The Super Weekend starts with Proviso West Boys Invite
The 49th Annual Proviso West Boys track meet has a few names that fans go by. One is the Proviso West Boys Invitational, Proviso West Boys Indoor Classic, or the Proviso West Boys 16-team Invite. Whatever you wish to call to the meet it should be a good, quality meet if not great.
Meet schedule:
10:00 am 4x800 F Fr/So Varsity (slow heats)
55 P Fr/So Varsity
55H P Fr/So Varsity
Opening Ceremonies
National Anthem
4x800 F Fr/So Varsity (fast heats)
55H F Fr/So Varsity
55 F Fr/So Varsity
600 F Varsity
1600 F Fr/So Varsity
4x200 F Fr/So Varsity
800 F Fr/So Varsity
400 F Fr/So Varsity
200 F Varsity
3200 F Fr/So Varsity
4x400 F Fr/So Varsity
Field events-
9:30 am LJ Fr/So Varsity (Cafeteria Style until 11:15 am, 4 jumps, no finals)
(Fr/So inside runway, Varsity outside runway)
SP Varsity (3 throws, 8 to finals for 3 additional throws)
10:00 am HJ Fr/So Varsity
PV Varsity
12:00 pm TJ Fr/So Varsity (Cafeteria Style until 1:15 pm, 4 jumps, no finals)
(Fr/So inside runway, Varsity outside runway)
12:20 pm SP Fr/So
Follow meet action via official twitter: @ilptt
New Proviso West coaches and tenants Victor Dubose and Johnny Jenkins return to coach their alma mater after a two year layoff. They took a moment to express themselves regarding the meet and coaching in general in this interview
The meet opens with new format and schedule change-
One of the noticeable changes that fans will find in the meet program is a change in the order of events. The 1600m and 3200m runs have been switch to the more traditional National Federation order. The 1600m is earlier in the events shortly after the 4x800m relay and the 3200m will be before the 4x400m relay.
The scoring tables have changed as well. The four relays will each count as double. For example, in the six scoring places it will go as follow: 20,16,12,8,4,2; the individual scoring will be the same: 10,8,6,4,2,1.
Added to the meet prologue is a music disc jockey. The DJ will be spinning energetic tunes during the course of stopped action in the meet or to build up excitement for the grand finale 4x400m relay. The championship frosh-soph and varsity races will end the competition simultaneously.
North Lawndale Prep has strong duo in Payton and McGee-
Imani Payton and Terry McGee are well known in the Chicago Public League circuit where they have destroyed the competition over the past two plus years. These two outstanding seniors have also torn apart the competition so far during the 2014 campaign. They have already competed in enough top notch competitions to complete a full indoor season. Both standout athletes performed marvelously at the Texas A&M HS Classic and University of Arkansas HS Invite as for the bulk of their key highlights.
Payton has the state’s top time in three events: 60HH (8.23), 55HH (7.77), and 400m (50.30). Payton also has the fourth best mark in the long jump at 21-11.5. He will contest the LJ, 55H, 400m, and 4x200m relay on Saturday.
McGee has been as lethal in competitions with his state leading 200m (22.39) and third ranked 55m (6.60). McGee has shown some strength for a short sprinter running 51.11 for 400m which is good for third in the state. McGee will contest the 55m, 200m, and 4x200m.
Four-time defending state champion Lake Park will be ready in their invitational opener-
Lake Park is in midst of a dynasty after winning their fourth consecutive state title last May on the strength of a great field event program. The Lancers are expected to fight hard for a fifth one later this spring. The key athletes to watch for will be Marcus Jegede (Sr., left photo), Antonio Shenault (Jr.), and Curtwin Evans (Sr.).
Jegede fits the mode of a typical Lake Park athlete that has been allowed to develop behind great teammates. He came into his own last year as a junior and took off with a monster 49-5.5 triple jump effort during the summer track season. His 23-3 long jump best is no slouch either. Jegede has been under cover in terms of being Illinois top jumper because of Cahokia’s super sophomore Ja’mari Ward. Perhaps Jegede will be able to take back some shine this Saturday in the LJ and 55m.
Shenault won the 55H last year here… but he did it at the frosh/soph level. Shenault went on to blossom in the varsity arena later in the year and earn all-state honors in the 110HH and 300IH. Shenault will go head to head with the North Lawndale duo Payton and McGee in the hurdles and dash. It will be interesting to say the least.
Once again Evans fits the mode of what was mentioned earlier regarding emerging talent turning into gold. Evans was on the scene last year at the Proviso West Invite where he finished a respectable ninth in the shot put with an effort of 45-3.5. He would go on to improve to 54-7.5 and compete in the state meet. This season in one competition he has thrown a state best 55-7. It appears as though Evans is on his way to the 60-foot mark sometime this indoor season if not outdoors.
Other key matchups to watch for:
• 4x800m: Lane Tech, Lyons Township, Lake Park, York, and Hinsdale Central all have seeds under 8:30. These power house teams should blow by the state best 8:33. Lane will feature its A-team of David Schmieg (Sr.), Pavlo Hutsalyuk (Jr.), Jon Vara (Sr.), and Oswaldo Lorenzana (Sr.). The Indians ran 7:51 last year albeit with a bitter taste in their mouths. The all-state quartet from Lyons will feature Alex Lima (Jr.) and Ed McCarter (Sr.). McCarter may lead off in his speeding bullet fashion in an attempt to stretch the field out. York and Hinsdale Central are capable of monster efforts but more than likely will roll out some secondary legs.
• 600m: Lima, Alex Bashqawi (Sr., York), and Ty Moss (Jr., Neuqua Valley) will shoot for sub 1:24. All three runners have produced marks under 1:58 for the 800m. Lima is ready to burst into the talent that everyone has been expecting from him when he ran 1:58 as a freshman. He is the defending champion in this meet. Bashqawi may be better in the middle-distance area at the end of the day despite showing tremendous prowess on the cross country course for most of last fall. Moss came on late last summer running 1:55 and 50.22. Watch for this emerging athlete ready to be a stud.
• Mile: The potential for great times will be forthcoming with Billy Magnesen (Sr., Hinsdale Central), Nick Bushelle (Sr., Neuqua Valley), Nathan Mroz (Sr., York), Ryan Clevenger (Jr., Downers Grove North), and T.J. Caveny (Sr., Hinsdale Central) in tow. This field of solid entrants all had all-star cross country seasons and that should translate into state leading marks.
• Zack Smith (Sr., Downers Grove North) vs. the field in the 3200m should be a good one. Let’s just say the state best of 9:24.9 is on life support.
• Jamante Steward (Jr., Proviso West) leads the way in the HJ at 6-4. Steward is starting to show some consistency that champions are built from.
• York’s Reid Smith (Sr.) will be among the favorites in the pole vault and high jump as will be senior Adam Peterson of Neuqua Valley in the PV.
• The showstopper: Yes the 4x400m relay will feature all six teams listed to run under 3:34. If this indeed happens then the leaderboards are going to take a beating. North Lawndale Prep is the top seed at 3:29. Head coach Zontavious Johnson said his second squad with doesn’t feature Payton or McGee time trialed 3:30 several weeks ago at the University of Chicago.