Boys track & field: BV senior takes it to the House in 400, 800 meters

6PRINCETON – Bureau Valley’s Elijah House doubled his fun in Friday night’s Three Rivers Conference Track and Field championships at Princeton.

The Bureau Valley senior standout won both the 400 and 800-meter runs to lead all area competitors.

The only disappointment for House was not catching the meet record in the 800. He clocked a 1:58.21, falling short of the meet record of 1:57.44 set by Troy Crady of Prophetstown in 1989.

“Being as close as it was, that gave me motivation,” House said. “One of the kids came up to me and asked if me and him were going to get it together. I was after it, but mad I missed it.

“It was nice to walk out of here with two wins tonight. I was hoping to get a better time in the 800. It was about scoring points for the team. Today’s a team meet.”

House clocked a 51.34 to edge Mendota’s Sebastion Carlos (51.74) in the 400 and capped his night to run on the Storm’s 4x400 relay, which placed sixth.

“Really looking forward to sectionals and seeing the competition there. And then looking forward to state, hopefully taking the team in the 4x8 and maybe Ben [Roth] in the 800 with me.”

Bureau Valley also placed third in the 4x800 (8:32.89).

The Storm finished sixth as a team with 62.5 points. Monmouth-Roseville (119.5) claimed the championship, followed by Riverdale (94), Kewanee (82) and Erie-Prophetstown (73).

Princeton came up big in the weights with Bennett Williams (47.56 meters) and Ian Morris (46.4 meters) placing second and third, respectively, in the discus and Payne Miller (16.10 meters) placing second and Williams (14.34 meters) fifth in the shot.

“It was amazing competition. Every one who came out here and competed,” Williams said. “I’ll walk away from this and go to practices just to work to get better for sectionals and qualify in both and go on to state.

Williams especially enjoyed competing with Rockridge’s Alex Zarlatanes, who won the discus with a toss of 49.48 meters.

“He’s an amazing thrower. His technique is amazing,” Williams said. “He was telling me things to work on throughout the throws and the meet and helped me improved my throws throughout.”

Neither Miller in the shot or Morris in the discus threw well in the prelims and there was some concern they would even make the finals.

“In the warmups, I was doing great. Prelims were bad. Afraid I wasn’t going to make it,” Morris said. “Kind of relaxed in the finals. Once I get a mark, I can go from there.”

Miller scratched on his first two attempts in the shot, but was able to work his way into the finals on his final attempt at 15.73 meters.

“I’m doing a lot of things technically that I need to adjust. But right now, I think my biggest issues is mental. Struggling a little bit,” Miller said. “I lost my uncle (Rick) not too long ago. Still a thing unfortunately I have to try to live through.

“Besides from that, today, when it comes down to it, [Trevor Snyder of Monmouth-Roseville] threw better than me. He was more sound than I was. I fouled throws I shouldn’t have fouled. I’ll come back next week, come sectionals and throw as good as I can, qualify for state and get myself into that. In the end, I’m blessed to be able to do this.”

The Tigers, who finished eighth (44), also got a second-place finish from senior rookie Grady Thompson in the long jump (6.03 meters).

The last thing St. Bede sophomore Greyson Marincic expected to do was win the 300 hurdles. But he took down the field with a top time of 43.08, setting a PR by 1.5 seconds.

“I did not think I was going to win. I thought I was going to get second or third,” Marincic said.

Along with working on his landing, Marincic said the key was just not thinking about it and doing it.

Bruins teammate Tom Makransky placed third in the pole vault.

Riverdale’s Tommy Murray swept the distance runs, setting a meet record in the 1,600 at 4:23.40.

Other area winners were E-P’s Parker Holldorff in the pole vault (3.96m), Morrison’s 4x100 relay (44.46) of Levi Milder, Zach Milder, Chase Newman and Brady Anderson and the 4x400 relay (3:29.85) of Zach Milder, Logan Baker, Newman and Anderson.