Sectionals 5.22.14
This was it. It's been a long and very rewarding season for ZBDC, but after tonight's Sectional Meet at Palatine, the season has officially come to a successful conclusion. It is with mixed emotions that this end draws nigh, but the bottom line is that there are many great successes to share from this race and I am very proud of the work our runners put in this season!
We did not double up on events at this meet, and this gave us an opportunity to expand our varsity spots to a couple more runners. Our 4x800 team gained great experience in this race. Desmond, Daniel, Jaime, and Kenneth represented our team in this event, seeded in the hot heat. Desmond opened up by running with some of the fastest runners in the entire region, competing in excellent form throughout both laps. He earned a lifetime PR 2:04 split! Daniel followed with a nice run, leveling his lap times the best I have seen him do this entire season and running for a 2-second PR (2:19) over his time at Grant earlier this season. Jaime followed with the third leg, and while the rest of the field had slowly gained some distance, he ran just one second under his best time and with great resolve (2:14); he had run 2:13 at Urbana and has now brought his time back down to that range! Kenneth ran the anchor leg with great resilience. This was a tough leg with as the top teams were 150-200m ahead, but he stayed focused and finished a nice race (2:19). Overall we placed 13th our of 15 teams with a time of 8:56.5.
Angel and Isaac represented us in the 3200m. Angel ran in the prelim section early in the meet, which unfortunately meant that the two of them could not run together. Angel took a strong lead early in the race, leading the field for several laps before setting in with the pack. He took a strong elbow shove from a Stevenson runner who passed on the inside, but focused on his race and form--it paid off too! Angel ran a PR 10:18.2! Isaac ran with an injured foot in his race. After trying to ice beforehand, the pain persisted and he finished with 10:27.7 and went straight to the trainer.
Lucas ran the 800m, going out hard with the fast pack at 55s on his opening lap. The second one was tough with the leaders pulling away, but he gave literally gave everything for his 2:04.6 finish! It took some time for him to regain his feet and recover, and I am proud of his effort in this race! He finished at a respectable 16th out of 31 runners. 
Dakota and Andrew were our milers and ran the last ZBDC races of the evening. Dakota was in heat 3/3 and Andrew seeded in the second heat. While this is not something we could change, both runners accepted the conditions. To say they ran nice races would be an understatement. Dakota went out with a vengeance, bent on accomplishing a specific goal. He took an early lead and distanced himself from the pack. For all four laps we worked hard and in the best form I have seen from him this season! When he crossed the line he had run a PR 4:42! Nice job Dakota! Andrew went out in similar fashion, taking an immediate lead over the pack in his heat and steadily increasing the distance until he found himself running alone wayyyy out in front. With the competitors all seeded between 4:32-7, I was expecting the pack to be pushing on him harder, but this proved not to be. Seeing a solo runner working this hard, the entire stadium cheered on Andrew and he ticked off the laps toward the finish and state qualifying time of 4:22. When he surged across the finish my watch had him .75s off, but FAT put him at 4:24.3, a second and a half off of qualifying for state! While initial emotions ranged toward devastation at coming this close and not qualifying, a strong feeling of pride spread at his race that was--in simplest terms--epic. He had established a lifetime PR and nearly run himself to state ALONE. This is a monstrous achievement. The focus, toughness, and effort he put into his race is a strong example for others to follow. I am very proud! He placed 10th out of 30 runners. The top 9 ran together in the hot heat and all made state.
While the evening ended with no distance runners advancing, our team is sending a 200m, 400m, two relays, and a thrower downstate next weekend. The heights to which our men pushed themselves this season are admirable and forge a strong legacy for the 2014 team. Our seniors went out on a very strong note. And most importantly, our juniors and underclassmen have their work cut out for next year! 
Special thanks to alumni Noel and Eric who came out to support us! It was great to see you guys!
Nice job distance runners. It's been a good run! F-S Conference 5.17.14
We finally found some warmer weather and a nice morning in North Chicago for our the NSC Frosh-Soph meet. Facing off against conference teams we have battled all season, our young men gave a good final account of themselves, effectively seizing the opportunity to run one last good race this season.
