The OPRF boys track and field team is bringing their championship mentality to another Class 3A state meet. Led by seniors and defending state champions Caleb Schulz and Kwabena Osei-Yeboah, the defending 3A state team co-champions earned 16 state entries Friday while capturing the St. Ignatius Sectional with 94 points.
“It was a pretty brisk night. The wind was more intense, being in the city, but we were a pretty determined group,” OPRF coach Tim Hasso said. “We knew what we had to do to get down [state] and the kids showed up like pros.”
Even without optimal conditions, Osei-Yeboah had the state’s No. 2 best 3A sectional performance in triple jump. Senior Lukas Brauc (pole vault) was No. 4 and Schulz (100), Osei-Yeboah (long jump) and senior Liam O’Connor (3,200) were No. 5.
“I kind of feel the way I did last year and the year before. There’s a handful of teams, if they put in a quality day [in Saturday’s state finals] and enough things happen in their favor, they could contend for a [top-three] trophy,” Hasso said. “I think that our team will be in the discussion. That’s a good four kids to lead the charge.”
Schulz, last year’s 100-meter dash state champion in 10.58 seconds, swept the 100 (10.70) and 200 (21.97) Friday and was part of the winning 4 x 100 relay with Osei-Yeboah and seniors Tyler Washington and Matthew Winkelhake (42.54). This season, Schulz has run lifetime bests of 10.38 and 21.72.
Osei-Yeboah, last year’s state long-jump champion (7.19 meters/23 feet-7¼ inches), won Friday with 7.12m/23-4½ and triple jump (14.58m/47-10) – a lifetime best by one foot. Osei-Yeboah’s lifetime-best 7.49m/24-7¼ long jump won the conference meet May 15.
Junior Jonathan Sibley-Diggs won shot put (16.92m/55-6¼) and discus (46.16m/151-5½) with second-place Dylan Pierce second (42.39m/139-1) earning his state debut as a senior.
O’Connor (3,200 in 9:12.32), Brauc (4.75m/15-7 in pole vault), junior Malik Griffee (1.93m/6-4 in high jump) and the 4 x 400 with seniors Mykah Riley and Connor Schupp, Brauc and junior Brian Carter Jackson (3:25.92) also were sectional champions. Also advancing with second-place finishes were senior Finn Kelly (800 in 1:57.38), sophomore Emmet Freedman (300 intermediate hurdles in 40.10), Carter Jackson (400 in 49.82) and the 4 x 800 (senior Andrew Harmon, sophomore Julian St. Pierre, junior Connor Harmon, Kelly in 7:55.07).
Fenwick boys track
In the Class 2A sectional at Ridgewood, Fenwick finished third with 70 points. The Friars qualified three individuals and a relay for the state finals.
Junior Matthew Simon, who was the runner-up in the 400 at last year’s Glenbard South sectional, won this year’s event with a time of 49.58, punching a return trip Downstate.
“Matt has ran well all season,” said Fenwick coach David Rill, “so his race wasn’t a surprise.”
Junior Aiden Williams is also returning to the state finals. This time, he’ll be in both hurdles events thanks to his second-place finishes in the 110 (personal-best 14.90) and 300 (41.08).
“I am surprised with how well Aiden is running after having knee surgery in the fall,” Rill said.
Fenwick’s Cameron Garrett, Adrien Dubois, Landon Johnson, and Simon combined to win the 4 x 400 relay in a time of 3:30.85, a personal best for the unit.
“I couldn’t begin to say how proud I am of these guys,” Rill said. “It was so fun to watch that relay come together and win sectionals.”
