Minooka edges Oak Park-River Forest for team title

(Photo Credit: Nick Lundin, Minooka HS)

By Michael Newman

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Downers Grove, Ill – It is the distance races that usually highlight the Bob Cohoon Invitational every year. This meet on Friday night at Downers Grove South High School was the exception. Winds were consistent from the north at 20 to 25 mph hours through the meet.

It killed the lap race runners as they were stood up heading into the “hurricane”. For the sprinters and the hurdlers, it was a dream that came true.

RESULTS | VIDEOS

JT Lowder of Oak Park-River Forest took advantage of the favorable tailwind to win both hurdle races. he had the lead as soon as he crossed the first hurdle. He clipped two hurdles on his way to running 14.13 for the win. It is the second fastest time in the state this spring in this event. CJ Hyde of Bloomington was the only other athlete in the event that ran under 15-seconds as he ran 14.92 to finish second.

The story was the same for the senior in the 300 Intermediate Hurdles. Lowder was held up by the wind heading into the curve. Running in the middle of the track, Lowder made up the stagger and had the lead heading into the final 100-meters of the race. Lowder’s winning time of 39.40 was almost two seconds ahead of his closest competition, Jaylen Smith of Hinsdale South, who ran 41.36 to finish second.

Lowder also anchored his team to the win in the 400 Meter Relay. He took the baton with a slight lead. He crossed the line with the win (42.73) by almost a second ahead of Minooka (43.72).

“I was a little worried at first (in the 110 Highs) that the wind would push my body to close to the hurdles,” Lowder said. “I adjusted my start moving back a little bit with my step. It worked out. I only clipped two hurdles”

Both sprint races got that little boost from the wind. Jaheel Perrin of Stevenson pulled away for the win in the 100 Meter Dash (10.91) just ahead of Oak Park’s Amir Blanchard (10.94). The order of finish changed in the 200 Meter Dash as Blanchard went under 22-seconds for the first time in his career with his 21.82 win. Perrin (22.60) and Glenbard North’s Xavier Curtis (22.62) followed.

It was a close team battle for the title. This week the championship trophy went to Minooka in a close finish. The Indians won the meet title (85 points) just ahead of Oak Park-River Forest (81 points) and Neuqua Valley (71 points).

Minooka clinched the win in the final event of the evening pulling away from the field to win the 1600 Meter Relay (3:29.90). The quartet of Tyler Fals, Hector Ramos, Jordan Freese, and Jason Hoffman were seven seconds ahead of the closest squads from Downers Grove North (3:36.19) and Neuqua Valley (3:36.78).

Ramos and Hoffman were in the spotlight with individual wins on this frigid evening of racing. Ramos came from behind in Lane 1 to catch Proviso West’s Katrell Askins in the final 10-meters to win the 400 Meter Dash (50.87). Askins finished second (51.37).

Warren Township’s  Bryan Holland had the lead in the final section of the 800 Meter Run going through the first 400-meters in a wind induced 59.5 seconds. Hoffman took over the lead with 300-meters left followed by Neuqua Valley’s Michael O’Connor. The two battled to the line with Hoffman gaining complete advantage in the final 50-meters. Hoffman ran negative splits in this race as he ran 1:57.80 for the win ahead of O’Connor (1:58.16) and Minooka teammate Jordan Freese (1:58.16).

Minooka also picked up a win from DaVonte Welcher as he jumped 22-9 for the win in the Long Jump.

The times in the distance races were hampered by the weather conditions Friday night. It was a matter of braving the winds on the back stretch and just waiting for the right moment to make your move.

That was the case in the 3200 Meter Run. Evan Cummins of Downers Grove North preferred to stay in the wings letting other runners block the wind in the lead. He was in sixth-place entering the final lap of the race. The sophomore made an incredible move on the backstretch of the final lap passing other runners heading into the wind. Cummins took the lead for good in the final 100-meters passing Neuqua Valley’s Matt Jett. Cummins ran an outdoor personal best of 9:55.54 for the win ahead of Jett’s 9:57.32. They were the only two runners that were under 10-minutes for this race.

Tactics applied again in the 1600 Meter Run as the lead traded off in the first two laps of the race. When the group went through the first 800-meters in 2:20, it was noticeable that someone would have to break open this race.

Nico Calderon of Sandburg was the first runner to make a move as he took off with 600-meters left. He did not hold it for long as Bloomington’s Nick Doud grabbed the lead at the bell lap going through in 3:27. Michael Madiol of Neuqua Valley made a move to take the lead with 200-meters left. Despite moves from Doud to try to re-capture the lead, Madiol held on for the win (4:32.27) just ahead of Doud (4:32.57) and Calderon (4:33.15).

The winds were at their worst at the beginning of the meet as winds gusted close to 30 mph during the 3200 Meter Relay. Neuqua Valley persevered in the conditions pulling away in the second half of the race because of strong legs from Madiol and O’Connor. Neuqua Valley picked up the win (8:25.58) ahead of Warren Township (8:30.53).

OTHER MEET HIGHLIGHTS

Oak Park-River Forest completed their dominance in the sprints with a strong win in the 800 Meter Relay. Their time of 1:30.19 was over three seconds ahead of Neuqua Valley (1:33.90) and Minooka (1:34.06).

Oak Park also took the top two places in the Shot Put. Mykolas Saloninas had a put of 53-7 to win the event ahead of teammate Keon Gilbert (52-11) and Neuqua Valley’s Matthew Appel (52-8.50).

The winds helped Downers Grove South’s Kendall Burrow with a big throw to win the Discus. The senior threw a personal best of 172-8 to win the event by almost 20-feet ahead of Stevenson’s Maema Njongmeta (153-0).

Downers Grove South also picked up a win in the Triple Jump with a 1-2 finish. Jayden Lambert jumped 45-3.25 for the win ahead of teammate Jayden DeShazer (42-6).

Bloomington’s Liam McGill navigated the winds to clear 13-6 to win the Pole Vault. Jimi Taiwo of Whitney Young cleared 6-4 to win the High Jump.