Recent News and Updates

Wednesday, June 9 - End of school is here!

I am sorry for the lack of updates lately, but the end of the school year grading has robbed me of my time and my sanity.  I'll post a few quick updates here and then give a more thorough update next Tuesday or Wednesday.

Cross Country Meeting Times -  The Early Bird Running Program does not start until June 21st, but the seniors decided that the team will begin meeting for morning runs on June 14th.  As with Early Bird, the team will meet at 6:00 am in front of the athletic doors at Palatine High School.

Relay for Life - The Relay for Life event will be held at Palatine High School next Friday night (June 18th) from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am.  The goal of each athlete who participates is to raise $100.  If you did not receive a Relay for Life packet, you can still raise the money and include it with the packet of a teammate.  Our goal is to raise $2500-$3000 for charity  Money is due to me on Monday, June 14th at practice.  Let's do some good!

4 x 800 Places 10th at State - The 4 x 800 relay made the finals of the IHSA State meet, but the boys finished just out of the medals in 10th place.  The team did not run its best race of the season, but they gathered valuable experience for the future.  Splits and a full report of the prelims and finals will follow later.

Sunday, May 23 - Tons of Updates

I updated all of the Mileage for the season up through the sectional meet.  This year we had 23 guys finish at over 400 miles compared to 15 last year.  We had 15 finish at over 500 as compared to 9 last year.  Hard work leads to success boys!  Great job this year!  Season Mileage Progression

I also added the All-Time Best Track Performance lists in the History section.  The 4 x 800 meter relay on Friday night ran the 3rd fastest time in school history.  Brian Brodeur's open 800 time qualifies him for 17th on the 800 meter list.

Saturday, May 22 - Sectional, Conference Results

After a disappointing MSL Conference effort last Friday night, the Palatine varsity bounced back to run tremendously in the Sectional.  The team qualified Anthony LaCapra in the Long Jump, Brian McLain, Tim Brodeur, Danny Holbach and Brian Brodeur in the 4 x 800, Brian Brodeur in the 800, and John Lancaster in the 1600.  Narrow misses included the 4 x 100 and 4 x 200 relays and James Macatangay in the 1600.

IHSA Sectionals @ Palatine High School

4 x 800 meter relay - This race was one of the greatest non-state meet races I have ever seen.  Seven times broke the state-qualifying standard of 8:04.0 - Prospect (7:50.2), Palatine (7:52.6 - 3rd best all-time), Hoffman Estates (7:53.1 - school record)), Maine West (7:54.1), Barrington (7:54.6), Wheeling (7:58.1), and Stevenson (8:02.2) all made it.  With several top teams not running their best 4 x 800 lineups on Friday night, these rank as the top 5 seeded times in the state for this week's IHSA State meet.   Here are our splits:

3200 meter run - This 3200 meter run was marred by the thunderstorm that rolled in as the race was going on.  After seven guys made it last year, only two made it this year - Brian Lesiewicz (9:29) and Ryan Craven (9:32).  The race went out conservatively in 4:46, but it was still on qualifying pace.  The winds picked up tremendously and the sky turned black during the second mile.  The meet was postponed to Saturday after this race.  Tim Larson ran well in his final race as a Pirate, placing sixth in 9:52.0.  Tim battled hard this season through a stress fracture in his foot.  Matt Moss, running in place of the injured Glenn Morris, ran a near personal best in 10:12.

800 meter run - With the meet delayed until Saturday, all of the guys who burned up the anchor leg in the 4 x 800 got a chance to rest and regroup.  Five guys qualified in this event, including Matt Czarny (1:53.2), Pete Garde (1:53.8 - school record), Brian Brodeur (1:56.2 - # 17 all-time)), Brian Robertson (1:56.4), and Adam Wentland (1:57.5).

Alex Soto ran in the second of three heats and learned a sophomore lesson about racing.  He got boxed by the 200 meters and had to float to the back of the pack by 500 meters in order to get out and run.  Alex ran a personal best of 2:03.9 in the open 800, but he allowed the pace to go out in 61.5 rather than the blistering 56.6 he opened up in last week for his 2:02 effort.  Nice comeback this season, Alex! 

Brian's splits: 27.5, 56.7, 1:25.5, and 1:56.2
Alex's splits: 27.8, 61.4, 1:32.0, 2:03.9

400 meter dash - Eric Repking was the distance crew's sole hope in the Brian McLain memorial heat of the sectional quarter.  Repking ran a 54.2 to improve on his personal best by nearly a second.   