While the 4x800 did not earn an overall PR, two of the individuals did! Rod ran a season best 2:35 split, 2 seconds fast than his Antioch time! Bradley ran a tough 2:24, only three seconds off of his best, while Warren logged a nice 2:28. Sergio ran a PR 2:14, 2 seconds faster than his previous best set at Conant. Their total time was 9:42.4. Frederick and John represented the team in the 3200. Both started well and worked together, but got separated in the large field. John ran a hard race, earning a 10-second PR with a strong finish (11:23)! Frederick challenged himself well, with a nice 300m kick that moved him up nicely in the standings (11:52). Our last race was the 1600m. Sergio and Bradley ran in this one. Both 1600m heats were combined, giving the field great depth and allowing both these runners to compete with the faster-seeded competitors. Bradley was recovering from soreness achieved in the first race, but still buckled down and ran hard, finishing at 5:46. Sergio continued his 3-meet streak of 1600m PRs and BROKE 5 MINUTES for the first time in his life (4:58)! This was also his second PR of the meet. Excellent work! For the F-S guys, this was it. This was the end of the road. I am very pleased with their progress and dedication that led to the successful running today. Their collective work ethic and the valuable experience gained are very important to our team--these young men are the future of ZBXC/DC. Seeing them step up, and step out of their comfort zones has been amazing this season! It is time to set the sights on summertime training to continue this excellent progress! Conference 5.15.14
It was an exciting meet at Mundelein tonight as we met for the North Suburban Conference meet and ran against our local competitors. The weather held off from raining but was still windy and rather chilly--but it was the conditions we needed to work with. Our 4x800m featured Desmond, Lucas, Dakota, and Andrew. Lucas led tonight, racing with the pack and with great strength to log his fastest 800m run of the season, 2:01.9! Desmond followed with a gutsy 2:07.3, Dakota logged 2:08.7, and Andrew anchored and tied his PR with 2:02.8! Combined, the team ran a season PR 8:20.6. This represents the sum of our season's efforts, and they should be very proud of this!
Kenneth and Isaac ran the 3200m in different heats. It was a fast field, and both ran decent races. Kenneth worked hard to challenge himself on the second half, as did Isaac. Both split their races very well and finished at 11:03 and 10:04 respectively. Lucas followed the 3200 some time later with a 2:07 in the 800m. His PR time earlier in the evening might mean he needs to run this race fresh at Sectionals next week. Andrew and Angel represented ZBDC in their respective heats of the 1600m. Angel went out with strength, leading the field for much of the first half and finishing to tie his PR from last week of 4:44 (FAT confirms)! Andrew also went out with guts in his race, running with the leaders for the first half and then working hard to maintain pace in the second 800m. When the race was over he had run a season PR of 4:33! I am proud of these accomplishments! We have one week left of training and dedication before Sectional competition at Palatine. We must stay on course--especially the seniors who are especially busy--in order to keep minds on our goals. I challenge them to run ridiculous races this next week and see where it leads. With our collective progress, anything is possible! Conant Invite 5.9.14
It was an exciting meet at Conant this weekend, with our varsity runners squaring off against some of the best runners outside of our conference. The weather warmed up significantly to comfortable levels and three entries per event gave us more opportunities to run and earn medals. Overall the field was slow, with very few PRs at the event. The only downside to the evening was that heavy traffic prevented Lucas from making it to the meet in time for his 4x800, but Sergio kindly stepped up and ran a respectable varsity race! The 4x800 consisted of Desmond (2:09), Sergio (2:16), Angel (2:09), and Jaime (2:23), ending with an overall time of 8:59. Sergio matched his PR from Lyons today!
