Neuqua clinches second place finish at state

Neuqua Valley's Danny Pawola (center) competes in the 3,200-meter run.
(Corey R. Minkanic/For The Sun-T

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CHARLESTON -- Neuqua Valley's boys track and field team had never won a state title in a relay event and had never won a team trophy.

The Wildcats took care of both in the final event of Saturday's Class 3A state meet at Eastern Illinois University.

Neuqua junior Aryan Avant held off a hard-charging Bai Kabba of Batavia to win the 1,600 relay in 3:17.93. Getting him the baton were Cale Brown, Jamere Morrison and Brian Griffith, who had just recently been installed on that relay team.

"I was really tired, but I wasn't going to let up for my team, not a chance," said Avant, who also took fourth in the open 400 meters (48.91). "I knew it was close (when he received the baton). I wasn't going down without a fight. It's amazing. This means a lot."

Neuqua scored 36 points at the meet, 20 behind champion York. But the win in the final event clinched second place and got the Wildcats that elusive team trophy.

"I'm just so proud of these guys," Neuqua coach Michael Kennedy said. "They've stepped up every time we've asked. If the competition is there, they rise to the occasion. I told the guys to enjoy this. They earned it. We can worry about next year later."

The Wildcats' performance in the 3,200 also helped clinch that second-place finish. Senior Danny Pawola had the best seed time coming into the meet, but he wound up taking third in 9:09.70, finishing behind York's 1-2 punch of Steve Sulkin and Jordan Herbert. Teammate Aaron Beattie took eighth (9:20.15).

"The pace was what I was expected," Pawola said. "I hung in Lane 2 for awhile, trying to draft off of Jordan for a little bit. It went pretty much to plan, but I lost about 60 feet and Jordan pulled away and I couldn't hold on. I was definitely going for the win. I thought I had a shot, and I gave it all I had; it just didn't happen today."

Sam Wildeman added a sixth-place finish in pole vault (14-9) for Neuqua.

Waubonsie Valley took the state title in the 3,200 relay. The Warriors' Michael Lorenz, Craig Huhtala, Matt Havlik and Emmett Lorenz won the event in 7:43.39. Junior Alex Kampf earned a medal in the discus for Waubonsie, taking seventh (164-0).

Naperville North's trip to the finals consisted of one race, the 3,200, and the Huskies found success there. Junior Tyler Jermann took sixth (9:17.22) and senior Kyle Gibson placed ninth (9:21.44). Naperville Central's lone competitor in the finals was senior Aaron Petty, who finished seventh in the high jump (6-7).

Benet's Jerry Olp finished 25th in the 3,200.