CHICAGO MARIST TRACK AND FIELD

 On Friday, January 24, 2014, the Northside Track & Field Team gathered at the main entrance of Northside College Prep, for departure to North Park University for the 9th Annual King of the Quarter! 

 A special thanks to North Park University Assistant Athletic Director Susan Zimmer and staff, for hosting this great event.

 Every available member of the Northside Track & Field Team, regardless if they were a thrower, distance runner, sprinter, jumper, or hurdler, raced in one heat of the 400m Dash and competed in one flight of the Shot Put.

  In 2014, 31 members of the Northside Track & Field Team competed in the King of the Quarter competition.

  The King of the Quarter and Shot Put competition gives Northside athletes an appreciation for each others events, and makes the TEAM stronger. 

 The distance runners also benefited from the 400m Time Trial, by learning their maximum quarter speed. With the knowledge of their maximum quarter speed, the coaching staff is able to provide proper racing strategy for the 800m run. 

 Medals were awarded to the TOP THREE Seniors, Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshman in the 400m Dash and Shot Put. 

  Although the event was just a time trial, the crowd was so large at Alford Indoor Track at North Park University, that spectators had to stand in the balcony of the stadium to see the 400m time trial.

 Despite the size of the crowd, you could hear a pin drop when: IHSA State Qualifiers Malcolm Grba and Tom Frejowski towed the line in heat eight, IHSA State Qualifiers Danny Rosen and Simon Kafka towed the line in heat 10, IHSA State Qualifiers Matthew Gomez and Porter Abbey towed the line in heat 12, and IHSA State Qualifiers Lucien Fitzpatrick and Matt Osborne towed the line in heat 14. The competition was intense.

  In 2013, four athletes broke the sixty-one seconds barrier at King of the Quarter. In 2014, EIGHT athletes broke the sixty-one seconds barrier at King of the Quarter. It was also the only King of the Quarter competition in the history of Northside in which every division winner was under sixty seconds! In terms of depth, and quality it was the best 400m Time Trial in Northside history.

  Northside Sophomore Danny Rosen won the 2014 King of the Quarter competition with an outstanding time of 55.76. Danny Rosen dropped 8.27 seconds (64.03) from the 2013 King of the Quarter competition! Danny Rosen was awarded a Medal for WINNING the Sophomore division, and the 2014 King of the Quarter competition.

 Northside Junior Malcolm Grba finished in second place overall, and WON the Junior division of King of the Quarter with an outstanding time of 55.93. Malcolm Grba dropped 3.28 seconds (59.21) from the 2013 King of the Quarter competition. It was also the second fastest time ever run by a Northside Junior at the King of the Quarter competition. Mac Melto (54.36, 2011) is the only high school Junior to ever run faster in the nine years history of the Northside King of the Quarter competition. Malcolm Grba was awarded a Medal by placing FIRST in the Junior Division of King of the Quarter!

 Northside Senior Simon Kafka finished in third place overall, and WON the Senior division at King of the Quarter with an outstanding time of 56.89. Simon Kafka did not get to participate last year (2013) in the 400m Time Trial due to illness. Simon Kafka has dropped 4.60 seconds (61.49, 2011) since his last King of the Quarter competition (Freshman Year). Simon Kafka was awarded a Medal by placing FIRST in the Senior Division of King of the Quarter!

 Northside Sophomore Matthew Gomez finished in fourth place overall, and was the second fastest Sophomore at King of the Quarter with an outstanding time of 58.08. Matthew Gomez dropped 7.03 seconds (65.11) from the 2013 King of the Quarter competition. Matthew Gomez earned a Medal by placing second in the Sophomore division of King of the Quarter!

 Northside Junior Porter Abbey finished in fiffth place overall, and was the second fastest Junior at King of the Quarter with an outstanding time of 58.38. Porter Abbey dropped 3.47 seconds (61.85) from the 2013 King of the Quarter competition. Porter Abbey earned a Medal by placing second in the Junior division of King of the Quarter!

 Northside Junior Tom Frejowski finished in sixth place overall, and was the third fastest Junior at King of the Quarter with an outstanding time of 58.73. Tom Frejowski earned a Medal by placing third in the Junior division of King of the Quarter!

 The benchmark for elite Northside Freshman is Mac Melto. In 2009, Mac Melto won the Freshman division of King of the Quarter with a time of 60.22. Four years later, in 2012, Mac Melto broke the Class 2A record, and won Illinois Prep Top times with an official time of 49.25. Mac Melto also broke his school record, at the Paul Gans Invitational with a 48.30. In his Freshman year of college, Mac Melto anchored NCAA Division I DePaul to a school record in the 4x400m Relay.

 In 2013, Northside Freshman Brandon Banas finished seventh overall, and WON the Freshman division with an official time of 59.56. Brandon Banas was awarded a Medal for winning the Freshman division of King of the Quarter. It was the second fastest Freshman time at the King of the Quarter competition in Northside history. (Nathaniel Agharese, 2010, 59.53). Banas was also among the top three sprinters in Chicago in eighth grade in the 200m Dash.

                      HISTORY OF KING OF THE QUARTER

    In 2011, Northside finished 2nd in the 4x400m Relay to Robeson High School in the Varsity Chicago Public League Championships with the following relay splits, in order, N. Agharese (52.92), J. Williams (52.82), W. Laytham (52.18), and M. Melto (49.80), for a school record of 3:27.78.