Neuqua keeps UEC title

After capturing its first boys state cross country championship last fall, Neuqua Valley will enter the upcoming spring outdoor track season with high hopes.

Judging from Wednesday's Upstate Eight Conference indoor meet, the Wildcats are literally off and running.

Displaying its distance event strength while receiving additional sprint and relay support, Neuqua Valley continued its UEC indoor dominance with a 126-point, title-winning effort at St. Charles East.

Now, the $64,000 question -- just how many consecutive conference championships have the Wildcats won?

"The kids were asking me that, too, and I actually don't know the answer," said Wildcats coach Mike Kennedy. "It might be five but I'm not sure."

Senior Jim Riddle and junior Danny Pawola pointed the Wildcats in the right direction early with their 1-2 showing in the 3,200.

"I haven't raced in the 2-mile in an actual meet since like sophomore year," said Riddle, normally a miler. "That's mostly because Danny and Chris (Derrick) are historically really amazing in that 2-mile."

Derrick, who won the Class 3A individual cross country title last November and placed second in the 3,200 at last May's state outdoor track meet, established a new conference indoor record -- a mark that was previously set in 1977 -- with his time of 4:20.21 in the 1,600.

"I just wanted to go out and work on my rhythm," said Derrick. "It felt good and it felt relaxed."

Neuqua Valley also received first-place finishes from Desmond Nolen (55 dash), Marshall Stewart (400) and Chris Youngstrom (55 high hurdles).

"With this meet though, what I noticed is that there weren't necessarily these big, outstanding performances," said Kennedy. "It was more that we just scored in events -- doubling in a lot of them.

"That adds up in the long run and that really shows these guys we're in it as a team. That's what I'm most happy about."

Lake Park and Waubonsie Valley tied for second with 97 points apiece.

Junior Dan Block pocketed his second straight UEC indoor title with a record-breaking effort in the shot put (59-1½), while Jake Killmer won the 55 low hurdles (7.84). The old mark (58-4) had stood since 1987.

"It came on my third throw," said Block. "That's usually my best throw at every meet."

Waubonsie Valley's Sean Wiggan won the 800 (2:01.49) and returned to run a leg on the victorious 1,600 relay (3:37.96).

"I didn't really end up running the best time but I felt comfortable," said Wiggan. "We haven't done any speed training yet so you didn't see too much of a kick."

Fourth-place St. Charles North began the meet with a first-place finish from its 3,200 relay quartet of Max Clink, Steven Miller, Chris DeSilva and Scott Speare (8:08.64), while Andrew Carlson won the high jump (6-0). DeSilva also took second in the 1,600.

"Traditionally, we're not an indoor team," said DeSilva. "We don't have an indoor track and we've only run a few speed workouts."

Jason Wandry, Luke Ploszek, Wes Allen and Keenen Sellers provided sixth-place St. Charles East with its lone win in the 4 x 160 relay (1:16.18).

"We were very happy with that," said Allen, who also placed fifth in the 400. "We didn't expect that at all today."

Dan Karys won the triple jump for seventh-place Bartlett.