The 3200m sections were spread out between other events in this meet, meaning our three runners were also in different heats. Kenneth ran first, working hard with the top pack for the first mile and finishing with a strong kick in the last 150m (11:15). Isaac ran next, running just sub-5 for his first mile but finishing with a 73s final 400 and a 10:18 finishing time. Andrew ran last, starting at 67s for the opening lap with the leaders. He found himself in a race-long dual with a Prospect runner, and they pushed each other for a full six laps until Andrew bested him on the final 200m--and with his kick nearly caught the second-place runner at the line! Andrew took third in the high heat with a time of 9:50. Nice job 2-milers! Fortunately, Lucas had time to rest and run a fresh 800m race. He got out in good position, running hard with a fast pack that he stayed with for the first 400m. They started to separate with 300m left, and Lucas then moved up, keeping even form and maintaining a strong pace for a PR finish of 2:03.9! Our milers were our last runners to compete for the evening. Sergio embraced the challenge of a varsity race, running a second solid mile race this week with a fantastic PR finish of 5:01! Initially he appeared disappointed in not breaking the 5:00 barrier, but I have no doubt that will happen shortly with the progress he has been making this season! Desmond ran through chronic leg pains that increased after his 4x800 race, still running a hard--albeit visibly painful--race at 4:59. I am very proud of his grit. Angel ran in our final heat, the highest-seeded one--and worked very hard to earn a 4:44 PR! This week was a tough one. Going from 40 degrees and cold winds early in the week to Thursday's 87-degree temperature/humidity spike, coupled with a Monday meet (and a Wednesday one for Sergio) and AP tests, our runners have had a lot on their plates. This was our last big invite. It is time to taper slightly and sharpen the speed and finishes as we prepare for Conference this coming week, and Sectionals the next. I am proud of the progress we have made, and hope that we can continue this momentum, toughness, and focus to run with strength these next two weeks. F-S Antioch Invite 5.7.14
We took runners from our frosh-soph team to Antioch for their F-S invite today. While the forecast predicted temperatures near 80, we were lucky to hit 40 degrees and had chilly winds blowing constantly. Frederick, Bradley, John, Rod, Rod, and Mikey came with us, though Mikey pulled from the 3200 with knee pains. In the 4x800 relay our team took fourth (9:49.6); while it was not their top time, it was a good effort and both Rod and John ran PR splits of 2:37 and 2:21 respectively!
Frederick represented us with strength in the 3200m, challenging himself on each lap and making aggressive progress in the second half especially! He ran a full 40 seconds faster than his previous best from our home meet on 4/10, coming in at 11:34 and earning his first medal of the season. This is one second behind the F-S team record, which John holds at 11:33! Nice race Frederick! Bradley took to the track to represent ZBDC in the 800m, running a positive race at 2:26, 5 seconds off his PR but 6 seconds faster than his 4x800 split today! In the mile John and Sergio fought the cold winds and ran nice races as well. John came in at 5:25 and Sergio finally busted through his 5:08 PR and finished with at time of 5:04! Altogether this meet saw strong performances from our F-S guys. It was nice to compete in a F-S environment without varsity-level competitors, and hopefully the runners came away with greater confidence in themselves and their training. These are the men we will look to this coming year to step up and continue their progress and hone their team leadership. Home V. Lake Forest/Lake Zurich 5.5.14
Our dual meet series concluded today with our final home meet against Lake Forest and Lake Zurich. The weather threatened rain and high winds brought a chill, but we still put forth a decent effort despite the conditions. With a couple last-minute substitutions, our runners responded positively but at the end of the night we lost by 11 points to Lake Forest and beat LZ.
