The CPS Co-Ed Championship was a day to remembered. N. Lawndale Prep set a meet record in the 4x1 relay (Colin Boyle photo)
A new track surface, a few familiar faces, and a new attitude greeted one of the best track and field meets of the season in Illinois Saturday afternoon on the west side of Chicago at the dank but historical Hanson Stadium. When you add in sunny skies on a perfect day to compete nothing is better to take in than high school sports.
For the second year in a row, Lane Tech boys and girls swept the team competition. Lane boys turned back a rejuvenated Morgan Park crew 88-73. Dunbar scored 69 for third place ahead of North Lawndale College Prep 66. Mather finished fifth ahead of last year’s runner-up Whitney Young 50-45.
The Lady Indians breezed to victory over arch rival Whitney Young 130-112. North Lawndale earned their best ever CPS finish in third with 63 points ahead of the ever emerging Westinghouse 62. Brooks College Prep rounded out the top five with 50 points.
Matt Fleming stepped up on the big stage in the long jump (Colin Boyle photo)-
The little known Matt Fleming (Jr., Simeon) is the typical prototype Simeon athlete- muscular and compact. Even so with a personal best coming was a solid 22’1.25” best from the Windy City Classic Relays he was not regarded as a key athlete to watch. All of that changed Saturday morning. Fleming immediately made his presence felt when he took over the lead with a 23’4” leap on his second jump. The effort got the crowd up in a frenzy. Mather senior Dontel Payne was up next and he connected on a personal best and school record 22’. Fleming deferred his third attempt to let Payne finish his final jump. Payne did not improve. Fleming uncoiled his final jump with a 23’4.75” banger that proved he wasn’t a fluke. Perhaps, the CPS will have a 3A state contender in several weeks in Charleston now that he is ranked #4 in Illinois in all conditions. For the record there was no wind gauge but for everyone in attendance, there was no wind. Fleming is for real.
The track events took center stage with the 100m dash (Colin Boyle photo)-
Most Chicago Public League track fans will tell you that speed comes from the south and west side schools. That fact has been proven time and time again. So it was no surprise to see the first open event (100m) went 1-2 to Demoria Harris (Jr., Dunbar) and Terry Magee (Sr., N. Lawndale Prep) in 10.91 and 10.94. Lane Tech senior Eric McMiller had an opportunity to win the event after coming into the final as the top seed, but unfortunately for him he got out of the blocks late and had to settle for third in 10.99. But back to Harris and Magee, these two titans battled all the way to the wire and Harris’ long stride proved too powerful for Magee.
Harris would make it a clean sweep in the fast dashes with a convincing win over Magee in the 200m blazing a personal best 21.79. Harris is a strong reminder of his older brother Darvell Harris who dominated the ranks two years ago that netted state titles in the 200, 4x1, and 4x2 relays. Harris appears to be headed on a similar crash course as his school will compete in the 2A classification for the state series.
Three long sprinters break 50.00 in 400m as Brandon Riley (Sr., Morgan Park) wins photo finish against fellow southside rival Jeremiah Watson (Sr., Urban Prep) 49.34-49.36; Deondre Ward (Sr., Simeon) 49.93
Imani Payton (Sr., N. Lawndale) swepted the hurdle races with ease going 14.56/38.55. The latter is a new CPS meet record for the future Indiana State University Sycamore (Colin Boyle photo)
North Lawndale continued its small contingent assault on the track by surprising a deep 4x1 relay field which saw four teams break 43.00. The Phoenix blazed a school record and CPS meet record 42.06 that stood since 1986; Phillips 42.71, Dunbar 42.78, Lane 42.93 all get big props.
Phillips breaks the meet 4x2 record without their top man Brandon Lane (Sr.) who was out with an injured leg. The Wildcats ran a smoking 1:28.98 to distance themselves from Dunbar 1:29.55.
