Zach Dale goes under 4:10 in winning stacked race; York powers to 4x8 win; Hertz, Lakes dominate in winning the team championship

By Michael Newman

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Mt. Prospect, Ill – After the completion of the 1600 Meter Run at Friday night’s Wanner Knights Invitational, there was a calm in the air as the timing company was trying to sort out the results of the race. It gave the fans in the stands a chance to take a deep breath and ask each other:  “Can you believe what we just saw?”

The 1600 at this race was the most anticipated with a loaded field of runners that were capable of running fast times. The reality matched the hopes as Zach Dale (Conant HS, Hoffman Estates) won the race in which 10 runners went under 4:20.

Conditions were perfect for great times. No wind, 60 degrees, and a talented field. Who could ask for anything more?

Dale took the pace out fast for the race darting through the first 200 in 29 seconds and the first 400 in a quick 60 seconds. Heath Warren (Springfield HS), Connor Madell (Lyons Township HS, LaGrange), and Bryce Richards (Mundelein HS) stayed right behind Dale. Two seconds later the rest of the pack followed led by Pavlo Hutsalyuk (Lane Tech HS, Chicago) and Matt Plowman (York HS, Elmhurst). Richards took over the leading chores the next 400 meters going past the 600 in 1:33. For the past two days, Richards and Dale had been talking about taking the pacing duties insuring a fast pace. That is what was taking place Dale took over the lead just as the quartet passed the 800 in 2:04.3. The plans before the meet were taking shape in what was a great race.

Madell started to fade from the front three as Dale pushed the pace followed by Richards and Warren. Dan Santino (St. Ignatius Prep, Chicago) moved into fifth on the third lap passing Plowman as the York senior efforted to stay close. The bell sounded as Dale led the trio through in 3:07.9. On the back stretch even the pace was breakneck, Dale found and shifted into another gear that the rest of his competition simply did not have. He came out from the shadows of the scoreboard with 100 meters to go with a clear 10-15 meter lead. Then came Warren running the race of his life looking to get closer to the line before anyone could pass him.

Dale crossed the line first in a state seasonal best 4:09.72. Warren followed dropping his personal best down ten seconds to 4:12.31. It also shattered a school record. In third crossed the surprise of the race Jared Christensen (Hononegah HS, Rockton). Normally an 800 meter runner, Christensen had a 4:24 personal best heading into the race. He left Mt Prospect with a third place finish and a huge personal best (4:13.41).

“Coming into this race, I was so nervous. I was looking at the heat sheets and recognizing all of the names,” Christensen said. “I usually am in the 800 and 400. I knew that last lap would be somewhere I would be better.”

Plowman passed Hutsalyuk and Richards in the final 100 meters to grab fourth (4:13.52). Then Richards (4:13.66) and Hutsalyuk (4:14.81). Madell hung on to finish seventh (4:14.88). “This feels pretty awesome. I was just recovering from the last two weeks,” Richards said about his race. “Tonight was just great.”

Santino finished eighth but still ran a great 4:16.75. “The good news is that I had a runner that ran 4:16 today,” St. Ignatius coach Ed Ernst said smiling. “The bad news was that he finished eighth.” That was a testament to how tough this race was.

David Rodriguez (Hersey HS, Arlington Heights) ran a personal best 4:17.24 to finish ninth. York freshman Charlie Kern place tenth but dipped under 4:20 for the first time (4:18.44). Another York freshman almost 20 years ago ran 4:18 in the 1600. His name was Donald Sage. You know what Sage ended up doing.

“We both did not want it to get out slow,” Dale said after his race. “The last quarter felt pretty good. I felt good the whole time. I just went for it. I went all out.”

“Down south we do not see competition like this. It was a little easier to hang on to Zach and let him do most of the work,” Warren said. “I told Coach Cotner that I felt amazing during my warmup and that just continued in my race.”

You could tell this night would be a special one from the first varsity final run on the track. York and Prospect slugged it out in what turned out to be the fastest 3200 relay run in this state so far this season.  Charlie Kern gave his team an early lead as he pulled away from Whitney Young and prospect in the final 150 meters. The dual between the two schools continued in the next two legs. James Riordan overtook York’s Max Denning on the second leg. Nathan Dale returned the favor in the third leg as he passed Prospect’s Luke Filipec with 100 meters to go. Matt Plowman held and extended York’s lead in the final 800 meters over Prospect’s Matt Corzine. Plowman crossed the line with the state’s best time (7:45.60) for York. Prospect was three seconds behind in second place (7:48.94). Hersey was another six seconds behind in third (7:55.18)

York’s splits: C Kern (1:55.4); M Denning (1:57.6); N Dale (1:57.2); M Plowman (1:55.2).