Desmond, Andrew, Angel, and Lucas represented the varsity in the 4x800, running 8:55 and winning the field. Kenneth, David D., Mikey, and Zack locked down the JV race (10:21), while Sergio, John, Warren, and Frederick represented the F-S (9:56). Mikey ran a nice 2:36 PR in this race! In the following 3200m race we worked hard against the distance runners of the opposing teams, with Isaac coming in first for our team at 10:11. Daniel ran a PR 11:20, a full 21 seconds over his time from the Libertyville dual. We saw good effort all-around in this strenuous race, with Jaime and Calvin again working together very well to finish at 11:13 and 11:14 respectively. Bradley made his 3200m debut for the season at 12:55 and Eduard his at 13:17. We also ran competitively in the 800. Lucas ran a nice race at 2:06.8, holding out for a very strong first lap and maintaining for a good finish. Daniel (2:22), Eduard (2:44), Jaime (2:34), David D. (2:37), and Calvin (2:30) rounded out of lineup in this race. In the following 1600m we had even stronger races. Andrew finished with a season best 4:35, followed by Angel (4:53), Isaac one second later (4:54), Kenneth (5:04), Sergio (5:10), Daniel (5:11), John (5:22), Frederick (5:31), and Zack (5:51). Daniel's time was a season PR, and Zack continued his progress to earn a lifetime best! Good job men! It is worth noting that Daniel ran three distance races: the 3200m, 1600m, and 800m--earning PRs on the first two. Nice work and dedication Daniel! While we did not run our best times of the season overall, we ran the races that we could on that day. Environmental and academic factors played large roles in the evening, but the runners responded with positivity despite these team limitations. While we are getting close to the end of the season, it is crucial to stay on top of grades and stay mentally tough for these races. Later this week the frosh-soph and varsity will have additional opportunities to run. Prospect Invite 5.2.14
Friday night was the biggest event of the season thus far: the famous Prospect Invite. We went head-to-head with some of the fastest schools and individual competitors from around the state (and some from out of state), and our varsity runners did an excellent job of stepping up to meet the challenge head-on.
Our 4x800 was seeded in the slower of the two heats unfortunately, and initially it looked like we would have some hard competition. Angel led off, putting on a 30m lead by the time he finished his second lap and running a great 2:03.1 PR split! Dakota took the handoff and smartly maintained the lead, matching his 2:06 PR by the time he handed the baton off to Lucas. Though feeling sick (and eventually withdrawing from the 800m dash), Lucas capitalized on our lead to match his Warren PR of 2:05 and hand off to Desmond for the anchor leg. With a long lead and nobody to run against, Desmond still fought well against his comfort levels to run a 2:11 and bring our race to an 8:27.6 PR, 2 seconds over Libertyville's race on Monday! Andrew and Isaac represented us in the 3200m. Both seeded into the fast heat with some of the top runners in the state. Both ran very competitive races! Andrew held on with the top competitors, running the first mile in 4:39. The top three racers managed to pull away from him, but he kicked past several other contenders to finish at a fantastic 9:42.9! Isaac ran 4:50 through the first mile, vying to finally break the 10 minute barrier--and he DID! He finished at an excellent 9:55.1 for a lifetime best and a very accomplished race! Angel and Dakota doubled up on races, entering the 1600 as well as the 4x800. This is not easy to do, though they had two hours of recovery time in between races. They ran together and worked upward in their heat, challenging a pack that sought to keep them boxed in. Dakota ran a season best 4:49.0, and Angel again PR'd with a kick that barely passed Dakota at the finish line for a 4:48.4! I am very proud of the many accomplishments and the heart with which our men ran tonight. Competing against this level of competition teaches a few lessons; it is also very neat to see state records being set and to learn from the strategies and skills of our competitors. We have set the bar high for the remaining part of our season, and I am confident that Prospect will not prove to be our highest point of accomplishment. We just measure against the competition and move forward with training and strength that mirrors the effort put into these races. BullDog Invite (Grant) 5.1.14
We ran our second meet of the week in high winds and light rain on Thursday at the Bulldog Invite, hosted by Grant. It was a good opportunity to see how our other conference schools can run. We rested our varsity distance runners in preparation for Prospect, and I asked our JV men to step up and run at the varsity level. Through the downtime and delays, they overall came out with a bit of fatigue and were not able to fully capitalize on the races with faster competition. Regardless of factors that might inhibit performances, I appreciate their work and willingness to step up and race this invite.
