Boys track: Riley Newport sets DeKalb record in 800, but Sycamore wins home invitational

SYCAMORE – On a rainy night and a slick track at the Gib Seegers Track and Field Classic, Sycamore’s Caden Emmert was still able to break two minutes in the 800-meter run for the first time.

In a neighboring lane, however, DeKalb’s Riley Newport ended up going even faster, setting a school record in 1:55.03 to win the event – although Emmert and the Spartans ended up defeating the Barbs in the team scores.

Sycamore won the meet with 302 points, with DeKalb in second with 208.

“It’s that old DeKalb-Sycamore rivalry,” Sycamore coach Pete Piccony said. “We’re not conference rivals anymore, but we’re still geographic rivals. It was nice to see them last week and this week as well.”

The rivalry carried over into the 4x100-meter relay as well. Ethan Tierney, Mikaylius Johnson, Michael Robinson and DeMarrea Davis finished in 43.64. Sycamore’s Jeffery Oestreicher, William Stewart, Alec Garcia and Kyle Huber clocked a 43.95 fo second – more than two seconds ahead of the third-place team.

Piccony said he expects all four relay teams to have a shot at making state, including the 4x200, which set the school record last week at Kaneland and has the best Class 2A time in the state. Stewart, Garcia, Oestreicher Pierce Reinhard finished second behind DeKalb in 1:32.82. The Barbs (Tierney, Robinson, Davis and Xavier Dandridge) won in 1:31.97.

The Barbs then put together a new group for the 4x400 to challenge the Spartans. Alex Boyden and Newport raced after competing in the open 800, and Davis ran the anchor leg immediately after running the 200 and taking second the race before.

The trio and Michael Robinson finished in 3:25.87, 10 seconds ahead of runner-up Sycamore (Caden Emmert, Garcia, Stewart and Huber).

“We think this is our best 4x4 lineup,” DeKalb coach Jeff Sauerbaugh said. “We had Demerea run the open 200 right before it to see if he could go back-to-back, and it worked out pretty well.”

Newport said Friday was one of the least windy days so far this year, saying the rain helped cut back some of the wind and helped him go fast in both the 800 and the 4x4.

“I think it was nice to go fast in the open 800 because I haven’t been able to do that in a while,” Newport said. “And it was nice to see my teammate Alex go fast in the 800. We’ve been working hard, but dealing with COVID and track has been really hard. Tonight was kind of a nice showcase.”

Newport finished the 800 in 1:55.03, with Boyden right behind in 1:56.24. Emmert was third for the Spartans in 2:02.51.

Piccony gave his top 4x800 team the race off, although Emmert and Nick Kocher – the two returning members from the state champion 4x8 last year – had strong races elsewhere. Kocher, a senior was second in the 1,600 in 4:45.65. DeKalb freshman Jacob Barraza won in 4:43.15. No other senior finished higher than ninth in the race.

“It was a janky race,” Kocher said. “I was in that with a bunch of freshman and sophomores. They’re fast kids but they don’t know how to run the mile. I got a 445 which wasn’t my best, I had a lot more in the tank, but I’m still figuring out. It’s funky to say at the end other season, but it’s still a work in progress.”

In the 100, Oestreicher (10.49) just beat Tierney (10.86), with Noah Schmidt (10.92) right behind in third. Oestreicher also won the 200 (21.78) just ahead of Davis (22.72). Huber (51.5) beat Johnson (52.72) in the 400, with Schmidt again in third in 53.2.

Matthew Lojko was second in both hurdles for Sycamore. Tate, usually in the spring relays for DeKalb, competed in only one event, winning the shot put with a toss of 14.14 meters. Sycamore’s Nathaniel Altepeter was second in the discus (40.85).

“Considering the weather, we did great,” Piccony said. “The boys rallied. They did good. We’re proud of them. They do everything we ask of them, and that’s what you want right now.”