While there were plenty of exciting individual events at Wednesday’s Southwest Prairie Conference Boys Track Championship, the race for first place was far from thrilling.

For Yorkville, that’s just fine.

The Foxes finished in first place as a team – Yorkville’s first since joining the league – by a very wide margin, finishing 28.5 points ahead of second place Minooka at a crowded Joliet West High School. They earned championships in five events and head to sectionals with a ton of confidence.

Dontrell Young of Oswego earned the victory in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.65 seconds, just 0.04 seconds ahead of Yorkville’s Jayden Ruth.

“I knew I could win,” Young said. “I just had to keep my form tight and not let anyone go around me, stay focused and finish the race. (At sectionals) I just need to stay confident. I know what I can do so I just have to focus on me.”

Young also edged out Ruth in the 200 in 21.51 compared to Ruth’s 21.93. Young wasn’t tired of winning, as he won the 400 in 48.54.

Yorkville won the team championship for a reason. Their first event win came in the 800 as Owen Horeni finished in 1:51.53. Horeni also won the 1600 (4:15.89).

It was Plainfield North’s Thomas Czerwinski who put forth one of the most dominant victories of the day. In the 3,200 race, he recorded a time of 9:13.05, a blistering 14.8 seconds ahead of second place and 21.42 seconds ahead of third.

“I feel pretty good,” the senior said. “I usually try to keep my mind clear during races. That last 800 to 1K I just kept repeating ‘push, push, push.’ Just kept doing the same things I’ve been doing. That’s what got me here.”

Yorkville picked up another victory in the 110 hurdles with Aiden Kolkmeyer running a 14.30, just ahead of teammate Peyden Sheperd’s 15.10.

“I came out here to do my thing and I won it,” Kolkmeyer said. “I just focused on following through and getting to the line. I’m always prepared inside and outside of the track. I hope we can keep it going.”

Kolkmeyer also won the 300 hurdles in 39.65.

Minooka’s Hayden Bowman, Giovanni Rycraft, Matthew Maffeo and Blake Larson won the 4x100 in 42.05, just 0.04 seconds ahead of Plainfield East.

“I’ve been chasing this for a while now so it feels great,” Larson said. “Our first leg flew out the blocks, the handoffs never slowed down, my teammates were everything.”

Joliet West was victorious in the 4x200. Tristan Jackson, Christopher Williams, Robert Douglas and Regis Williamson teamed up for a time of 1:28.94.

The 4x400 relay event went to the overall winners. Yorkville’s Robert Crum, Kolkmeyer and Owen and Zane Horeni took gold with a time of 3:25.58.

The 4x800 was won by Plainfield North. Dominic LaMontagna, Jake Schmauderer, Ben Damiani and Aidan Connors put up a time of 7:5472, 0.13 seconds ahead of Oswego East to earn the top spot.

Oswego East’s Connor Griffin won the shot put with a distance of 16.04 meters while Tramaine Jarrett-Turner of Plainfield South won the discus at 48.65.

The high jump went to Joliet West’s Norman Sullivan with a distance of 1.98m before Cooper Bowman of Minooka won the pole vault at 4.76m.

Bolingbrook managed to get a gold medalist in the long jump with Devin Cathey recording a distance of 6.75m. Finally, Romeoville had a champion with Shaun Alexander winning the triple jump at 14.02.

Yorkville’s final team score was 112.5 to Minooka’s 84. Plainfield South finished third at 72 while Oswego East was fourth with 68.5. Joliet West took fifth with 65.5 and Oswego’s 59 points earned them sixth place.

Plainfield North placed seventh with 52 points, Plainfield East had 49 points and finished eighth, and Bolingbrook was ninth at 44.5 points.

Romeoville (10th, 39 points), Plainfield Central (11th, 10 points) and Joliet Central (12th, nine points) rounded out the competitors.