JV set a new PR in the 4x800, bringing their time down to 9:31 with the addition of Sergio to the line-up, a full 36 seconds better than the home meet against Warren. Sergio ran a gutsy opening race, followed by Daniel who ran a 2-second PR to bring his split to 2:21.7! Jaime and Calvin rounded out this crew, who will undoubtedly continue to hone their times with some practice on kicks in the final 400m. It was in the 3200m that we enjoyed our greatest successes of the night. Kenneth and John represented ZBDC in strength, and both ran fantastic personal bests! John beat his Deerfield time by a whopping 96 seconds (!!) to come in at a solid 11:33.9 and a signature kick that passed three competitors in the final 100m. Kenneth went out hard and displayed a similar focus, bypassing his sub-11 Urbana accomplishment to run a 3-second PR 10:55.3! Great job two-milers! We finished with Bradley and Sergio running the 1600 and Jaime fighting through a fast 800m. Though these races did not chart PRs, they were educational experiences with valuable take-aways for these young racers.
Libertyville Dual 4.28.14
While we enjoyed moderate temperatures on Friday at Lyons, the rain and winds set in for the weekend with no end in sight. The meet at Libertyville started smoothly, but quickly turned to rain and would eventually evolve into a full-blown thunderstorm by the time we were nearly done with the 200m sprints. The officials called the meet at that point, and the ZeeBees were given the victory.
We went in knowing that Libertyville's distance team is a force to be reckoned with. In Cross Country they stacked up to us 3:1, winning the meets by sheer numbers. Our goal was to get as many of our guys in between their packs, and in this meet our runners did not disappoint. Among the many accomplishments was a varsity PR in the 4x800m (8.29), 2.3 seconds better than their Urbana time! Angel ran a 2:06 split, beating his Deerfield time by .9s and battling through a persistent cough. He ran a second PR that day too--a lifetime best in the 1600 to come in at 4:49! In the 3200m Isaac led for half the race ,then was overtaken by the lead opponent but took a strong second place. Jaime and Calvin worked well together, with Calvin running a full 68-second PR at 11:08! Shemayah logged a great 18-second PR over his time at Mundelein, finishing at 12:15; Mikey also ran a strong 3200 and earned a 12:44. This is a full 59-seconds over his Mundelein time. Nice job men! Our milers ran very good races. We placed a varsity pack consisting of Andrew, Desmond, Dakota, and Angel in this event and they worked together beautifully, pushing each other and challenging the Libertyville opponents. Though the last 400 was a challenge, I am very proud of their race-long efforts. In this race Zack reached deep to achieve a PR over his time from SOPHOMORE YEAR and run a 5:53! Sergio ran a 5:08 PR, and Frederick rounded off our PRs with a gutsy 5:25, 4 seconds better than our home meet against Warren and Stevenson. Great races gentlemen! In the end, our hard work paid off with a win, but our distance crew has its work cut out for them. It was nice to run with their level of competition, but we need to keep pushing ourselves and challenge our limits if we are to continue the progress this season. Lyons Relays 4.25.14
Friday night was possibly one of the most ideal racing events this season so far, but by far the most challenging competition-wise. Facing off against distance powerhouses such as Hinsdale, Maine South, Lyons Township, and Conant, we found very fast teams to run against at the Lyons Relays. The temps were very comfortable, the sunset memorable, and the air smelled tantalizingly of barbeque. In the end, we could not match our best times, nor could we match the depth of the other teams--it was, however, an eye-opening experience for our runners to the level of competition outside of Lake County.