Lakes looks like a trophy contender when we get to Charleston at the end of May. They used the legs of Corey Hertz and the arm of Ryan Mullen to lead the way to lead them to the team championship with 137 points. Defending 3A state team champion York finished second with 102 points. Hertz had a busy night racing in the three sprint individual events. He started in the 100 Meter Dash finishing second as Shandall Thomas (Schaumburg HS) pulled away fin the last ten meters for an eight hundredths of a second victory (10.80 – 10.88). Hertz showed that his best event is the 400 Meter Dash. The Lakes senior made up the stagger on the outside lane runners, then pulled away down the stretch crossing the line with the state’s seasonal best time in the event (48.03) as he finished more than a second ahead of second place Michael Edwards (Zion-Benton HS).

Hertz had a little trouble in the 200 Meter Dash which was his fourth race of the evening. Alex Teague (York HS, Elmhurst) got off to a great start on the curve and had the race won as he entered the final straightaway. Teague ran a personal best (21.66) in holding off Thomas for the win by fifteen hundredths of a second. John Roberts (Zion-Benton HS) and Hertz dipped under 22 seconds as they finished third and fourth (21.93-21.99).

Mullen had a good day in the Discus ring winning the event (163-3) by ten feet ahead of Ben Rosplock (Hononegah HS, Rockton).  Mullen finished second in the Shot Put (54-10 ½) behind the 58-7 ½ winning put by Adam Shaufelberger (Lyons Township HS, LaGrange). Lakes had two more wins in the Field events. Cooper Jazo cleared 13-9 to win the Pole Vault. Cameron Ruiz jumped a season’s best 23-1 ¾ to win the Long Jump four inches ahead of Jarman McMillon (Schaumburg HS). Lakes picked up one more win on the track finishing the evening winning the 1600 Meter Relay (3:20.96) winning by less than a second ahead of conference rival Libertyville.

Other events:

A strong 1:59 anchor by Jeremiah Harp gave Rockton Hononegah the win in the Frosh / Soph 1600 Meter Medley Relay (3:40.53) winning by almost two seconds ahead of Prospect.

Keith Wilson (Libertyville HS) jumped a season’s best 45-9 to win the Triple Jump ahead of  Downers Grove South’s Josh Jones (44-1 ½).

Sophomore Dakari Ferguson (Schaumburg HS) won the High Jump clearing 6-4. Charles Hudson (Lakes HS, Lake Villa) was the only other athlete in the event to clear 6 feet (6-1) as he finished second.

Zion-Benton’s efficient handoffs as well as a strong anchor by Michael Edwards gave them the win in the 400 Meter Relay (42.64) ahead of Niles North (42.86) and Schaumburg (42.90).

Martin Barr (Niles North HS, Skokie) led until the final 1000 meters of the race when first Josh Plischke (Hersey HS, Arlington Heights) and then Kallin Khan (St. Ignatius Prep, Chicago) passed him. A strong final 200 by Clayton Mendez (Whitney Young HS, Chicago) caught Plischke in the last 10 meters giving the freshman the win in the 3200 Meter Run (9:26.37) fourteen hundredths ahead of Plischke.

Alex Lima (Lyons Township HS, LaGrange) led wire to wire in winning the 800 Meter Run. Lima held off Thomas Mosley (Zion-Benton HS) with 200 meters to go pulling away down the final stretch to win by almost a second (1:54.55 – 1:55.49).

Schaumburg won the 800 Meter Relay using a strong anchor by Shandall Thomas to hold off York’s Alex Teague for the win (1:29.59 – 1:29.96). Lakes was four hundredths of a second back in third place.

Nick Kersting (Downers Grove South HS) took command of the 110 Meter Hurdles by the seventh hurdles and rolled to a win ahead of Kyle Hilton (Naperville Central HS). Paul Ifianayi (Elk Grove HS) won the 300 Intermediate Hurdles by almost a second ahead of Max Roberts (Libertyville HS).