By Michael Newman

Lisle, Ill --- When he woke up on Saturday morning, Nathaniel Kucera (Kaneland HS, Maple Park IL) did not know if he was going to run in that evening’s 800 Meter Run at the Midwest Distance Festival at Benedictine University. His Achilles was sore and he did not know if he wanted to take the chance in that race.

He did step to the line for the race. He was glad that he took that chance.

Kucera came from eighth place with 200 meters to go to catch Brad Johnson (Brookfield East HS, Brookfield WI) in the last 50 meters to win with a PR of 1:51.33. Johnson finished second (1:51.69) just ahead of fellow Wisconsin runner Andrew Dusing (Brookfield Central HS, Brookfield WI).

Kucera was the anchorman on Kaneland’s winning 4 x 800 Meter 2A champion in Illinois two weeks ago so he was used to the distance. This was his first big race against big competition. The Kaneland junior was all-state this spring in the 400 Meter Dash.

The race went out quickly as Alex Riba (O’Fallon HS IL) and Johnson moved past Christian Vail, the rabbit from Duke University for the race,  just before the end of the first lap. The two opened up an eight meter lead on the backstretch with Chase Skenandore (Oswego East HS IL) and Dusing close behind. Riba and Johnson went past the 600 in 1:21. Kucera was three seconds back and looked hopelessly out of the race. He started weaving from lane to lane passing his competitors which brought him past Johnson at the end.

“I was feeling good and controlled,” Kucera said after his race. “I just wanted to get to that 200 meter mark and kick it in. I knew I could keep up with them."

The weather cooperated on Saturday night with temperatures in the low 60’s with the flags on the pole just laying there. It was a relief for Midwest athletes and fans that had to suffer through a rainy track season. The athletes competing realized that and took advantage of the situation. Close to 90% of the athletes competing achieved personal bests.

The spotlight race of the night was the Boys Mile Run. Jack Keelan (St. Ignatius College Prep, Chicago) had command of the race from the start. The only runner that ahead was him was rabbit Will Crocker of the University of Missouri who brought the Keelan and the runners behind him through the first 800 in 2:04.5. Through the first 800, Carl Hirsch (Brookfield Central HS WI), Jacob Poyner (Warsaw HS IN), and Josh Evans (Lin Mar HS, Marion IA) stayed close behind the Illinois runner. It was a lead that Keelan would not relinquish. Evans would push Keelan in the last 400 but the future Stanford Cardinal pulled away in the last 200 for the win (4:07.50). Poyner passed Evans in the last 100 meters to get second just dipping under 4:10 (4:09.92). Evans, only a junior, finished third (4:10.79).

“I might have been following people, but I felt really tired (at the end),” said Keelan. “It was to race in the nighttime and it was cool which I was thankful for.”

Addison DeHaven (Brookings HS SD) running in the Boys 2 Mile was in the same situation as Keelan was in the mile. The junior tucked in behind rabbits Sam Telfer and Paul Zeman from the University of Illinois as they passed the mile in 4:32. There was a good sized pack behind DeHaven including Tyler Spear (Loyola Blakefield HS MD), Jamison Dale (Jones College Prep, Chicago), and Nolan McKenna (Wheaton-Warrenville South HS IL). After the rabbits were off the track with 100 meters to go, DeHaven started to push the pace with 800 meters to go leaving him, Spear, and Dale the only runners left in the front pack.

Spear tried to make a move around DeHaven as the gun went off for the last lap. DeHaven just increased his tempo. He ran the last 300 in 44 seconds  to win (9:01.13) by close to nine seconds over Dale. McKenna caught Spear in the last 10 meters to capture third.

“The rabbits did a great job but I didn’t hang on in the middle,” DeHaven said. “Coming in, I wanted to break the state record of 8:56 but it doesn’t always work out that way.”

The win by Marcelo Burbano (Lane Tech HS, Chicago) in the 2000 Meter Steeplechase was indication of how fast the meet would be. Burbano, who won the race last year as a junior in 6:19, was the only athlete in the field that had experience in the event and it showed. He took the lead from the beginning with Harry Winter (Fremd HS, Palatine IL) and David Fish (Downers Grove South HS IKL) staying close. After the third lap, the future Illinois State Redbird took command of the race opening up a 500 meter lead. He won by 10 seconds over Winter. Burbano’s time of 6:04.13 is currently the third fastest time in the nation.

There were two girls race with the feature race being the 800 Meter Run. Duke University graduate student Lauren Alpert strung the pack out early taking the pack out in 60.5 with McKenna Kiple (Wheaton-Warrenville South HS IL) leading the way. The second lap was one of attrition to see who would survive the torrid early pace. Illinois 2A champ Michelle Dobbs (Rochelle HS IL) took command of the race with 300 meters to go then held off a challenge from Delaney Fitzpatrick in the final 100 meters for the win (2:10.96-2:11.80). Hope Schmelzle just nipped her teammate Kiple for third.

Sarah Ray (Warsaw HS IN) broke away from the pack just after the mile and cruised to an easy win (10:59.37). Emily Bean and Kelsey Defler (Assumption HS, Louisville KY) stayed back early on. They moved the last 800 meters to catch Chelsey Heiden (Greendale HS WI) to place second and third.

Nick Wondaal (Illiana Christian HS, Lansing) led most of the Freshman Boys Mile until about 500 meters to go. Then Dustan Davidson (O’Fallon HS IL) and Connor McCue (West Aurora HS IL) went into an all out sprint passing Wondaal. Davidson, who ran 1:57 this spring in the 800, pulled away and held off McCue to win by two seconds (4:28.55 – 4:30.82). Davidson established a new meet record with that time.