We started off with the 4x1600m. Kenneth led off, running with the competitors to earn a lifetime PR of 4:59!!! Isaac (5:02), Daniel (5:23), and Angel (4:52) rounded off the lineup in this grueling race, finishing with a combined 20:16.6. This was followed by the F-S 4x800. Sergio ran a PR 2:16.4 as our lead runner, followed by Bradley (2:40.8), John (2:28.9), and Warren (2:28.4) with a combined time of 9:54.4, 30 seconds off of their best from Urbana. Our varsity 4x800 welcomed Calvin in his first varsity race and Jaime in his second. Lucas led with a very respectable 2:07.3 split, though this could not match the competitors who mostly landed sub-2. Calvin ran a PR 2:18.2, a full 12 seconds over his previous best on Monday this week! Desmond came in at 2:17.6 and Jaime anchored at 2:21.7, bringing the total to 9:04.8. Our final even at the Distance Medley Relay (DMR) with legs of 1200m, 800m, 400m, and 1600m. Angel ran a respectable 3:29.4 1200m, followed by Lucas logging a 2:010.3 800m time. Desmond ran a fantastic 58.0s 400m, followed by Isaac anchoring the 1600m with a 5:06. We finished sixth with 11:44.3. Overall there were some opportunities missed to run with the fast competition. Our lead relay runners all got out hard and achieved excellent times, but as the other teams pulled ahead we could not quite match them and got bogged down running solo on open track. The effort was there but we could not match the depth of the other teams. It was a good learning opportunity, however, and exposure to some of the teams that will undoubtedly be placing in the top meets in May. Hopefully we can take the lessons learned back to our Monday dual against Libertyville. Home v. Warren & Stevenson 4.21.14
It was a rainy afternoon Monday, and the Bees took their first conference loss to Warren. While the weather wasn't great, we simply had challenges kicking when it was needed and finishing tough against the competitors. While we did win over Stevenson, the Blue Devils put 3-4 guys in the top 5 of each event and won in the points competition.
We were short two of our fastest guys, but overall the energy was tough to maintain that afternoon. There were a few notable performances to celebrate, among them the JV 4x800m relay's 9-second PR, bringing their season best to 10:07! Daniel ran a season best 2:23 split to contribute to their success. On the F-S 4x800, Frederick ran a fantastic 13-second PR over his time at Mundelein, finishing with a 2:20! And while our varsity 4x800 was a new lineup, Isaac ran a season best 2:15 and Kenneth ran a PR of 2:14. Nice job guys! In the 1600 we also had several outstanding races. Bradley ran a PR 5:17, continuing his awesome mile PR steak by beating his Deerfield time by 3 seconds! John also ran a great race, earning a time of 5:16, beating his time from the 4/10 home meet by 14 seconds. Calvin ran a 5:11, earning a 11-second PR, and Frederick also PR'd by 31 second over his Mundelein time, coming in at 5:29! In the 800m, Lucas earned a season best 2:05, running very well in the fast pack. Great work gentlemen! While the rain destroyed some of the papers with times on them, we need to again find the focus and toughness that brought us such nice success at Urbana. We will have until Friday to improve if are to run with the fast teams down at Lyons. Special thanks to Nate, Mr. Shorey, and Mr. Lunsford for their help with timing! Urbana 4.19.14
Saturday's track meet at Urbana represents the high point in the season so far. Three months of hard work paid handsome dividends for the ZB runners, with their mental toughness, physical skill, and environmental conditions aligning perfectly for a very successful racing day. Though a 5 a.m. wake-up and long bus ride were challenging, our varsity and frosh-soph relay teams stayed strong and enjoyed the 70-degree temperature and bright sun at Urbana. We squared off against eight teams and went home with both varsity and frosh-soph first place trophies!
