Boys, girls each take first place at Seneca Invitational

SENECA -- It was the first time in school history that both the Reed-Custer boys' and girls' track and field teams claimed first place at the Seneca Invitational Friday night.

The Comet boys won the meet outright, collecting 113 points ahead of Genoa-Kingston (89), Dwight (64), Seneca (60), Manteno (59), Indian Creek (50), Sandwich (46.5), Coal City (41), Marquette (37), Beecher (26), Plano (25), Leland (22), Wilmington (21), Wheaton Academy (20), Luther South (20) and Hinckley-Big Rock (8.5).

Matt Pivonka posted big points for the Comets with wins in both the 100 (11.71 seconds) and 200 dash (23.39) while Dylan Roff (15.50 in the 110 hurdles), Mike Redman (42-feet, 10.5 inches in the shot put), and Mike Eller (13-0 in pole vault) also added first-place individual finishes.

Cody Doran grabbed a first in the 400 dash (52.79) while Jacob Scheuer did the same in the 300 hurdles (40.09) for Dwight.

Cody McCullough was the lone Manteno athlete to earn a first, slipping past his nearest competitor by half a second in the 3,200 run (10:14.26).

A first for its 400-meter relay team highlighted Coal City's night while Beecher's 3,200 relay team (8:40.25) and Garrett Nykaza's 800 run (2:02.85) collected first-place points for the Bobcats.

Dallas Castillo earned both of Wilmington's highest finishes with thirds in the 1,600 (4:52.21) and 3,200 run (10:23.5).

On the girls' side, Reed-Custer shared first-place honors with Plano, each tallying 103 points, followed by Dwight ( 92), Sandwich (74), Seneca (68), Genoa-Kingston (66), Indian Creek (45), Coal City (34), Wheaton Academy (27), Beecher (26), Hinckley-Big Rock (26), Wilmington (16), Manteno (10), Marquette (7), Leland (3) and Luther South (2).

Ryan Eichelberger was a double winner in the 1,600 (5:31.16) and 3,200 run (11:37.61) for the Comets while JeriLyn Mandac (16.98) and Stefanie James (17.91) went first and second in the 100 hurdles. Mandac and James helped Jacklyn Strouse and Taylor Stroud to a first in the 800 relay (1:53.78).

Kolby Hoffman grabbed a pair of victories for Dwight in the 400 (1:00.92) and long jump (17-1.5). Megan Kohrt added a first in the 100 (13.19) while Chaney Tambling was tops in the discus (103-9.5), as were the Trojans' 400 relay (51.31) and 1,600 relay (4:15.7).

Coal City's top point-getter was Megan Petty, who collected a third in the 3,200 (12:15.16), a fourth in the 800 (2:35.82) and a fifth in the 1,600 (5:57.07).

Jennifer Knuth picked up a pair of third-place finishes in the 800 (2:34.18) and the 1,600 (5:47.54) to lead Beecher.

Throwing events helped Wilmington collect points, as Sarah Gans grabbed fourths in the discus (95-1) and shot put (31-2.5) and Courtney Molle added a fifth in the discus (90-2) and an eighth in the shot (28-10.5).

Katelyn Demonbreun was key for Manteno, picking up six-place finishes in the 800 (2:38.69), 1,600 (6:01.16) and the high jump (4-6) while helping the 1,600 relay team to an eighth (5:07.6).

Rocket Invitational

TOLONO -- Heidi McKean still managed to make her presence felt at the 29-team Rocket Invitational.

Technology problems delayed the tabulation of team scores, but McKean's contributions were clear.

The senior scored 30 of the Cissna Park girls' track team's points at the meet, collecting second-place finishes in the triple jump (33-10), 200 dash (27.58) and 300 hurdles (48.8) while picking up a third in the 100 hurdles (17.3).

Minooka Invitational

MINOOKA -- Bradley-Bourbonnais boys' team used key performances in field events, sprints and relays to earn an impressive second-place finish at the seven-team Minooka Invitational Friday.

Behind Sycamore, which ran away with 160 points, the Boilermakers carved out 109, followed by Minooka (96), Plainfield South (81), East Aurora (58), T.F. South (44) and Joliet Catholic (8).

Jay Earley highlighted the team effort with a first in the triple jump (42 feet, 1/2 inch), a second in the 400 dash (52.8) and a leg in both the third-place 400 relay (45.3), which included Camren Bilyard, Joe Sherman and Desjohn Williams, and the third-place 1,600 relay (3:36.6) that consisted of Sherman, Alec Bilyard and Gary Roseborough.

Camren Bilyard raced to a first in the 100 dash (11.3). In the field events, Jarrod Gray took first in the discus (152-9) and second in the shot put (49-9).