CHICAGO MARIST TRACK AND FIELD

 On Wednesday, May 7, 2008, Northside Head Coach Jon Gordon, Sprints Coach David Diaz, Throws Coach Chuck Milbert, and Assistant Coach Jose Nebrida attended the 2008 IHSA Sectional seed meeting a York High School in Elmburt, Illinois from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The Northside coaching staff received a tour of the Track and the Dukes Stadium. It is by far one of the nicest Tracks in the State. The Northside coaching staff also received a tour of one of the most impressive Trophy cases in the Country, which encompases several hallways, and is filled with State Championship trophies. The school hallways are also filled with wall size photos of famous York athletes in action. After the tour, the Northside Coaching Staff met with all of the coaching staffs from all of the High schools in the IHSA Sectional Championships in the "Yorker" Room, and the York coaching staff treated everyone to a full course catered meal, and drinks, and were excellent hosts. 

 The IHSA Officials for the Sectional meet were introduced, and it was also announced that Northside Jumps Coach Adrian Hunter, who was a member of several NCAA National Championship Teams at Arkansas, was selected over all the coaches in the Sectional as the official for Triple Jump for the IHSA Sectional Championships. Northside Assistant Coach Jose Nebrida was also named as one of the official timers for the meet. Northside Head Coach Jon Gordon was one of four Head Coaches named to the games committee.

 It was also announced that no ipods, jewelry, cell phones, cameras, electronic devices, or watches would be permitted at the meet. Any use of the above would subject an athlete to an automatic disqualification. As a result, Northside athletes will not be permitted to bring any of the above to the meet.

 The starting height for Pole Vault was set at 6'0. Northside Senior Alyssa Sockol, recently cleared 6'6 at the CPS Pole Vault Summit on Tuesday to break the school record, formerly held by Natalie Hanigan.  

 The starting height for High Jump was set at 4'4. Northside Senior Christina Prucnal has cleared 4'6 this season, and Northside Junior Maria Torres has cleared 4'8 this season.

  Northside Coaches were excited to learn on Wednesday evening, that Northside Junior Anna Parks has the second fastest verified seed time in the Sectional. The Top seed time belongs to Leyden Sophomore Korpacz with a 2:23.24. Northside Junior Anna Parks recently ran a 2:27.47 at City Championships, right after running a 64 seconds 400m in the Sprint Medley Relay. On Friday, Anna Parks will be fully rested, and the 800m run will be her first event. The other top entries include Maine East Senior Megan O'Grady, who has run a 2:27.94 this season. York's Melany Dunne has run a 2:28.34 this season. York's Vujasinovic has run a 2:28.74 this season. Maine South Sophomore Kristen Zillmer has run a 2:29.04 this season. Mather's Monica Rodriquez has run a 2:31.44 this season. Lane Tech's only 800m run entry was outstanding Sophomore Stephanie Pineda, who has run a 2:32.24 this season. All of the above athletes are in contention for one of the top 2 spots in the Sectional, and it will definitely be one of the most exciting races in the meet. Northside Junior Maria Torres is also ranked among the top jumpers in the Triple Jump, and could qualify for State. Northside Junior Adaora Achufusi is also seeded among the top six 400m runners. It could be a very special meet for the Mustangs. 

  Northside Head Coach Jon Gordon will be arriving early at the IHSA Sectional for a 4 pm Head Coaches Meeting, and to have the Mustangs Discus and Shot Put implements weighed and certifified for use in the meet, and ready for the Teams arrival. Northside Associate Coach Chad Ware will remain at Northside until the conclusion of the Varsity Men's Team practice, but will be at the meet in plenty of time for the Track events. The remaining members of the Coaching staff, and the Northside Varsity Women Track Team will leave for IHSA Sectionals at York High School, 355 W. St. Charles Road, Elmhurst, Illinois on Friday, May 9, 2008, by bus at 3:30 pm. York High School is less than 30 minutes from Northside. The first event will be Discus at 4:30 pm. The Mustangs have been placed in the "second" flight of Discus to give their athletes more time upon arrival to prepare for the meet. Pole Vault will start at 4:45 pm. The remaining field events will start at 5:00 pm. The Track events will start at 6:00 pm. The Northside Mustangs will be seeking to qualify several athletes to the 2008 State Championships, also, break several school records, and earn the most IHSA Sectional Medals in school history. IHSA Sectional Medals will be awarded through sixth place. A Team plaque will be awarded to the IHSA Sectional Team Champion.   

