Palatine captures team title at Wheeling track and field invitational

The list of goals for the Palatine boys track team are long for the 2008 season -- and with the potential lineup Palatine can sport, achieving each one seems more than possible.

Saturday, at the Jim Nagel MSL Indoor Invitational at Wheeling, the Pirates accomplished their first in what they hope to be many goals this year.

Palatine captured its first team title in recent memory, edging the host Wildcats 92-90.

But it was closer than that.

Into the final race, the 1,600-relay, Palatine held the lead in the team standings but needed a little help to make sure its advantage would hold.

Into the final heat of the race, the Pirates could only afford one team finishing between them and the Wildcats in the race. Otherwise, Wheeling would be the winner of the meet.

Thanks to cross-town rival Fremd, only one school split the teams and provided the Pirates with the final margin.

Fremd finished third (83.5) followed by defending champion Barrington (82) and Elk Grove in fifth with 62.

"This is a good start," said Palatine coach John Nalley. "We have a lot of goals this season and we have always come (to Wheeling) and finished second or third.

But we really wanted to win it, and we did it with a lot of other guys stepping up that we will need."

One of the Pirates who stepped up big time was senior Dan Sutton.

Sutton contributed a big win in the 200-meter dash (24.3).

Teammate Chris Norman ran right with Sutton in the 200 for a 1-2 finish. Sutton also took second in the 55 meter dash to Desmond Ogoke of Fremd.

"Dan really had the best meet by far for us," Nalley said. "He stepped up and raced really well, and his 1-2 with Chris in the 200 was big for us."

Senior Tim Williams was the Pirates' only double winner, capturing the long jump and triple jump. His effort of 45-5½ in the triple jump broke the meet record set in 1981 by one inch.

"My legs feel better," said Williams who is mulling over Georgia, Texas and Arizona among his college choices for next year.

Absent from the Palatine lineup was senior and defending 800-meter state champion Mat Smoody. Smoody, who will attend Wisconsin next year, will compete at the indoor state Top Times meet in Bloomington in two weeks.

Wheeling kept pace by starting the meet well -- capturing first places in the first three races.

The 3,200-relay team of David Martin, Norbert Gajos, Hristo Yordanov and Tony Segura cruised to the win in 8:38.3. The roll continued in the 4-lap relay and in the 3,200-meter run.

The 4-lap team of Phil Rifkin, Abel Rangel, Pat Splon and Kevin Ward won in a quick 1:12.3.

Eric Rodriguez completed the starting sweep by winning the 3,200 in 10:05.9 -- edging Kevin O'Brien of Palatine (10:07.3).

"We talked about the kids about this being, possibly, the last time we raced this meet here," Wheeling coach Tom Polak said of the potential site switch to North Central College in 2009. "The kids just came out and competed awesome."

Fremd and Barrington were both well-represented on the medal stand.

The Vikings featured another top-notch thrower in senior Jeff Bobek. On his second toss of the shot put, Bobek launched the lead ball 55 feet for victory.

The Vikings captured wins in the 55-meter dash from Ogoke and the pole vault, where senior John Wood cleared 13-6 for the win.

Barrington and senior Jayson Taylor had another solid day. Taylor was dominant in the hurdles, capturing both the intermediates and the high hurdles.

"I worked this off-season on changing my technique," Taylor said. "My confidence is a lot higher now than it was last season heading outdoors."

Fifth-place Elk Grove captured the final event of the day, the 1,600-relay. Jason Zerfahs, Michael Karwowski, Pat Souder and Erik Ottosen won in a solid 3:44.2.