Boys track: Grant's Thormo catches on quickly
CHARLESTON - It took a long time for Grant runner Jason Thormo to realize it takes him a short time to sprint one lap around a track.
"I'm a cross country runner that learned how to sprint," Thormo said Friday at Eastern Illinois University's O'Brien Field.
Thormo, a junior, ran track in the sixth and seventh grades, then stopped for two years. He went out for the sport again as a sophomore, and on Saturday the speedster will attempt to win a Class 3A state medal. Heck, he might even win the 400-meter dash considering his preliminary time of 47.84 was bettered by no one on a sunny day that featured temperatures in the high 80s.
He was the only runner to break 48 seconds.
"I'm actually really, really surprised," said Thormo, who ran 49.25 at sectionals. "This is the second time this season I've PR'ed by a whole second."
He credits cross country for helping his endurance and speed.
"I got yelled at by a couple of coaches (for not running track)," Thormo joked. "They were like, 'Hey, come do track.' ... This is where I'm at now."
Go figure.
"It just happened," Thormo said. "I was good at the 800. (The coaches) were like, 'You have some pretty good 800 splits. How about running the 400?' I ran a 50-flat my first race."
Mundelein senior Bobby Nuzzo continued to run fast as well on the hottest day of the track season. Nuzzo qualified for finals in the 100 (10.54) and 200 (21.76) dashes, as both times he was edged out by old friend Declan Rustay of Hoffman Estates. Rustay, the defending state champ in both the 100 and 200, ran 10.50 (third fastest of the day) and 21.50 (fastest), respectively.
"He's running fast, I'm running fast, and it's just a lot of fun," said Nuzzo, who used to be a lacrosse teammate of Rustay. "Pretty happy (with Friday's races). It's a good setup for (Saturday). I got only two events, where all of these other guys got a little bit more, so hopefully I can take advantage of that."
Rustay said he was happy when he found out he and Nuzzo were in the same heat twice, and the feeling was mutual.
"I was just excited because I know he's fast, and he can push me," the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville-bound Nuzzo said. "We showed some good times today."
Warren senior Branden Ellis will also compete in a pair of events on Saturday. Ellis, who recently committed to play basketball for Division II Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., advanced in the high jump (6-3) and triple jump (46-00.50). It could be the last day of his competitive jumping career.
"I know (Lynn) just started their men's track team," Ellis said. "(Competing both basketball and track) is something I have to talk to the coach about. I know they keep their guys in summer school for workouts and things. It might be a little hard to go back and forth.
"But if they tell me to show up for a conference meet or something," he added with a smile, "I'll show up."
Lynn University is only a 45-minute drive from the University of Miami, where Brittny Ellis runs track. Branden's big sister was a four-time state qualifier for Warren and won the sprint triple (100, 200, 400) in the Class 3A state meet as a senior in 2015.
"My sister's signs are all around our town," Ellis said. "She has all these banners in the school, and I have one little picture up on the wall (for placing seventh in the high jump at state last year)."
Libertyville's Alex Tam qualified for finals in the 1,600 run (4:18.15) and said he plans to run both the 1,600 and 3,200 on Saturday.
"I just wanted to qualify for finals today," the Miami (Ohio) University-bound Tam said. "I did, so I'm happy with that."
Antioch junior Chase Becker advanced in the discus (159-01). Stevenson got through its 800 relay team (1:28.55) of Jaheel Perrin, Shane Johnson, Ahmad Dinkins and David Smolensky.