    On Monday, May 5, 2008, the Northside Sophomore-Freshman Boys Track Team traveled to Hanson Stadium in Chicago, Illinois for the CPS Outdoor Championships. It was a very big day for the Northside Mustangs. Individual Events and Relays were scored 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1. 

    In the 4x800m Relay, Freshman Wesley Laytham ran the first 400m in 63 seconds, and the final 400m in 66 seconds for a personal best 800m split of 2:09.12, and made a nice exchange to Luis Gaytan. Freshman Luis Gaytan ran the first 400m in 71 seconds, and the final 400m in 77 seconds for a personal best 800m split of 2:28.34, and made a nice exchange to Andrew Czyszczon. Sophomore Andrew Czyszczon ran the first 400m in 71 seconds, and the final 400m in 76 seconds for a season best 800m split of 2:27.31, and made a nice exchange to Jiasong Yang. Sophomore Jiasong Yang ran the first 400m in 66 seconds, and the final 400m in 74 seconds to tie his personal best time of 2:20.22, and anchor the Mustangs to fifth overall with a total time of 9:24.99. Wesley Laytham, Luis Gaytan, Andrew Czyszczon, and Jiasong Yang were awarded a Medal for placing fifth overall.

    In the 3200m run, Freshman Charlie Mesimore WON the CPS Outdoor Sophomore-Freshman Championship with an outstanding time of 10:46. Charlie Mesimore ran the first Mile in 5:25 and ran a negative split of 5:21 for the final Mile for a total time of 10:46 to win the City Title! Charlie Mesimore was awarded a Medal for placing first overall. Sophomore Cooper Eben finished second with an outstanding time of 10:51.57. Cooper Eben ran the first Mile in 5:27 and ran a negative split of 5:24 for the final Mile for a total time of 10:51.57. Cooper Eben was awarded a Medal for placing second overall. Charlie Mesimore and Cooper Eben scored the Mustangs a total of 18 points in the 3200m run. Whitney Young's Matt Sebek finished third with an outstanding time of 10:52.37.

   In the 110m Hurdles, Freshman Hersh Perlmutter placed seventh overall with an outstanding time of 18.92, earning All City Honors.

  In the 800m run, Sophomore Cooper Eben ran the first 400m in 66 seconds, and the final 400m in 73 seconds for an outstanding time of 2:19 to place eighth overall.

  In the 300m Hurdles, Freshman Hersh Perlmutter BROKE THE SCHOOL RECORD and placed fifth overall with a personal best time of 46.98. Hersh Perlmutter earned a Medal for placing fifth overall.

  The Mile was one for the ages, with an outstanding race between Northside Freshman Wesley Laytham, Northside Freshman Charlie Mesimore, Whitney Young Freshman Julian Deville, and Lane Tech Freshman Max Silva. It was one of the most exciting races in the meet. Northside Freshman Charlie Mesimore took the lead on the first lap with a 67 seconds 400m split. Northside Freshman Wesley Laytham and Whitney Young Freshman Julian Deville followed with a 68 seconds 400m split. Freshman Charlie Mesimore ran his second 400m in 73 seconds, for an 800m split of 2:20. Freshman Wesley Laytham and Freshman Julian Deville followed with a 74 seconds 400m split on their second 400m, for an 800m split of 2:22. At 1200m, Freshman Charlie Mesimore (75 seconds third 400m split) and Freshman Wesley Laytham (73 seconds third 400m split) were tied for the lead with an outstanding 1200m split of 3:35. With 350m to go, Wesley Laytham took the lead, with Mesimore and Deville following closely behind. Northside Freshman Wesley Laytham ran the final 400m in 69 seconds for a personal best time of 4:44.62 to WIN the City Title. It was the fastest Mile time by a Northside athlete this season, and was within 7 seconds of the School Record. Wesley Laytham was awarded a Medal for placing first overall. Whitney Young Freshman Julian Deville finished in second place with an outstanding time of 4:46.03. Julian Deville was awarded a Medal for placing second overall. Northside Freshman Charlie Mesimore ran the final 400m in 78 seconds to finish in third place overall with an outstanding time of 4:53.48. Charlie Mesimore was awarded a Medal for placing third overall. Wesley Laytham and Charlie Mesimore combined for 16 points for the Mustangs in the Mile! Lane Tech Freshman Max Silva ran a personal best time of 5:02 to place fourth overall. Max Silva was awarded a Medal for placing fourth overall.

