NBON: Keelan Finishes First Day With A Solid Debut In 5k
It was a perfect setting to debut a foreign event. The temperature was 73F coupled with a light breeze and minimal humidity at 9:15 pm. Jack Keelan (Sr., Chicago St. Ignatius) and a flock of other talented long distance runners were getting their final strides in beyond the backdrop of a wonderful girls 5k race. The sizzling battle between Wesley Frazier (Sr., Raleigh, NC) and Erin Finn (Sr., West Bromfield, MI) caught the attention of the boys. Frazier’s smashing record time of 15:55.94 had to pump extra adrenaline into the boy’s veins.
We shall see what effect the girls had on the boys in about 20 minutes.
Finally, the race off and running along with a nice round of introductions by the esteemed meet broadcaster David Mitchell. Defending meet champion Jake Leingang (Sr., Bismarck, ND) did not waste a second in going out to the front and leading the charge. Keelan did not hold either despite this being his first 12.5 lap affair. It seemed as though he didn’t to be too conservative in a new event.
Leingang hit the first three circuits in 67.6, 2:17.1, and 3:27.7 followed by Tanner Hinkle (Sr., Mason, MI) and Keelan.
The pace continued to be an honest one as the race moved through the first mile in 4:34- Leingang and Keelan began to stretch it out a bit. Fast-forwarding matters to the 2800m mark, it was Leingang crossing in 8:00.8 to Keelan’s 8:01.4. They were on pace to run about 9:09 and change for 3200m. This time is usually good enough to win most state championships. It shows the strength and excellence of these elite athletes.
Leingang indeed touched 3200m in 9:09.5; he was beginning to assert himself and pull away gradually from Keelan who respectively crossed the same mark in 9:10.4. The lead would stretch to five seconds over the next two laps for Leingang. The defending champion was destined to repeat as his stride pattern refused to wane. In order words, he looked like a well oiled machine. Keelan on the other hand was beginning to labor and in danger of getting caught by several notables lurking behind him.
Leingang hit the bell in 13:05 and tremendously ahead of Edward Cheserek’s St. Benedict, NJ) meet record of 14:25.74. Meanwhile, Keelan crossed in 13:23 and was caught with about 350m remaining by Nicholas Elswick (Sr., Chardon, OH) and shortly thereafter by Elijah Armstrong (So., Pocatello, ID).
Leingang motored to a meet record 14:11.61 amid a tired but very appreciative crowd. Elswick, Armstrong, and Keelan respectively followed up in 14:28.73, 14:28.97, and 14:29.20.
Keelan was still visibly tired several minutes after the race. “This is the most tired I have ever felt after a race,” he stated barely able to wipe the sweat from his face. He gave credence to how difficult it is to run a 5k on the elite high school level despite being a great distance runner. His father Tim Keelan went a step further in praising the winner: “Leingang had a bigger [gas] tank… he knew what he wanted [in this race].”
Keelan added the final words of his possible future track event: “I’m glad I did it.”
Other Illinois action-
Billy Bund (Sr., Lake Forest) finished his high school career on a very positive note by winning the emerging elite mile in a personal best of 4:15.47. Bund spent a good chunk of his senior year on the shelf with a fractured foot. However, on a warm but bearable afternoon, he churned out yard splits of 61.2, 2:05.0, 3:10.5, and finally the decisive winner in 4:15.47. Bund took the lead just after the first quarter-mile and never trailed again.
Wheaton-Warrenville’s Luke Schroer showed some future insight as he won section two in a personal best 4:19.66. The junior emerging star placed 8th overall.
Palatine Fremd got in the act as well by competing in the emerging elite 4x800 relay. The Viking junior quartet of Aaron Harris, Nick Macius, Nick Vucovich, and Harry Winter placed 26th in 8:17.03.
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