Announcement
Tom Frejowski and Nate Mendez BREAK SCHOOL RECORD in the 1000m Steeplechase!! Nate Mendez BREAKS the FIVE MINUTER BARRIER in the 1600m run!
After the IHSA 4x400m Relay Prelims reached a conclusion, the Northside Track & Field Coaching Staff, and athletes walked from O'Brien Stadium to Smoky's House BBQ for lunch. After lunch, athletes visited Souvenir Shops for T-shirts.
After Lunch, Northside Sophomore Ari Perlmutter, Sophomore Max McCoy, Junior Nate Mendez, and Freshman Xavier Sigelko were down 3-0 in a pick-up Basketball game against Marshall, and came back with an 8-0 run, to make it 8-3.
At 7 pm, Open races commenced, Under the Lights, at O'Brien Stadium.
In the 300m Hurdles (33"), Northside Sophomore Porter Abbey won his heat with a personal best time of 44.58.
In the 1600m run, Northside Assistant Coach Dan Carlson ran a season best time of 4:49.18. Dan Carlson has been an outstanding assistant coach for the Northside Mustangs, and put the Team over the Top this year. Prior to Friday night, the Northside record for the most athletes to break the five minute barrier in a season was five. Nate Mendez made history by becoming the sixth athlete this season to break the five minute barrier. Northside Junior Nate Mendez ran the first 400m in 71 seconds, and then ran the next 400m in 76 seconds (2:27 800m split), and then ran the next 400m in 78 seconds (3:45 1200m split), and then ran the final 400m in a NEGATIVE split of 71 seconds to BREAK THE FIVE MINUTE BARRIER with a personal best time of 4:56.55. The five minutes barrier is the bench mark for elite high school milers. Nate Mendez dropped 24 seconds (5:20.29) for a personal best time of 4:56.55. For the first time in the history of Northside, SIX Athletes (Patrick Brennan, Malcolm Grba, Simon Kafka, Adrian Black, Nate Mendez, and Cesar Rufino) broke the five minutes barrier in the same season. Northside Senior Raymond Siddiqi ran the first 400m in 78 seconds, and then ran the next 400m in 82 seconds (2:40 800m split), and then ran the next 400m in an EVEN split of 82 seconds (4:02 1200m), and then ran the final 400m in 81 seconds for an official time of 5:23.00.
In the 100m Dash, Northside had no entries.
In the 400m Dash, Northside Sophomore Tom Frejowski ran an outstanding time of 55.08.
In the 800m run, Northside Freshman Matthew Gomez ran the first 400m in 62 seconds, and then ran the final 400m in 69 seconds for a personal best time of 2:11.85. Matthew Gomez dropped seven seconds off his best open 800m time (2:18.60) with a personal best time of 2:11.85. Northside Junior Nate Mendez ran the first 400m in 66 seconds, and then ran the final 400m in 70 seconds for an outstanding time of 2:16.74.
In the 3200m run, Northside Assistant Coach Dan Carlson ran a season best time of 10:39. Northside Junior Nate Mendez, in his third event of the night, ran an outstanding time of 11:48.
In the 1000m Steeplechase, Northside Sophomore Tom Frejowski and Junior Nate Mendez tied, and BROKE THE SCHOOL RECORD with an official time of 3:29.28. Tom Frejowski and Nate Mendez will receive WATERMELONS for breaking the school record, and will be honored with plaques at the Northside Track & Field Banquet on Friday, May 31, 2013 at the East Bank Club. Northside had 35 athletes break a school record in 2013!
After the Steeplechase, the TEAM and coaching staff walked from O'Brien Stadium, into town for Pizza. It was the most successful day one of the IHSA State Championship Prelims in Northside history.
