The Neuqua Valley crew came home with four official #1 marks at Arcadia (Paul Vandersteen photo)
Illinois always seem to get the short end of the stick when it comes to external things. For example, Chicago is often called "The Second City" but most people generally look at New York and Los Angeles as the top two geographical choices. In sports, the Windy city is often a laughing stock outside of the Bulls and Blackhawks. Even those two franchises had some very lean times. High School track and field has been very good over the years with a number of athletes going on to become Olympians and great collegians. But it seems like the public perception on the national level that Illinois is just "okay." The incomparable Arcadia Invitational is one of the nation's most elite meets that no one should even dare to enter if they are not ready to compete at full tilt. This year the small Prairie State contingent was ready to go.
Saturday main highlights-
- Michaela Hackbarth (Jr., Downers Grove South) continues improve as the season moves along. Hackbarth made her only attempt in California count in earning the state's girls 800m top spot in 2:14.01. "I seven seconds faster than I was last this time, so great things to come with more work," said a jubilant Hackbarth after her run.
- Zac Espinosa (Sr., Naperville Neuqua Valley) rose to the top of the boys state 400m charts during his seeded section. Espinosa powered hard on the homestretch and closed out the race in 48.54.
- Ty Moss (Sr., Naperville Neuqua Valley) ran one of the hardest 1:52.30 boy's 800m you would ever want to see. First, he allowed himself to get mysteriously boxed in just after the opening 150m. Moss then broke free and jostled all the way to the front of the pack and put on the brakes. The pace was already super slow and instead of just bursting into a surge, Moss and the deep field let things lag even more. Perhaps everyone was waiting for US#1 Connor Ross of McQueen, NV to lead the charge. At the bell, it was every man for himself and whoever had the best kick was going to win it. The unheralded Michael Slagowski of Rocky Mountain, ID took top honors in 1:51.85. He would negative split 53.69. This race would no doubt be a learning experience for Ty Moss when he faces an elite field down the road.
- Connor Horn (Jr., Neuqua Valley) ran his second great race of the weekend taking fourth in the rated mile clocking IL#1 4:18.83. The meet officials did not have a clock set up at the 1600m mark but Horn would be IL#1 in that department as well (4:17.2 unofficially).
- Abby Kargol (Sr., Downers Grove South) accompanied her teammate Michaela Hackbarth to Arcadia but she entered and participated in the Invitational girls 3200m. Kargol finished 23rd overall in the deepest field that she has ever raced and there was no disappointment. In fact, Kargol set a personal best and copped the IL#2 spot running a very good 10:45.53. Kargol stayed in the latter pack that took her through the first mile in 5:17. Dani Jones of Desert Vista, Ca won in 10:09.58.
- Graham Brown (Sr., Palatine) participated in the penultimate seeded 3200m where he placed 13th in a personal best 9:11.66. Brown ran 4:30/4:41. He was in the mix until the final two circuits of the race.
- The race of the day was the Boys Invitational 3200m which featured many of the nation's best long distance runners. For the Illinois crew, it was seniors Jesse Reiser (McHenry), Zach Dale (Hoffman Estates Conant), Ryan Clevenger (Downers Grove North), and junior Kevin Salvano of Buffalo Grove. The first few laps were pretty unassuming until the pace hit 4:26 by set by Loyola CA's Robert Brandt. Brandt had a two second gap on the field but it was fool's gold with Reiser, Dale and few other heavyweights lurking. Finally on the bell lap it was Reiser swinging his body (mostly head) in an unorthodox position fighting to get into position for a final strike. Reiser battled fave Elijah Armstrong of Pocatella, ID, Dale, Caleb Webb of Big Bear, CA, and a few more on the final homestretch. Reiser ran guts out all the way through the finish line and did not celebrate until he was sure that victory was his. And it was in a US#1 8:52.00. Here is the Reiser interview afterwards. Dale kicked hard to finish 4th in 8:52.62- a season best. Salvano got a big PB in 9"04.79. Clevenger took the caboose position running 9:19.86.
- The last race of the meet was the Invite 4x400 relay in which Neuqua Valley nabbed fourth in 3:18.21. Moss dashed the anchor leg in 47.8 to assist his team in another IL#1 spot. So officially the Wildcats struck gold four times in California.