  In the 200m Dash, Northside Sophomore Hunter Speese earned a Medal by placing fifth overall with an outstanding time of 24.63.

 On Saturday, May 3, 2008, the Northside Varsity Men Track & Field Team traveled to Hanson Stadium in Chicago, Illinois for the Outdoor City Championships. The Mustangs tripled their point total from a year ago, and finished in sixth place overall with 29 points, and posted victories over Kenwood (28), Hyde Park (25), Lincoln Park (24), Fenger (17), among others, Curie, Douglass Academy, Harlan, Bogan, Von Steuben, Clark, Dunbar, Jones College Prep, Julian, Robeson, Crane, Collins, Brooks College Prep, Simeon, Kennedy, Lake View, South Shore, Clemente, Steinmetz, Corliss, Hubbard, Roosevelt, Uplift, Al Raby, Prosser, Senn, Kelvyn Park, North Lawndale, Hirsch, Hope, King, Marshall, Manley, Hancock, and Taft. Individual Events and Relays were scored 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1. 

  In the Discus, Northside Captain Eric Nelson placed sixth overall with a throw of 113'8. Eric Nelson was awarded a Medal for placing sixth overall.

  In the Shot Put, Northside Junior Eric Nelson placed ninth overall with a throw of 42'2.

  In the Triple Jump, Northside Junior Eric Nelson placed eighth overall with a Jump of 40'4.50. Eric Nelson was awarded a Medal for placing eighth overall.

  In 2006, as a Freshman, Eric Nelson won the Sophomore-Freshman City High Jump Title. In 2007, as a Sophomore, Eric Nelson placed second in the High Jump in the Varsity City Championships. In 2008, Northside Junior Eric Nelson became the first Northside Athlete to WIN the Varsity City High Jump Title. Eric Nelson WON the City Championships with a jump of 6'0! After his victory, Eric Nelson had the bar raised to 6'3. Eric Nelson cleared 6'3 on his first attempt! Eric Nelson then had the bar raised to 6'5. Eric Nelson took one attempt at 6'5, and passed on his remaining attempts due to the weather conditions. Eric Nelson was awarded a Medal for placing first overall. Four athletes initially tied for second with 5'10, and the ties were broken by the total number of misses by each athlete during the competion. Lane Tech Senior Quinton Fair placed second overall with a jump of 5'10. Payton Prep Senior Leroy Gordon and Morgan Park Sophomore Nigel Jolly tied for third overall with a jump of 5'10. Curie Senior Kenneth Woods placed fifth overall with a jump of 5'10. Northside Junior Wemi Jemine placed sixth overall with a jump of 5'8 to secure vital points for the Mustangs. Wemi Jemine was awarded a MEDAL for placing sixth overall. Lincoln Park Senior Derek Boeteng placed seventh overall with a jump of 5'8. Prosser Junior Even Brown completed the scoring by placing eighth overall with a jump of 5'8. Manley Junior Patrick Givens placed ninth overall with a jump of 5'6. Mather Senior OJ Jiminez finished in 10th place with a jump of 5'4.

