CHICAGO MARIST TRACK AND FIELD

 The Varsity Mustang Award for Work Ethic and Mental Toughness was awarded to Justin Washington, Alex Ortiz, and Kyle Friedler.

 In 2016, Northside Senior JUSTIN WASHINGTON earned ALL STATE honors in the 300m Hurdles, ALL CITY honors in the 300m Hurdles, and Won the Indoor City Title in the 60m Hurdles, and scored over a 100 Varsity points!!

 Justin Washington has incredible Work Ethic. Washington is very often the last athlete to leave the Track, and then carries multiple hurdles a mile, from River Park Track to Northside College Prep, to put them away after each practice. After Hurdle practice, Washington trains hard in the weight room. Washington also competes in the IHSA maximum of four events at almost every Track meet for the TEAM.

 Justin Washington has incredible Mental Toughness.

 At the Varsity City Prelims, he wiped out during the 110m Hurdles at Hanson Stadium, and his body was covered with cuts and blood. The greatest achivement is not in never falling, but in rising again. Despite Medical hardship, Washington returned to the starting line against all odds to qualify for the City Finals in the 4x200m Relay and 300m Hurdles. The Northside Coaching Staff pulled him from the 4x400m Relay at City Prelims. At City Finals, Justin Washington finished in SECOND place in the 300m Hurdles.

 At the IHSA Sectional Championships, Washington was not ranked in the heat sheets as one of the top 2 hurdles in the 110m Hurdles. A hurdler from Urban Prep was ranked ahead of him. Justin Washington showed incredible mental toughness with incredible finish to QUALIFY for State in the 110m Hurdles. Washington QUALIFED for STATE in FOUR events, including the 110m Hurdles, 4x200m Relay, 300m Hurdles, and 4x400m Relay.

 At the IHSA State Prelims, teammate Garret Barch was leading the first heat of the 300m Hurdles, and was knocked out of the 300m hurdles after hitting his head on the ground after a collision with the second to last hurdle. Justin Washington was in the next heat. The whole TEAM was devasted after witnessing a hurdle tragedy occur to teammate Garret Barch. It was a very difficult situation to compete in after a teammate went down in the previous heat. Justin Washington showed incredible mental toughness, and brought the TEAM to their feet, and boosted TEAM morale by BREAKING THE SCHOOL RECORD to QUALIFY for the STATE FINALS with a personal best time of 39.80.

At IHSA State Finals, Justin Washington reached the MEDAL stand and earned ALL STATE Honors in the 300m Hurdles!   

 From Freshman Year (22.87) to Senior Year (15.61), Justin Washington has dropped 7.26 seconds in the 110m Hurdles! 

 From Freshman Year (56.01) to Senior Year (39.80), Justin Washington has dropped 16.21 seconds in the 300m Hurdles!

 From Freshman Year (69.41) to Senior Year (51.10), Justin Washington has dropped 18.31 seconds in the 400m Dash!

 Justin Washington holds SIX School Records, including 4x160m Relay, 4x200m Relay, 4x110m High Hurdle Shuttle Relay, 4x110m Low Hurdle Shutte Relay, Sprint Medley Relay, and the 300m hurdles!

 Justin Washington will compete in NCAA Track & Field for Carleton College in 2017! 

 In 2016, Northside Junior ALEX ORTIZ qualified for the IHSA STATE Track & Field Championships in THREE events (4x800m, 800m, 4x400m), and WON the IHSA Sectional Title in the 800m run!

 Alex Ortiz has incredible work ethic. Alex Ortiz is one of the first athletes to arrive at practice every day, and one of the last athletes to leave Northside. After a tough track workout, Alex Ortiz challenges members of the coaching staff to a deadlift competition in the weight room!! Alex Ortiz holds the school record for PULL-UPS with 44! Alex Ortiz is only in high school, and he is within 6 pull ups of the American Record (50) for consecutive pull-ups in a minute! Alex Ortiz also competes in multiple events at almost every Track meet for the TEAM. Ortiz trains year round, and on many occassions did a morning practice and an afternoon practice on the SAME day throughout the season.

