Huntley pulls out ’3-peat’ at Fox Valley Conference Meet

HUNTLEY – The execution by his Huntley teammates was synced perfectly.

Zach Rysavy’s execution didn’t quite match it.

Not that his final triple jump of the day inside Huntley’s field house Thursday necessarily mattered. Rysavy still won the triple with a jump of 13.47 meters, setting a good tone for his team, which was looking to win the Fox Valley Conference Boys Track and Field Meet for the third year in a row.

Just before Rysavy’s jump, which was the last one in the competition, Huntley jumps coach Andrew Ernst encouraged about half a dozen Red Raiders standing near the sand pit to start clapping. So they did, slowly, in unison.

“Usually, I’d start it,” Rysavy said of the clapping. “But that one, they started it for me, which was pretty cool. It was a cool moment. It went through my head before I jumped.”

Rysavy’s jump was his second best of the day.

“I was a foot behind the board, so it probably would have been my best of the day,” the senior said.

It wasn’t the only clapping the Raiders did during the weather-interrupted meet. They overtook Jacobs with two events left to win in a dramatic fashion, as their 113 points were one more than the Golden Eagles (112). Dundee-Crown (79), which got two sprint wins from junior Oreoluwa Sobodu, Prairie Ridge (70), which received two wins from junior Alex Trejo, and Cary-Grove (54) rounded out the top five.

“They fought,” Jacobs coach Jason Borhart said of his athletes. “We had some bad things, Huntley had some bad things happen to them, and it came down to a 10th of a second in this race, in that race, this jump and that jump. You add it up, and it’s one more point for (Huntley).”

Huntley’s Tommy Nitz won the 1,600-meter run (4:20.91), after winning the 3,200 (10:00.89) earlier, but the Raiders trailed Jacobs 100-99 after 16 events. Sobodu won the 200 dash (22.51), while Huntley pulled out a 2-4 finished with Vinnie Costa (23.43) and Dominic Giuseffi (23.53), respectively, and that was huge. Matt Scardina, who won the 400 (50.55), was third for Jacobs, which suddenly trailed 111-108.

Jacobs then took fourth in the 4x400 relay (3:30.68), but Huntley’s fifth-place finish (3:34.82) allowed the Raiders to achieve their “three-peat.”

The Coastal Carolina-bound Nitz anchored for Huntley, finding the energy to sprint one more lap after his distance mile. By the end of the meet, the wind had picked up, providing a challenge for all runners.

“I was walking outside [after the first weather delay] and then they told me to come back inside because of the lightning,” Nitz said. “That messed me up for the two mile (3,200), but I got the job done and then came back in the mile (1,600) and got the job done again.”

Jacobs’ Max Sudrzynski was on Nitz’s heels on the final lap of the 1,600 before Nitz pulled away, winning by almost four seconds.

“I felt him on me that whole race,” Nitz said. “I know he’s a great runner. I raced him the whole entire year. Actually, my four years of high school I was racing him, so I know what he’s capable of. He tried to pass me on the last lap, and I just stayed strong. I finished hard and got the win.”

Trejo continued his breakout season for Prairie Ridge, winning the 110 hurdles (school-record 15.10) and 300 hurdles (41.73), as he held off Burlington Central junior Gavin Klingberg (41.77) in the latter. Trejo also ran on the Wolves’ third-place 4x100 relay, which clocked a school-record 42.99 with Colin Witowski, Logan Thennes and Nick Flaugher also running legs.

“I’ve been in a slump for the 300s,” Trejo said. “During practice, my coach (assistant Amy Taege) and I practiced the curve. That’s really where I fall off. Tonight, since I got the school record, I just wanted to push for it.”

D-C’s Sobodu won the 100 (10.67), edging Scardina (10.78) and Costa (10.82).

Cary-Grove received impressive wins from its junior duo of Jameson Tenopir and Logan Abrams. Tenopir ran 1:57.46 in the 800 and was the only runner to break two minutes. Abrams uncorked the shot put a season-best 17.33 meters. The Trojans’ winning 4x400 relay (3:28.28) featured Diego Guerrero, Tenopir, James Murdough and Ethan Ehlebracht.

Rysavy didn’t set his personal best in the triple jump, but Ernst said he’s trending in the right direction with the Class 3A Huntley Sectional meet next Thursday. Rysavy will be looking to qualify for state for the second year in a row.

“When we’re coming into conference, I’m more worried about points for my team than PR since it’s a team meet,” Rysavy said. “Then I can focus on my [personal] numbers at sectionals. I’m just happy that I’m around the state-qualifying mark (13.48 meters).”

A 45-delay due to lightning in the area moved everyone into the field house, before any of the running events started. When the meet resumed, the Thor Guard alarm sounded again while competitors were running the 4x800 relay. The event was completed, with Huntley’s Andrew Raistrick, Logan Barreto, Mark Omoniyi and Nathan Sauber winning in 8:20.80, almost seven seconds faster than runner-up Crystal Lake Central.

A 90-minute delay followed.

Before the initial delay, Jacobs senior Khristos Oludimu set the school record in the high jump, clearing 1.93 meters (6 feet, 6½ inches) on his third and final try.

“It was definitely a lot of adrenaline,” Oludimu said. “I feel like I do better under pressure.”

He beat the school mark by half an inch.

“I’ve actually wanted to break it since indoor,” Oludimu said. “I got very close. I’ve been falling short, but I’m glad I got it today. ... I wanted to attempt 6-7, but my coach told me to do it safely and just go a half inch over.”

Oludimu also won the long jump (6.83), giving him his first two FVC championships. He also is looking to earn a return trip to state next week.

He is not committed to a college, but has offers.

“I like to say, ‘Just stay tuned,’ ” Oludimu said with a smile.

Oludimu’s teammate Prince Barnes won the discus (50.58 meters). D-C won the 4x100 relay (41.60) with Anthony Spain, Terrion Spencer, Eddie Bailey and Sobodu.

Huntley also won the 4x200 relay (1:29.65) with Rysavy, Giuseffi, Jordan Oruche and Costa. Raiders senior Jake Hill cleared a winning 3.86 meters in the pole vault.