  In the 4x800m Relay, Junior Simon Vecchioni ran a 2:14.84 800m split on the first leg of the relay. Senior Preston Buehrer ran a 2:25.40 800m split on the second leg of the relay. Junior Brian Chhun ran a 2:23.38 800m split on the third leg of the relay. Senior Brad Eben anchored the Mustangs to ninth place with a 2:32.38 800m split, for a total time of 9:35.

  In the 3200m run, Payton Sophomore Jose Mora won it with a time of 10:08.75. Mather Junior Ivan Coronel placed second with a 10:16.14. Northside Junior Jonathan Kittaka ran the first mile in 5:20, and the final mile in 5:05 for a personal best time of 10:25 to place third overall. Jonathan Kittaka was awarded a Medal for placing third overall. Lane Tech Sophomore Victor Terrazas placed fourth overall with an outstanding time of 10:27.38. Northside Sophomore Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss ran the first mile in 5:21, and the final mile in 5:06 for an oustanding time of 10:27.66. Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss was awarded a medal for placing fifth overall. Lane Tech Senior Gerardo Gonzalez placed sixth overall with a time of 10:35.70. Lincoln Park Senior Jacob Cetera placed seventh overall with a time of 10:56.40. Lincoln Park Senior Henry Mattingly completed the scoring by placing eighth overall with an outstanding time of 11:05.63.

  In the Mile, Lane Tech Sophomore Kulayifi Haji won it with an outstanding time of 4:36.91. Payton Sophomore Jose Mora placed second overall with a time of 4:38.75. Mather Junior Ivan Coronel placed third overall with a time of 4:43.19. Jones College Prep Senior Jerry Trujillo placed fourth overall with an outstanding time of 4:45.04. Lane Tech Junior Fernando Arroyo placed fifth overll with a time of 4:45.07. Mather Junior Eddie Torres placed sixth overall with a time of 4:52.75. Northside Junior Jonathan Kittaka placed seventh overall with an outstanding time of 4:52.77. Lincoln Park Senior Derek Schnake completed the scoring with a time of 5:03.97. Northside Sophomore Cuitlahuac Pineda-Youniss was scratched from the Mile due to a tender hamstring as a precautionary mesaure.

 VARSITY POINTS SCORED

 1. Eric Nelson                                   14

 2. Jonathan Kittaka                          8

 3. Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss         4

 4. Wemi Jemine                               3

 Northside Head Coach Jon Gordon will announce the Mustangs roster for the IHSA Sectional Championships on Tuesday, May 6, 2008, at 3:45 pm. The IHSA Sectional Championship Meet will take place on Friday, May 16, 2008 at Deerfield High School. IHSA Sectional Medals will be awarded to the top 6 places. Athletes and/or Relays that place in the top 2 in each event or hit an automatic qualifying time, height, or distance will qualify for the State Championships.  

 On Saturday, May 3, 2008, the Northside Varsity Women Track & Field Team traveled to Hanson Stadium for the City Championships. The Mustangs finished in sixth place with 46 points, and posted victories over Payton (41), Chicago Vocational (20), Jones College Prep (18), Robeson (17), among others, Lincoln Park, Fenger, Curie, Douglass Academy, Harlan, Bogan, Von Steuben, Clark, Dunbar, Julian, Crane, Collins, Brooks College Prep, Simeon, Kennedy, Lake View, South Shore, Clemente, Steinmetz, Corliss, Hubbard, Roosevelt, Uplift, Al Raby, Prosser, Senn, Kelvyn Park, North Lawndale, Hirsch, Hope, King, Marshall, Hancock, and Taft.

  In the Long Jump, Northside Junior Maria Torres placed seventh overall with a jump of 15'6.25. Maria Torres was awarded a Medal for placing seventh overall.

  In the Triple Jump, Northside Junior Maria Torres placed third overall with a jump of 34'2.50. Maria Torres was awarded a Medal for placing third overall.

  In the Shot Put, Northside Senior Alyssa Anderson placed fifth overall with a throw of 29'2. Alyssa Anderson was awarded a Medal for placing fifth overall. Northside Senior Courtney Konow placed eighth overall with a throw of 28'0. Courtney Konow was awarded a Medal for placing eighth overall.

