News and Announcements
IHSA changes automatic qualifying marks for State Track & Field Championships
Former DePaul Sprinter Kwaku Attoh named Northside Sprints Coach for the 2011 Track & Field Season
On August 12, 2010, Northside College Prep Head Track & Field Coach Jon Gordon announced that Kwaku Attoh will return to Northside to coach the sprinters for the 2011 Track & Field season.
Kwaku Attoh began his coaching career at Northside in 2009, as the Northside sprints coach. Under Coach Kwaku Attoh, every Northside sprints school record, except the 200m dash, was smashed during the 2009 Track & Field season.
In 2010, Kwaku Attoh obtained his first teaching position of his career at Urban Prep East Garfield, with a strong recommendation from Northside Head Coach Jon Gordon, and Kwaku Attoh also became the first Track & Field Coach in the history of Urban Prep East Garfield.
In 2010, the Northside Mustangs continued their sprints success, initiated by Kwaku Attoh, under Coach Adrian Hunter, by breaking every sprints school record for the second consecutive year, including the 100m dash, 200m dash, 400m dash, 4x100m relay, 4x200m relay, and 4x400m relays.
Kwaku Attoh will be a great addition to the 2011 Northside Track & Field Coaching staff. The athletes are already excited about his return to Northside.
Prior to his coaching career, Kwaku Attoh earned All Conference Honors in the Big East Conference, sprinting for NCAA Division I DePaul University. Kwaku Attoh also earned Academic All Star honors in the Big East Conference for three consecutive years. In 2008, Kwaku Attoh was awarded the DePaul Dave Cherry Track & Field Award. Kwaku Attoh was also one of the top high school sprinters in the State of New York during his prep career.
Kwaku Attoh graduated from DePaul with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education in 2009.
Former Northside Sprinter Neal Capapas sings National Anthem at Wrigley Field
On August 3, 2010, former Northside Sprinter Neal Capapas sang the National Anthem at Wrigley Field. The Chicago Cubs responded by scoring 15 runs the next day!
Neal Capapas holds three school records, in the 4x100m Relay, 4x200m Relay, and Sprint Medley Relay.
Neal Capapas graduated in 2010, and will be attending the University of Illinois in the Fall.
Northside Track & Field Class of 2010 - Where are they now?
Steven Burke - University of Illinois - Illinois State Scholar - Prairie State Achievement Award
Merita Bushi - Macalester College - National Honor Society - Illinois State Scholar - Prairie State Achievement Award
Neal Capapas - University of Illinois - Prairie State Achievement Award
Forrest Cortes - Auburn University - Illinois State Scholar - Prairie State Achievement Award
Andrew Czyszczon - University of Michigan - National Honor Society - Illinois State Scholar - Prairie State Achievement Award
Cooper Eben - Duke University - Illinois State Scholar - Prairie State Achievement Award
Leah Feiger - Dartmouth College - National Honor Society - Illinois State Scholar - Prairie Achievement Award
Geoffrey Gould - University of Wisconsin
Kevin Jaburek - Vanderbilt University - Illinois State Scholar - Prairie State Achievement Award
Dierdre Lee - Pomona College - Illinois State Scholar - Prairie State Achievement Award
Bessie Nolan - University of Miami - National Honor Society - Illinois State Scholar - Prairie State Achievement Award
Sam Olver - University of Wisconsin - Illinois State Scholar - Prairie State Achievement Award
Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss - Washington University - Illinois State Scholar - Prairie State Achievement Award
Nick Ruff - University of Southern California - Illinois State Scholar - Prairie State Achievement Award
Simmone Seymour - Tufts University - Prairie State Achievement Award
Hunter Speese - University of Notre Dame - Prairie State Achievement Award
Nebiu Tadele - Northwestern University - National Honor Society - Prairie State Achievement Award
Rachel Trenchard - Vassar College - Illinois State Scholar - Prairie State Achievement Award
Yesenia Valadez - Dartmouth College - Prairie State Achievement Award
Peter Wilk - University of Chicago - National Merit Finalist - Illinois State Scholar - Prairie State Achievement Award
Jiasong Yang - University of Illinois - National Honor Society - Prairie State Achievement Award
2010 Senior Male Athlete of the Year Award: Cooper Eben
On Friday, June 4, 2010, Northside Head Track Coach Jon Gordon received a fantastic email at approximately 5:30 am from the Northside administration informing him that the winner of the 2010 Senior Male Athlete of the Year Award was Cooper Eben, and that Coach Gordon would have the honor of presenting the award at the Senior Awards luncheon at noon, on Wednesday, June 9, 2010 at La Villa Banquet Hall.
The Senior Male Athlete award is given annually at Graduation to the best Athlete in the Senior Class. It is the highest honor an athlete can receive at graduation.
For only the second time in Northside history, a member of the Northside Track Team won the award, Senior Captain Cooper Eben.
Every great Team has a leader, someone who will do it everyday, no matter what, and that leader for the Northside Track & Field Team is Cooper Eben.
Cooper Eben is one of the greatest athletes to ever wear the uniform. Cooper Eben scored the most points by a Senior on the entire Track & Field Team, and ran the third fastest 3200m run time (9:55) in the history of Northside. Cooper Eben has earned SIX Varsity letters at Northside (3 in Cross Country, 3 in Track).
In Cross Country, Cooper Eben ran over 1500 miles during the summer for the Mustangs from Sophomore to Senior Year. In his Junior year, he helped the Mustangs to their first ever IHSA Regional Title in any Mens sport. In his Senior year, he also helped the Mustangs to their first ever Chicago Public League Title, and came within less than 9 seconds of qualifying for the IHSA State Championships.
In Track & Field, he won numerous races, including the Bloom Invitational, and helped break two school records (4x800m Relay and 4x1600m Relay), won the Mustang Award, and the Northside Academic Achievement Award. Northside Captain Cooper Eben also had the highest GPA (5.18) out of 35,000 Chicago Public School student-athletes. Cooper Eben will be attending Duke next year, and will be majoring in Bio-Medical Engineering.
It’s not the records that he holds, the regional titles, and city titles, that makes him a champion, but the path that he took to get there that makes him a Champion.
As a Freshman, Cooper Eben made the Mustangs prestigiuous Top 12 on the Northside Cross Country Team, but there were still 11 guys on that Team ranked ahead of him. Northside Senior Cooper Eben ran 18 minutes for three miles as a Freshman, and ended his high school cross country career with a personal best time of 15:50 for three miles! A time drop of over two minutes! His first 3200m PR in Track was only a 13:20. Through pure hard work, running over 1500 miles in the summer, and again in the winter, endless hours in the weight room, Cooper Eben passed everyone of those guys times from Freshman year in Cross Country, and also dropped 3 MINUTES and 25 seconds in the 3200m run in Track, during his high school career for a personal best 3200m run time of 9:55! Cooper Eben's work ethic and dedication is second to none.
At the end of every Track meet, Cooper Eben leads the Team huddle, and honors each member of the Team. Cooper Eben is one of the greatest leaders, athletes, and individuals in the history of Northside College Prep.
