Boys track & field: Locals fare well at Rocket Invite

ROCK FALLS – On a chilly, breezy evening at Hinders Field, several locals managed to battle through the elements to win events and achieve personal bests at the Rock Falls Rocket Invite.

The host Rockets won the team title with 100 points, while Big Northern Conference rival Dixon was second with 85. Riverdale took third (74), Forreston-Polo finished fourth (70), and Bureau Valley (64) rounded out the top five. Newman placed sixth (45), Fulton finished seventh (41), and Amboy was eighth (38).

[ Photos from Rock Falls Rocket Invite ]

Rock Falls’ Adan Oquendo won the 200 in 23.58 seconds, took second in a dead heat in the 100, and was third in the long jump (5.82 meters).

His time of 11.70 seconds in the 100 was just behind winner Jack Behmer of Rockford Lutheran (11.68), and just ahead of Riverdale’s Luke Wiklund (11.73) as the top three finished just five-hundredths of a second apart.

“I was just trying to focus on my own race, not worry about the other guys. It’s nice to run a race like that at my home track, very relaxing to do it here,” Oquendo said. “I would say it’s more of a mindset to run hard in a race like that. You can’t really think about anything when you’re racing; otherwise, you get nervous and won’t run your best.”

Oquendo also teamed with Maverik Johnson, Christian Hernandez and Ryan McCord to take second in the 4x200 (1:37.02), while Gunnar Damhoff was second in the 3,200 (11:11.91) and Kohle Bradley was runner-up in the pole vault (3.27 meters). Darien Huggins (3,200, 11:14.63), Aydan Goff (300 hurdles, 44.45 seconds) and Devin Tanton (pole vault, 2.97 meters) added third-place finishes for the Rockets.

Dixon’s Tyson Dambman placed second in the long jump (5.95 meters) and the 300 hurdles (44.00 seconds), and finished fourth in a competitive race in the 110 hurdles (18.15).

While he didn’t win his races, Dambman did run his fastest times ever in both of the hurdles races.

“I PR’ed in both of them. I didn’t get first, but it’s still a PR and a good race,” he said. “Really it’s just competing against your own time, act like nobody else is in the race with you, and run your race.”

Hayden Yingling provided the Dukes’ lone win, taking the pole vault by clearing 3.27 meters. Alec Fulton was second in the high jump (1.82 meters) and third in the triple jump (11.48 meters), while Tyson Stokes, Michael O’Neal, Owen Belzer and Cort Jacobson ran to second in the 4x100 (46.37 seconds). Matt Warkins (shot put, 13.29 meters) and Peyton Dingley (discus, 36.78 meters) took third for Dixon.

Newman had a pair of wins from a Lucas, as Simpson took the 400 in 52.82 seconds, and Schaab won the 1,600 in 4:36.95. They also both ran in the runner-up 4x800 relay (8:25.62) with Wyatt Widolff and Kenny Boesen, and Simpson and Widolff teamed with Brady Williamson and Cody McBride to take second in the 4x400 (3:36.82).

Simpson used a new strategy in the 400, going out a little more slowly at the start and then kicking it in about 150 meters in.

“I raced against a West Carroll kid [recently], and I saw him do that same thing, so I wanted to try it tonight. I felt like it worked pretty well for me,” Simpson said. “At the 200 mark, I was thinking, ‘Oh, I think I’ve got everyone. I got this.’ I just had to catch the outside lane, and I was in good shape.

“It feels pretty good. I got a 52 [seconds], which is one of my PRs, so I’m happy with my time.”

Schaab increased his pace with each lap in the 1,600, pulling away steadily throughout to win the race in 4:36.95.

“I just wanted to win the race. I knew the BV guy [Elijah House], who finished right behind me, is a hell of an 800 runner. And I wanted to break 4:40, which is the state [qualifying] time for 1A, so that’s great,” Schaab said. “It’s really great winning the race at a meet so close to home. My parents were able to come, so it was great.”

House clocked a 4:45.06 for second place in the 1,600. Earlier, he won the 800 in 2:03.48, and was part of the Storm’s third-place 4x800 relay (8:36.83), joining Adrian Gallardo, Benjamin Roth and Maddox Moore. In the final event of the meet, he teamed with Roth, Justin Moon and Dylan Macklin to take third in the 4x400 (3:38.92).

House was neither thrilled nor disappointed in his winning time in the 800, and would’ve liked to have a little more competition against Riverdale’s Tommy Murray and Landis Musser, but they didn’t run as they rested for Distance Night in Palatine on Saturday.

“I’ve been trying to teach myself that I’m not a sit-and-kicker like I used to be, so I have to go out and run hard to get those times that I want. It’d be nice to have the competition with Tommy and Landis, but they’re going to be out in Palatine tomorrow, so I can’t blame them,” House said. “My effort could’ve been better; it’s kind of hard to not have somebody out in front of you to chase, but that can’t be an excuse. I’m not upset with it, but I’m not overly pleased, either.”

Gallardo finished second behind House in the 800 (2:09.19), and Landon Hulsing was runner-up in the discus (37.87 meters) for Bureau Valley. Roth added a third in the 1,600 (4:47.15) behind Schaab and House.

Michael Taylor led Forreston-Polo with three event wins. He took the high jump by clearing 1.87 meters, and ran legs on two victorious relays. He teamed with McKeon Crase, Brock Soltow and Noah Dewey in the 4x100 (44.64), then joined Crase, Dewey and Delo Fernandez in the 4x200 (1:33.93).

“With all the past years of doing track, it feels good to come out your senior year and just give it your all, just to see the progress. It feels really good,” Taylor said. “We just want to go for personal records and just perform at our best abilities. Of course we want to win, but it’s mostly just all about getting that good time and doing your best.”

The Cardinals also won the 4x400 (3:34.20) with the quartet of Crase, Soltow, Dewey and Micah Nelson. Lucas Nelson (17.49 seconds) and Jace Engbert (17.55) went 2-3 in the 110 hurdles (17.49 seconds), and Johnny Kobler took second in the shot put (13.77 meter).

Amboy’s Kyler McNinch outdistanced the field in the 3,200, cruising to victory in 10:38.96. He trailed for the first few laps, but slowly picked up his pace and won by nearly 33 seconds.

“I felt good going out in the first mile, and a Rock Falls kid was out in front of me a little bit, and I knew I was stronger than him and I just tried to hit it harder in the second mile. I’ve always been a strong finisher, so I just picked it up with 800 to go,” he said. “I was hoping low 10:30s, high 10:20s, but it was hard. I could’ve done a little better, but I’ll keep working.”

Also for the Clippers, Ian Sundberg won the discus (41.70 meters) and finished fourth in the shot put (12.62 meters), and Joel Billhorn took third in the 400 (54.36 seconds) and fifth in the high jump (1.72 meters).

Daken Pessman paced Fulton with four top-three finishes. He won the triple jump (12.26 meters), placed second in the 200 (23.65 seconds), and ran on two third-place relay teams; he joined Joel Ford, Carson Wherry and CJ Struckman in the 4x100 (46.92), and Wherry, Struckman and Klayton Schipper in the 4x200 (1:37.19).

Braiden Damhoff added a win in the shot put for the Steamers with a throw of 14.74 meters.

Pessman was pleased with his win in the triple jump, and even happier about the progress he’s making in the event that he picked up only recently.

“I was hoping to PR, and I didn’t. I’m still happy with my jump. I’ve just got to fine-tune some things,” he said. “Last year was my first year doing it, and I was kind of just out there trying. Now I’m learning how to do every little thing with it. I like having competition. It makes me push myself to do my best.”