After winning the West Suburban Conference Silver Division indoor title by one point March 21, the Oak Park and River Forest High School boys track and field team left no doubt at the outdoor championships Saturday at Glenbard West.
The Huskies amassed 151 points to capture this conference title by 66 points over second-place York (85 points) and the host Hilltoppers (82).
Senior Kenny Brown (high jump, long jump) and sophomore Irwin Loud (3,200-meter run, 1,600) each won two individual titles.
Seniors Desmond Bird-Murphy and De’Viaughn Benion and junior Tyron Jones were part of both victories with junior Jamarri Watson in the 400 relay and senior Kelvin Evans in the 800 relay.
Juniors Kabi Mwakyoma (110 high hurdles) and Luke Nelson (pole vault) also were individual champions.
The Huskies last swept the outdoor and indoor Silver titles in 2012. They won their latest indoor title 116-115 over York by winning the 1,600 relay, the final event, while the Dukes finished fifth.
“The way we did it indoors with a walk-off win in the 4-by-400 and then to turn around and kind of send a message today (was great),” OPRF head coach Tim Hasso said.
“It’s just the message that this is the time of the season that we need to be running our best. The weather is starting to turn around and the kids are starting to put things together. We’re starting to focus our lineup in a way that we can score at sectionals and state and, obviously, with our eye on winning conference.”
Brown and senior Chris Wright-Madison went 1-2 in high jump, both clearing 6 feet-6 inches. Brown’s 21-11 3/4 in long jump gave him that title by nearly one foot.
Loud first pulled out the 3,200 (9:14.13) over Downers Grove North senior Ryan Clevenger (9:16.93) after being tailed by him most of the race. In the 1,600, Loud (4:20.49) took over lead in the final lap and edged Hinsdale Central sophomore Blake Evertsen (4:21.07), whose other race was leading off the Red Devils’ 3,200 relay.
Loud’s 3,200 effort is ranked No. 5 in Illinois among season-best times this outdoor season, according to DyeStatIL.
The 800 relay of Evans, Bird-Murphy, Benion and Jones (1:30.42) won by .23 over York. The 400 relay of Watson, Bird-Murphy, Benion and Jones (42.77) was .83 ahead of second-place Proviso West.
The Huskies also went 1-2 in the 110 hurdles with Mwakyoma (15.03) and senior Sebastien Johnson (15.26). Johnson came back for second in the 300 intermediate hurdles (40.82), just .03 behind Glenbard West sophomore Vince Divinere.
In pole vault, Nelson cleared 14-6 — a personal best by one foot – and defeated York senior David Prigg based on fewer overall misses.
Wright-Madison was second in the 400 (50.49), just .11 behind Proviso West junior Angel Smith. Senior Graham Failor second in shot put (47-9) to LT senior Adam Schaufelberger (60-3), who owns the state’s best reported distance of 61-3.
Taking third were the 1,600 relay of Sebastien Johnson, Mwakyoma, junior Alex Staples and junior Kimathi Johnson (3:24.04) and junior Jack Monaghan, senior Noah Deck, junior Sean Lonergan and Kimathi Johnson (7:52.30) in a highly competitive 3,200 relay. Glenbard West (school-record 7:47.16), LT (7:48.27) and the Huskies posted the No. 4, 5 and 6 fastest reported times in the state.