 In the Discus, Senior Courtney Konow placed fourth overall with a throw of 87'9. Courtney Konow was awarded a Medal for placing fourth overall. Senior Kaitlin Renkosiak placed tenth overall with a throw of 71'9.50.

 In the High Jump, Junior Maria Torres placed fifth overall with a jump of 4'6. Maria Torres was awarded a Medal for placing fifth overall. Northside Senior Christina Prucnal placed ninth overall with a jump of 4'4.

 In the 800m Sprint Medley, Junior Adaora Achufusi ran a 13.70 100m split on the first leg of the relay. Freshman Nina Coomes ran a 14.30 100m split on the second leg of the relay. Senior Kelly Varney ran a 27.07 200m split on the third leg of the relay. Junior Anna Parks ran a 64.19 400m split to anchor the Mustangs to fifth place overall and a NEW SCHOOL RECORD time of 1:59.26. Adaora Achufusi, Nina Coomes, Kelly Varney, and Anna Parks were awarded Medals for placing fifth overall, and will receive Pineapples on Tuesday for breaking the school record!

  In the 4x800m Relay, Sophomore Bessie Nolan ran a 2:44 800m split on the first leg of the Relay. Junior Jennifer Friedmann ran a 2:53 800m split on the second leg of the Relay. Freshman Su Yang ran a 2:54 800m split on the third leg of the Relay. Freshman Karlyn Gehring anchored the Mustangs with a 3:01 800m split for sixth place with a total time of 11:33.82. Bessie Nolan, Jennifer Friedmann, Su Yang, and Karlyn Gehring were awarded Medals for placing sixth overall.

  In the 3200m Run, Junior Ani Zotti placed fourth overall with a time of 12:34.21. Ani Zotti was awarded a Medal for placing fourth overall.

  In the 100 Meter Hurdles, Senior Kelly Varney placed sixth overall with a time of 19.09.

  In the 800m run, Junior Anna Parks BROKE THE SCHOOL RECORD with a personal best time of 2:27.47 to place sixth overall. Anna Parks was awarded a Medal for placing sixth overall.

  In the Mile, Ani Zotti placed eighth overall with a time of 6:02.65. Zotti was awarded a Medal for placing 8th overall. Rachel Kittaka placed ninth overall with a time of 6:04.49.

  In the 4x400m Relay, Junior Adaora Achufusi ran a 64.62 400m split on the first leg of the relay. Freshman Nina Coomes ran a 68.62 400m split on the second leg of the relay. Senior Kelly Varney ran a 66.13 400m split on the third leg of the relay. Junior Anna Parks anchored the Mustangs to fourth place overall with a 69.15 400m split for a total time of 4:28.52.

  The Mustangs will be traveling to Elmhurst, Illinois to York High School on Friday, May 9, 2008 for the IHSA Sectional Championships. The Mustangs will have a mandatory Team meeting at 3:45 pm on Tuesday, May 6, 2008 to announce their IHSA Sectional Championship roster.

  VARSITY POINTS SCORED

  1. Maria Torres        12.00

  2. Ani Zotti                  6.00

  2. Courtney Konow    6.00

  3. Anna Parks            5.25

  3. Kelly Varney           5.25

  4. Alyssa Anderson   4.00

  5. Adaora Achufusi   2.25

  5. Nina Coomes        2.25

  6. Bessie Nolan             0.75

  6. Jennifer Friedmann   0.75

  6. Karlyn Gehring           0.75

  6. Su Yang                      0.75    

 The CPS Sports Administration announced at 11:55 am that the Sophomore-Freshman City Championship Meet has been post-poned until Monday, May 5, 2008 due to Thunderstorms. The Sophomore-Freshman meet will take place on Monday, May 5, 2008 at Hanson Stadium. Northside will have practice this afternoon at 3:45 pm, and all athletes that qualified for the Sophomore-Freshman City Championships need to pick up early dismissal forms from Northside Head Track Coach Jon Gordon. The Varsity will leave on Saturday, May 3, 2008 for City Championships at 8:30 am. Thanks.