We welcomed new additions to both the frosh-soph and varsity 4x800 lineups. John stepped in beside Bradley, Warren, and Sergio to compete; Jaime joined Angel, Dakota, and Andrew. Our F-S men ran first after a lengthy meet delay. Sergio got out in good position and found strong competitors to race with. Bradley, John, and Warren followed in strength, making decisive handoffs and kicking their second laps into higher gears--they finished with a 9:25.1, a full 22 seconds over their previous best at Deerfield! Additionally, Warren and Bradley ran PR splits! Not only that, but they earned medals for a 2nd place finish! The Varsity 4x800 relay followed this progress in great form. Dakota led with a PR 2:06.4 split, handing off to Angel. Jaime made his varsity debut in the 3rd slot, meeting the pressure head-on by running a 9-second lifetime PR 2:13.7! Andrew ran the anchor leg though still plagued with a touch of sickness. He still rose to the challenge, particularly with a Champaign Central leader who wanted to take first place. Andrew battled hard, striding past the competition with a hard final 300m sprint to which they had no answer; he earned a PR 2:02.5 and catapulted the ZeeBees to a first place 8:31.8--a full ten second PR over their time versus McHenry and Waukegan on 4.10! The following 3200m race was also one for the books. Kenneth and Isaac again represented our team, showing raw strength and toughness among the best I've seen this season! Isaac went out hard with determination to lead; he inspired a pair of competitors to take the initiative, allowing Isaac to lead the first 800m before moving on his position. Isaac was determined to beat them at their game, moving to overtake them again and again in a constant battle every 400m as they all fought for lead position. In the last 400m Isaac's determination won the day; he had a fantastic stride that broke the pack and earned him both a 1st place finish and PR at 10:04.5! Kenneth worked in very similar fashion in the middle of the pack, being overtaken and then overtaking the competitors in a regular 400m pattern. His form looked much better than in previous races, and in his last 200m he proved that he had more in the tank than his competitors. He earned a 5th place finish and broke 11 minutes for the first time, coming in at 10:58.3! Angel represented our distance team in the 800m, working against a fast heat. This proved to be a very fast race, and Angel ran it very well among a tight pack of competitors. He finished at a respectable 2:07.7, just one second off of his PR and even fast than his 800m relay split earlier in the afternoon! Dakota and Desmond ran nice 1600m races soon after, by which time the heat was starting to be a factor. Both ran sub-5 and in the fast heat, but the competition was deep and the scoring was dominated by other schools in this event. Still, these were well-run races. Overall this was a fantastic meet! We came home with ten distance medals, both first place trophies, and a feeling of accomplishment. The many lifetime PRs speak to hard work paying off as ZBDC enters the midpoint phase in the season. The endurance base and finishing speed work is starting to find a positive balance in our races. This is our new baseline and launching point--there are many meets left and we much continue the forward progress, stay eligible, and stay strong to make this a meaningful step on the season's journey toward success! Excellent work Bees! Monday we face off against Warren and Stevenson at home, and we must bring the same spirit of competition to win this one. Deerfield Invite 4.12.14
We ran with some fast competition Saturday in conditions that we equally challenging. From severe thunderstorms melting away to temperatures and humidity in the high 70s, we were most significantly faced with high winds that significantly increased speeds on the first 200m and drastically reduced them on the remainder. The wind was so high that meet officials opted to turn and run the 100m dash and 110 hurdles in the opposite direction! This was a varsity and frosh-soph meet.
John and Rod led off with a 3pm start in the 3200m. They were the first to taste the high winds and fought well against it to finish at 13:09 and 14:09 respectively. This was our first indication of just how much the weather would impact the upcoming races. Our F-S 4x800m relay ran with guts and earned a 9:47.1 PR, in part made possible by Bradley's PR split of 2:19. The varsity followed this up with an 8:42.9, with Dakota leading with a PR 2:09.3 and Angel following with a PR 2:06.9. Varsity earned a sixth place finish. Kenneth and Isaac represented our team in the 3200m, both looking very good at the mile mark but meeting some challenges in the second half. Isaac earned a ribbon with a sixth place overall finish! Our subsequent races also began well but faced real challenges on the last 200m of the track. Though battling sickness, Andrew tied his PR of 4:36, earning a 3rd place medal! Bradley also continued his impressive season performance with a 5:20 PR. Well done! This was a difficult meet, but as the third meet this week we were starting to show some wear. This next week we will have a little bit of time to recharge and retool our efforts; we will be focusing on finishing our races with negative splits. We have the toughness and team composition to accomplish it with hard work. At this near-midpoint of the season there is no ceiling to what we can accomplish, as long as we take lessons from this week's experiences and point them in a progressive direction. Keep moving forward! Home v. Waukegan & McHenry 4.10.14
The boys came out with intensity at our second home meet, hosting Waukegan and McHenry. Among the many accomplishments were multiple event placings and no less than 14 individual and 3 even PRs. The weather warmed into the high 50s and lent and excellent climate for racing.
