Oswego’s Dontrell Young, Yorkville’s Owen Horeni star as Oswego East takes Southwest Prairie Conference crown

JOLIET – The notion that a warm day means slow times on the track was dispelled Wednesday at Joliet Central, where fast times were common in the Southwest Prairie Conference Boys Championship under sunny 75-degree skies.

Take Dontrell Young’s day. The Oswego sophomore ran a blistering 47.63 in the 400, the second-best time in the state this spring, to motor away from Bolingbrook’s Bruce Duncan III by 1.24 seconds, then ran the state’s third-best time in the 200 with a personal-best 21.31 to outdistance Oswego East’s Nigel Grisby by 0.17 seconds. Both were conference meet and school records.

Then there was Owen Horeni. The Yorkville junior ran the 800 in the state’s third-best time this year, a personal-best 1:52.99 featuring a second lap faster than his first, and did so with plenty left in his tank.

“My goal was to race tactically and just get the win,” Horeni said. “The main thing was just staying on the back of (Nathaniel Gabriel). He pulled me through.”

Which he did for the middle of the race. And with 200, a quick burst and Horeni was away, Gabriel, the Joliet Central sophomore, taking second in 1:54.38, the state’s eighth-best time, with Quinn Davis of Plainfield North at 1:54.44, the ninth-best time.

Horeni came back to take second in the 1,600, beaten to the line by 0.38 by Thomas Czerwinski of Plainfield North, who was seventh in the 800 earlier, and then anchored the Foxes to third in the 4x400, which boosted them to second in the conference race.

Oswego East took the conference title with 102 points to Yorkville’s 94. Plainfield North was third with 93 points.

Minooka won the frosh-soph title with 126 points to Bolingbrook’s 93.

Oswego East’s Zach Morrisroe captured the shot put with his final throw, a heave of 53 feet 9 inches, the only individual Wolve to win, but their 4x800 and 4x200 relays won and the 4x100 and 4x400 relays took second.

Plainfield East’s Joe Owusu ran the state’s third-best time in the 100, holding off Young with a 10.60 to Young’s 10.72.

“The key was getting out fast in my drive phase and building all the speed up,” Owusu said. “I see him (Young); we’re teammates in AAU. It’s friendly competition – I just want to beat him. He’s gotten me a couple times this year.”

Owusu also anchored Plainfield East to a conference record in the 4x200 relay, racing to the finish line in 21.1 seconds, and anchored the winning 4x100 (41.86).

Oswego’s Jezhian Sprinkle set a personal best with a 14.88 clocking in winning the 110 hurdles, then breezed to victory in 38.95 in the 300.

“Not a good start,” Sprinkle said of his 110 effort. “You’ve just got to sprint between the hurdles. This time shows me where I’m going to be at next week (at the 3A sectional).”

Bolingbrook’s Jordan Lampkins took the high jump with a season-best leap of 22 feet, 4.25 inches (6.81 meters) – short of the 7 meters he reached last year and was aiming to repeat, but good enough to win, and in only four rounds, passing on the last two in the three-jump final round.

“It’s practice,” said Lampkins, a junior. “It’s making sure everything leading up to this is perfect. It’s preparation.

“My first jump is always my best one. Once you keep jumping, your shins start to hurt, your ankle, all that.”

Plainfield North’s Keith Cyracus was second at 22 feet 3.5 inches, with Oswego East’s Jamari McKay, whose best jumps were nullified by fouls, third a 21 feet 8.75 inches.