Wins plus depth equals team title for Oak Park-River Forest at WSC-Silver Boys Championships

Daniel Watcke runs a solo US #3 time in 600 Meter Run win; Ian Kelley leads Oak Park with three individual wins

By Michael Newman [email protected]

Elmhurst, Ill – Oak Park-River Forest scored in all 17 scored events and along with some key event wins took home the team title at the WSC-Silver Boys Championship Meet with 149.5 points. Their depth held off a tough Downers Grove North team that scored 137.5 points to finish second. Hinsdale Central (89 points) and York (64.5 points) finished third and fourth in this six team meet.

RESULTS | MEET VIDEO

This conference continued to be the one of the toughest conference meets in the nation. Despite the fact this meet was missed the past two years due the pandemic, the competitiveness, and the incredible finishes by the athletes from the six teams showed that the mojo from this meet was not forgotten.

Take as an example the final event of the evening in the Joe Newton Fieldhouse. Downers Grove North had the lead entering the final 400-meters of the 4x400m Relay, but Oak Park-River Forest stormed back to take the lead. It was one lead that looked like it would hold on to the final lap. On came Downers Grove North distance runner Roy Llewellyn who had run two distance races already on this day. Llewellyn took back the lead in the final 10-meters to win the race (3:35.86) by half a second ahead of Oak Park (3:36.25). Three of the runners for the Trojans had run multiple races. Teammates mobbed them after the race on the track.

Track was back on this night. That moment signified it.

The race of the evening was not really a race but perhaps a race against the clock. Daniel Watcke of Hinsdale Central had been to this venue to watch teammates in a meet. He found the record board at the south end of the fieldhouse and looked for the record.

“I found last Saturday that the fieldhouse record for 600-meters was a 1:22 time,” Watcke said. “That was my goal for tonight.”

There were several runners in the field that were in the 1:25-1:26 range along with Watcke. The Hinsdale Central dismissed any notions that any of these athletes would beat him in the first 100-meters of the race. By the time he made the break and passed 200-meters in a fast 26.2, the field was already three seconds back.

York may have to re-do Lane 1 in the fieldhouse because of the flames leaving his shoes onto the mondo track service. He did not show any fatigue as he passed 400-meters in 52.6.

The national record was 1:15.48 set by Will Summer at Gately Park. Usually in a fast 600 like Watcke was in, the final 200 slows down dramatically. Watcke is a once in a generation athlete that will do some special things in his final high school years. He was not slowing down on this night.

He slowed down just a wee-little bit covering the final 200-meters in 27.3 and crossing the line in 1:19.96. Watcke won by more six seconds ahead of second-place Aidan Hill of York (1:26.39). Watcke was not winded after that race. Not, one, bit.

It was a new conference and fieldhouse record. It was also the third fastest time under roof for this distance. Can you imagine what he would have run if he ran one more lap?

“I felt good tonight. We have only done two track workouts this season with our 4x8 group. That has been it this winter,” Watcke added. “After I ran 1:52 at Distance Night (last May), I knew what it felt like to run under 1:55. Even if I were not in super great shape, I know the feeling on how to run fast.”

Both Oak Park-River Forest and Downers Grove North are high quality team that could have their eyes on a state trophy at the end of May. The Huskies had the advantage on this night with fire in their eyes and the desire to win another conference championship.

It started on the opening race of the night in the 4x800m Relay. Oak Park was in third when their anchor Lou Delano took the baton trailing York and Downers Grove North. Delano fought back in the final 100-meters to take the lead and the win with a team seasonal best of 8:00.97. Downers Grove North (8:02.84) and York (8:03.10) finished second and third.

Oak Park’s Ian Kelley led the way with three individual wins on the track. It was close in the 55m High-Hurdles as he took the lead going over the final hurdle to win in 8.09 by seven hundredths of a second ahead of Glenbard West’s Mohib Syed (8.16). Kelley was the most impressive in the 400 Meter Dash. He took the lead at 150-meters and never looked back as he ran 50.75 to win by more than a second ahead of Will Guerin of Downers Grove North (52.28). Kelley came right back for his team in the 55m Low Hurdles winning his third event of the evening. This time he ran 7.85 to win by only two hundredths of a second ahead of Syed (7.87) and York’s Antonio Gianni (7.99).

Oak Park won two more titles in field events. Joshua Meister missed the conference record of 15-3 but cleared a personal best of 15-0 on this third attempt at the height in winning the conference title. Kaden Garland had a 51-5.5 best to win the Shot Put by over seven feet.

The only other double winner in this meet was in the sprints by Erik Radzevicius of Downers Grove North. The senior won a close 55 Meter Dash (6.62) ahead of Oak Park freshman Caleb Schulz (6.66) and North teammate Carter Ratcliff (6.67). Radzevicius completed his double by running 23.03 to win ahead of Hinsdale Central’s Dayton Limjuco (23.24).

Other Meet Highlights

The distance events are always staple events in this distance hungry conference. Friday night showed more excitement even after Watcke’s 60 Meter Run win. Anthony Nitti of Glenbard West had opened a lead with 100-meters left in the 800 Meter Run. Aden Bandukwala of Hinsdale Central was a distant third at that point but was making up ground quickly. The Hinsdale sophomore took the lead in the final 20-meters to take home the win (1:59.15) in his first open 800 of the year. Nitti, also a sophomore, ran a personal best of 1:59.53 to finish second.

Roy Llewellyn of Downers Grove North had opened up a huge lead on the race chaise pack just after 800-meters in the 1600 Meter Run. Colby Revord of Hinsdale Central looked comfortable staying on Llewellyn’s shoulder until it was the right time to make his move. The time was right with 250-meters left when Revord stormed to the lead for good. Revord ran a closing 62 second final 400 to run 4:22.21 to claim the conference title. Llewellyn, who ran a strong third leg for the Trojans in the 4x8 and then later in the 4x4, ran 4:24.23 to finish second.

Charlie McLawhorn of Lyons Township controlled the pace from the start of the 3200 Meter Run. His lead grew to 25-meters with 400-meters to go but the gap started to shrink with Topher Ferris of Downers North leading the chase pack. McLawhorn held on to run 9:36.06 for the win. Liam Newhart of Oak Park-River Forest made a huge dash in the final lap to overtake Ferris for second (9:37.85). Ferris’ time was 9:38.09 for third.

Downers Grove North took the lead in the second section of the 4x200m Relay. They went on for the overall win (1:33.65) ahead of Oak Park-River Forest (1:34.12).

Hinsdale Central sophomore Michael Prieto cleared a personal best of 6-2 to win the High Jump. Prieto was the only athlete to clear past 6-0.

Vince Davero of Downers Grove North had a 21-00.25 best to win the Long Jump. His teammate Sam Bowerman jumped 43-6 to win the Triple Jump with Lyons Township’s Will DiSessa jumping 43-0 to finish second. Davero finished third in the event jumping 42-8.