brendan Hill said about the atmosphere inside the Proviso West Fieldhouse. “I was so pumped. There was no way I was going to miss that.”

He missed on all three attempts at 15-1 with two of those tries good attempts. That clearance should be right around the corner.

Proviso West’s new Mondo surface displayed its quickness in some of the races that took place Friday night. Daniel Klysh of York had the lead after 100-meters of the 600 Meter Run and never relinquished that. Klysh passed 400-meters in 54.8 on his way to a 1:25.1 win. Proviso East’s Jamonte Flowers finished second (1:27.5). Klysh’s teammate Michael Moriarty led from the start to run 2:02.4 to win the 800 Meter Run.

The most exciting finish of the night occurred in the 800 Meter Relay as Prospect overtook Proviso West in the final 30-meters to win the event 1:33.9 just ahead of Proviso West by a tenth of a second (1:34.0)

Wheaton-Warrenville South Girls Invitational #1

Raelyn Robinson of Glenbrook South won two individual events and anchored her team to a relay at this meet Saturday morning in Wheaton. Robinson, who has the best mark so far in the state in the Long Jump this year, jumped 18-1.5 for the win. She came back to run the fastest time in the state 7.43 to win the 55 Meter Dash. Robinson anchored Glenbrook South to the win in the 800 Meter Relay (1:55.08) ahead of Prospect (1:56.15).

Samantha Poglitsch of Wheaton-Warrenville South passed Kate Jortberg of Glenbrook South in the final lap of the 1600 Meter Run. Poglitsch held off Jortberg barely for the win (5:20.36 – 5:20.94). It was a close finish as the first five runners were all within five seconds of each other. Poglitsch earlier was a part of Wheaton-Warrenville South’s 3200 Meter Relay team that won (10:00.95) by under seven seconds ahead of Minooka (10:07.31).

York Girls Invitational #1

Two distance races in this meet resulted in top times so far this season in this state. Hoffman Estates ran 9:56.52 to win the 3200 Meter Relay ahead of second-place York by over 20 seconds (10:17.41). Willowbrook’s Victoria Palma ran a state leading 11:19.06 to win the 3200 Meter Run ahead of York’s Sarah May (11:28.74).

Homewood-Flossmoor Boys Meet #1

Joshua Bridges had a double win to start his senior on his home track. He ran the second fastest time in the state (6.95) to win the 60 Meter Dash ahead of teammate Jesuseun Adeyana (7.08). Bridges came back to run 23.04 to win the 200 Meter Dash.

Quinton Stringfellow of Homewood-Flossmoor record the top jump in the state so far this season as he went 45-8.5 to win the Triple Jump.

Homewood-Flossmoor Girls Meet #2

Homewood-Flossmoor followed up on their state leading time in the 1600 Meter Relay with the fastest time in the state in the 800 Meter Relay Friday night. Their time of 1:45.28 was five seconds ahead of second-place Lincoln-Way East (1:50.18). Lincoln-Way East came back at the end of the meet to run 4:17.61 (IL #5) to win the 1600 Meter Relay.

Ashanti Denton of Homewood-Flossmoor ran 7.82 (IL#2) to edge teammate Kaylah McCall (7.87) to win the 60 Meter Dash. Whitney Young’s Lovie Annafi jumped an indoor personal best 18-2 (IL #2) to win the Long Jump.

Proviso West Valentine Relays

Two state leading were produced in this three-event meet. Thornridge ran 3:32.09 to win the Boys 1600 Meter Relay ahead of St. Rita (3:35.27) and Lyons Township (3:35.80). Earlier in the meet, St. Rita easily won the Boys 800 Meter Relay (1:33.85) ahead of Metea Valley (1:37.11) and Romeoville (1:37.14) by more than three seconds.

Mundelein made easy work of the competition in the Boys 3200 Meter Relay running a state leading 8:21.85 to win by 12 seconds ahead of Warren Township (8:33.07) and Deerfield (8:34.77).

The closest finish of the meet came in the 800 Meter Relay as Kenwood Academy ran 1:48.79 to win the Girls 800 Meter Relay by one hundredths of a second ahead of Bolingbrook (1:48.80).

Evanston Township won the final two Girls relay events. The Lady Wildkits ran the second fastest time in the state (9:58.60) in winning the 3200 Meter Relay easily by 32 seconds ahead of Mundelein. Evanston Township finished off the meet winning the 1600 Meter Relay (4:16.21) just ahead of Kenwood Academy (4:17.55) and Bolingbrook (4:18.40)