 Alex Ortiz has incredible mental toughness. Alex Ortiz competes in distance event combinations that would have most people running from the Track in fear. In the SAME meet, Ortiz has run 3200m / 1600m combinations and 3200m / 800m combinations on several occassions for the TEAM. Against all odds, Alex Ortiz with his incredible mental toughness outkicked Shane Milburn and Jonathan Walker at the IHSA State Track & Field Championships for a 3 seconds drop in the 800m run for a PERSONAL BEST time of 2:01.56.

 Alex Ortiz earned MEDALS in the 800m run at IHSA Sectional Championships, and the CPS Indoor Championships.

 Alex Ortiz earned MEDALS in the 1600m run at the Maine East Blue Demon Invitational, Mike Vandeever Invitational, Lake Forest High School Invitational and WON the Concordia Open - 4:37.80 1600m run

 Alex Ortiz earned MEDALS in the 3200m run at the Eric Nelson Classic, and Lake Forest High School Invitational.

 Alex Ortiz also helped Northside WIN the 4x800m Relay at Spartan Indoor Classic and the Distance Medley Relay at the Glenbrook North Spartan Relays! 

 Alex Ortiz holds SCHOOL RECORDS for the Distance Medley Relay and the 4x1600m Relay!!

 Alex Ortiz is an awesome athlete and a great leader for the Northside Track & Field TEAM.

 From Freshman Year (11:56) to Junior Year (10:11.75), Alex Ortiz dropped 1 minute and 45 seconds in the 3200m run.

 From Freshman Year (5:39.38) to Junior Year (4:37.80), Alex Ortiz dropped 1 minute and 2 seconds in the 1600m run.

 From Freshman Year (2:16.97) to Junior Year (2:01.56), Alex Ortiz dropped 15 seconds in the 800m run.

 Northside Distance runners improve MORE than any TEAM in the STATE! 

 In 2016, Northside Junior KYLE FRIEDLER won the IHSA Sectional 3200m run title to QUALIFY for the IHSA State Track & Field Championships, and also broke the school record in the 3200m run (9:32.27) to earn a MEDAL at Indoor State (Illinois Prep Top Times).

 Kyle Friedler has incredible work ethic. Kyle Friedler runs until he is dead tired, and then he runs some more! Kyle Friedler trains year round and is consistently the TEAM leader in weekly miles. On many occassions, Friedler did a morning practice and an afternoon practice on the SAME day throughout the season. After every practice and Track Meet, Kyle Friedler also works hard in the weight room. After anchoring Northside to a School Record in the Distance Medley Relay, as soon as the Team returned from Spartan Relays at 8 pm, Kyle Friedler went to the Northside weight room! Kyle Friedler does intense core training and works hard with free weights. Kyle Friedler's work ethic is second to none.

 Kyle Friedler has incredible mental toughness. The school record in the 3200m run (9:37, 2004) has lasted for 12 years. Kyle Friedler showed incredible mental toughness by running back to back 4:46 miles to break the school record with a 9:32.27 and finish 5th in Illinois at Illinois Prep Top Times (Indoor State). His record time, would have finished in the top 4 at the IHSA State Outdoor Championships. However, he was hit by a car the week of the STATE meet. Less than two weeks after being hit by a car, is back running, and still leading the TEAM in weekly milage totals in preparation for the 2016 Cross Country season.

 Kyle Friedler is an outstanding athlete and incredible leader for the Northside Track & Field TEAM.

 In 2016, Kyle Friedler WON the 1600m run at the De La Salle Invitational.

 Kyle Friedler WON the 3200m run at the Evanston Indoor Classic, the CPS Indoor Championships, and the IHSA Sectional Championships.

 Kyle Friedler anchored the 4x800m Relay to Victory at the Eric Nelson Classic.

 Kyle Friedler anchored the Distance Medley Relay to Victory at Spartan Relays.