1600 meter run - Despite being run in high winds, the boys managed to kick hard in the last lap and qualify five people to the state meet.  Sophomore Mike Murray from Prospect took the win in 4:22.9 followed by Bryan McVey (4:23.1), Christian Escareno (4:23.4), Rob Pykosz (4:24.0), and John Lancaster (4:24.5).  The race was tightly bunched due to the wind, going through the 800 around 2:12-2:13.  Palatine's James Macatangay made a noble bid to push the race pace and qualify as he took the lead around 600 meters.  The group bunched tightly through the 1200 mark as the kickers started to roll.  Escareno took the lead with 200 to go before Murray and McVey duked it out down the stretch.  Lancaster and Macatangay both ran PR's.  For John, this avenges last year's performance which saw him fade in the last 400.  For James, this race was a breakthrough in a year of breakthroughs.  James went from running 4:43 to 4:25.5 in one year.  Splits:

MSL Varsity Conference @ Rolling Meadows High School

The Pirate varsity took sixth overall with a mix of good and bad performances.  The team did not run up to its full capabilities.

4 x 800 meter relay  The Pirates placed 4th in a time of 8:07.2.  McLain had us in the mix, but a weak leg from Holbach left a big gap for James to make up.  Both James and Tim ran 2:01 splits.

3200 meter run - Disastrous race.  No comment.  We ran way better at Sectionals in this one.

800 meter run - Running fresh for once, Brian Brodeur placed second in 1:56.9, passing Schaumburg's Matt Czarny at the line.  Brian McLain gave a game effort doubling back from a 1:59 in the 4 x 800 to snag 5th place in a time of 2:01.

1600 meter run - Glenn Morris tried to take this one from the gun in his return to varsity racing.  Glenn led the field through a 2:10 first 800 and hung on to a 3:20 at 1200.  As the kick started, he tried to go and felt his injured right leg a bit.  James kicked hard the last lap to place 6th or 7th in a PR of 4:29.7.  Glenn maintained it in with a time of 4:34.

F/S MSL Conference @ Schaumburg High School

4 x 800 meter relay - With sophomore ace Alex Soto back in the fold, these guys got after it and won the conference title in a nice time of 8:32.4.  Soto gave us a lead by going out in 2:06.1 and then everyone ran PR's - Mike Ducore (2:09.9), Phil Conley (2:08.4), and Matt Sirant (2:08.1).  Congratulations guys!

3200 meter run - Esberaldo Gonzalez took the lead right from the gun and led through the 800 mark.  He stayed in the top group the entire way while running a huge PR of 10:22.  This kid has big time talent!  Esberaldo ran a PR in every single 3200 meter race of the season.  Watch out varsity guys!  Mike McCain's 11:01 was right on his personal best.

800 meter run - Alex Soto battled Kirk Richards from Buffalo Grove throughout, but ended up placing second in a nice double.  Ulises Reynoso ran his fastest open 800 of the year, but he did not place.

1600 meter run - Danny Rakaric started to live up to his family name by providing a stellar 4:46 performance.  This time isn't bad for a guy who ran 5:45 as an 8th grader!  Danny fought hard throughout and flashed his big-time potential once again.  Phil Conley took the early lead and finished with a slight PR of 4:50.  Both times are excellent for freshmen.

Libertyville F/S Relays

4 x 1600 relay - Our team of Esberaldo Gonzalez (4:56.5), Mike Ducore (5:01.4), Ulises Reynoso (5:08.4), and Danny Rakaric (4:52.1) accomplished our pre-meet goal of breaking 20:00, running 19:58.5.  The three freshman and a sophomore placed 2nd to Stevenson.

1600 medley relay - Don Macatangay anchored this medley to a fourth place finish, running right on his season best of 2:15.

4 x 800 relay - In the premier event of the day, the F/S managed to break the school record by one tenth of a second!  Stevenson also broke its school record en route to helping us break ours.  Danny Holbach ran a great opening split of 2:02.8.  Matt Sirant kept us there with a 2:09.6.  Stevenson's Eric Traphagen ran a great leg to catch up to Phil Conley (2:09.6), but Phil held on and then passed him in the last 100 meters.  Alex Soto blazed through the 400 in 56.5, but Tim Entwhistle ran him down while running a great 1:58.0 split.  Alex finished it off in 2:02.8 to give us the record.

Thursday, May 13 - Doyle and McCain Break Five!

The world must be coming to an end because Doyle broke 5:00 in the 1600, running 4:59.5 to drop his PR by over 15 seconds.  Forty pounds later, this wonder child has gone from an 8:00 8th grade miler to sub-5:00 as a freshman.  McCain also scored one for the sophomores with a 4:59.9.  It must have been the Pirate uniform that inspired him that extra tenth of  a second.  Congratulations to all who ran hard tonight and set PR's!  24 separate guys under 5:00 is staggering for one team.