The 800m battle turned into a classic finish all the way to the wire (Colin Boyle photo)-
David Schmieg (Sr., Lane Tech) takes advantage of being fresh and used the opportunity to go out in 54.9 for the first 400m. However, a determined Kevin Ma (Jr., Whitney Young) refused to bow down to the leg buckling pace. Ma pulled even with Schmieg who had a goal to lead coast to coast. Ma had an opportunity to pull the upset in the final meters when Schmieg tied up. The pure strength and determination that Schmieg exhibited produced a 1:55.75-1:56.00 victory. Both times are open personal bests for the CPS vets. Six runners break the 2:00 threshold. It's a modern day CPS record.
Jones runs well in the distance arena (4x8 commentary by Neil Hernandez of CPSfan.com)-
Jones displayed some of the distance prowess that has made them a mainstay in CPS and state annals. Jones repeated as the CPS 4x800 champions. They did not have to run quite as fast as their CPS meet record 7:54.80 from a year ago. Jones won this year's race in 8:14.70 over 2nd place Lane. Both teams were not running their complete "A" teams. Kevin Johnson(Sr.) gave Jones the lead after the first exchange with an estimated 1:59 opening leg. Lane got the lead again but Will Sarchet (Jr.) of Jones recaptured the lead then opened up a huge lead on the 3rd leg to give Jones a comfortable win. Lane decided to run 800 meter ace Pavlo Hutsalyuk (Jr.) in the final leg but since he was so far behind Jones and [clear of] Whitney Young, he strolled through with a 2:10 split to give Lane 2nd place.
Hutsalyuk took charge of the 1600m in the second half to win easily in 4:21.42. Northside Prep sophomore Danny Rosen caught a tiring Kyle Maloney (Jr., Jones Prep) in the final lap to grab second and a school record 4:25.30.
Peter Schaible (Sr.) won the 3200m for his Jones team in a time of 9:42.08. He and teammate Kyle Maloney broke open a slow place that stalled for the opening three laps. Schaible and Maloney hit the first mile in 4:47 and never looked back in going 1-2.
-Girls action-
The new Chicago prep sprint diva trio of Briyahna Desrosiers, Ebony McClendon, and Ryan Preacely have dominated the track (Colin B photo)-
It was the senior darling show led by Briyahna Desrosiers (N. Lawndale Prep), Ebony McClendon (Brooks College Prep), and Ryan Preacely (Johnson College Prep). These three young ladies absolutely dominated the CPS meet. Desrosiers won the 200 and 400 titles with 24.47/55.09 clockings. She also anchored her team to victory in the 4x4 that ran 4:09.81. The future Texas A&M Aggie also took second in the long jump (17'5.50").
McClendon was admittedly nervous after Whitney Young's Stephanie Okiro (Jr.) false started in the 100. "I was scared because I thought it was me,"she said. McClendon held longer in the blocks on the second take which may have prevented her from going faster than the solid 11.87 she achieved on a perfect day. McClendon won the long jump (17'8") and grabbed second in the 200m (24.47).
Preacely is the lesser known of the superstar trio but nonetheless just as lethal. The Ivy league bound Preacely took 2nd in the 100 (11.92), 3rd in the 200 (24.65); she anchored two fast relays as well: 4x1 (48.85) and a come from behind variety in the 4x2 (1:42.77) over Whitney Young who ran a season best 1:43.17. Morgan Park also added 1:44.72 and upcoming Westinghouse 1:45.76.
The end result was a team championship for Lane Tech-
Lane Tech used a variety of weapons to ensure the title. It started in the field for the Lady Indians via the arm of senior Jenal Ortiz who swept the throws (SP- 37'1.5") and DT (104'8"). Afterwards, the track stallions took over with Joanna Podosek (Sr.) who won the 800 (2:20.34) and placed second in the 1600 (5:30.25) to a surprising Jocelyne Mendoza (Jr., Taft) 5:23.73. Roisin Mulkerrins (Fr.) won her first city title with a late convincing win in the 3200m (11:51.28).
Fellow freshman Maggie Schoelle took second in 11:56.41. Also, Imani Davis (So.) and Alex Martel (Sr.) showed some great range in moving down to the 400. Davis was second in 58.74 and Martel 58.83. Davis was 6th in the 200 (26.57). Sabrina Matias (Jr.) also finished second in the 300H with a time of 47.67