 Kyle Friedler holds THREE School Records, including the 3200m run, Distance Medley Relay, and 4x1600m Relay. 

 From Freshman Year (10:48.14) to Junior Year (9:32.27), Kyle Friedler dropped ONE minute and 16 seconds in the 3200m run.

 From Freshman Year (5:17.53) to Junior Year (4:35.13), Kyle Friedler dropped 42 seconds in the 1600m run.

 From Freshman Year (2:27.82) to Junior Year (2:07.13), Kyle Friedler dropped 20 seconds in the 800m run. 

 Northside Distance runners improve MORE than any TEAM in the STATE!  

 Philip Wdowiak is a special athlete and one of the greatest leaders in the history of the Northside Track & Field TEAM. Philip Wdowiak has the strength of a thrower, the speed of a sprinter, and the endurance of a distance runner. 

 In 2016, Philip Wdowiak QUALIFIED for the IHSA State Track & Field Championships, in FOUR events, including, the 4x800m Relay, 4x100m Relay, 4x200m Relay, and 4x400m Relay.

 The IHSA four events limitation rule prevented Northside from using him in the Discus and additional individual events.

 Wdowiak's greatness is not limited to any event group. He could score points as a Thrower, Sprinter, or Distance runner. He has competed in every event from the 100m dash to the 1600m run!! He was one of the top sprinters on Team, and was also one of the top distance runners on the Team! 

 At the IHSA Sectional Track & Field Championships, he started the day by providing the 4x800m Relay with a tremendous lead that would not be challenged, and ended the day by anchoring the 4x400m Relay to Victory!

 Philip Wdowiak was also a three sports athlete, and competed in Soccer, Hockey, and Track. He was an outstanding Soccer and Hockey player. It was a privilege to witness him compete on the Soccer Field or in an ice rink. Wdowiak was also an outstanding student, and finished in first place in Pre-Calculas for the Northside Math Team on May 7 at the Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathmatics State competition. It was difficult for the Track Team to share him with a Hockey Team during Indoor Track season and the Math Team during Outdoor Track season because it limited the amount of meets he was able to compete in. However, Philip Wdowiak worked extra hard to make it all work, and participated in the Varsity Chicago Public League Championship PRELIMS before he left for Champaign for the Mathmatics State competition. Most importantly, he didn't miss any Track practices, despite all of his sports and activities. He competed at the highest level in every sport and activity.

 Philip Wdowiak has incredible leadership skills and was an outstanding TEAM Captain.

 After Northside was presented with the IHSA Sectional Championship plaque, and the Seniors were honored in a Team huddle, Philip Wdowiak hoisted the IHSA Sectional Championship plaque over his head, and led the TEAM on a victory lap around Hanson Stadium!

 Upon arrival to Charleston for the IHSA State Track & Field Championships, Wdowiak announced to the Team, "Boys were at STATE!"

 At the IHSA State Track & Field Championships, after running a personal best 2:02.78 800m split in the 4x800m Relay, he anchored the 4x200m Relay in a personal best 22 seconds split, and then competed in the 4x400m Relay!!

 Wdowiak has been praised by multiple coaches and athletes for his outstanding work ethic and strong leadership skills.

 IHSA Sectional 800m Champion Alex Ortiz said "He honestly has work ethic so strong that I admire him so much because of it".

 Senior Philip Wdowiak trained with both the Sprinters and Distance runners frequently during the season. On Wednesdays, he would often train with the Sprinters at 6 am before school, and then run with the distance runners after school at 4 pm. After two workouts, he would finish the day in the Northside weight room.

 Every great TEAM has a leader that will work hard everyday no matter what the circumstances, and that leader for the 2016 Northside Track & Field Team is Philip Wdowiak.

TOP 5 SENIORS VARSITY POINTS SCORED

1. Garret Barch            177.25 points

2. Justin Washington   131.50 points

3. Danny Rosen           107.00 points

4. Keith Jones                90.00 points

5. Steven Kataba           43.75 points