Our 4x800 relay teams competed very well. Andrew stepped in for Lucas on the Varsity level, together running 8:41, a 4-second season PR over Wauconda! The JV guys ran well, with Jaime earning the top split of 2:22 for a total of 10:16--and 8-second PR! The Frosh-Soph relay team continued their impressive season progress with a 10:03...an impressive 15-second PR! Well done relay teams! In the 3200m, Kenneth and Isaac again represented the Varsity with strength. Kenneth tied last week's 11:18 in a well-fought race, and Isaac logged a season best of 10:15, beating his time from Carthage! Raijin ran a 13:34--a whopping 42s PR from his time at Mundelein this week! K-Man, Frederick, and Jesus tasted their first 3200m race of the season and all finished well. We entered 16 racers into the 800m with some nice results. Angel ran a PR 2:09.1 and Andrew a PR of 2:03.9! In later heats Eduard beat his previous best by 7 seconds (2:34), Rod posted his fastest 800m (2:44), Warren his best of 2:24, and Bradley an impressive PR of 2:25. The 800m is not an easy race, and the speedwork these runners are doing is starting to pay off! Kenneth, Isaac, and Raijin then went on to run in the 400m. Kenneth earned a great sub-60 59.8s time, with Isaac just behind him (62.8) and Raijin just a couple strides back (67.8). In the 1600m we had fourteen competitors. They worked in packs amid the competitors and had some very impressive kicks in the final stretch. Desmond ran a very nice lifetime PR of 4:50, with Jaime (5:08) and Sergio (5:09) both earning PRs and eagerly gunning for sub-5 time they can certainly achieve this season. Shemayah shaved 14 seconds off his Wauconda meet time to run 5:43, Mikey dropped an impressive 19 seconds to earn his first sub-6 time of 5:47, and John kicked well to earn a PR of 5:30, 16 seconds better than his time against Wauconda. It was overall a strong race for our runners, all of whom and working hard to achieve. This meet's 4x400 challenge victors are Desmond, Jaime, Shemayah, and John. Nice job men! I owe a big shout-out to the seniors for their assistance! As I needed to keep times and records during the race, they stepped in to keep the team organized and everyone on schedule. Thank you! @ Mundelein 4.7.14
It was a blissfully warm day Monday when our team traveled for their second outdoor meet this season to Mundelein High School. Our runners embraced the conditions and competition to come away with a second win this season! This meet is very notable for the number of season and lifetime PRs scored by our runners.
We did not set any records in the 4x800; Zee Bees were the only entrants and ran against themselves. The JV team--David, Calvin, Eduard, and Jaime--tied their 10:24 season best. All three relay teams are making excellent progress this year. We came out strong for the 3200m and in greater numbers than our previous meet. Andrew led the field with a decent 10:17 finish and a hefty race-long lead. Angel and Dakota worked together for the early laps, finishing at 10:24 and 10:35 respectively, while John ran a very gutsy 12:07 and finished with a kick that had the official and timers cheering. Shemayah logged a respectable 12:33, followed by Mikey's gutsy 13:45 and Raijin's 14:16. This was the first 3200m racing experience for many of these guys, and while it is a daunting experience, it is one of growth and progress. Our 800m runners set some fantastic lifetime bests! Lucas gamely held on as close as he could to Mosely for much of the race, finishing with a 2:06.0 PR! For the Varsity, Andrew logged a 2:12, followed closely by Angel (2:12.7), Dakota (2:13), and Desmond (2:14.8). Warren earned a lifetime PR of 2:26.8, K-Man of 2:26.4, Jaime of 2:22.9, and Calvin of 2:28.4. Well done gentlemen! Also running very respectable races and setting season benchmarks were Shemayah (2:44), Frederick (2:33.3), and Jesus (2.44.9). Just as in the 800m, in the mile our runners truly shone. Isaac went out hard and kept a substantial lead for the entire race. It paid off handsomely--with a 2-second lifetime PR of 4:47! Kenneth worked with tenacity right behind Isaac--setting a very impressive 8-second lifetime PR of 5:14! Also setting lifetime PRs were Sergio (5:17), Calvin (5:22), Eduard by THIRTY SECONDS (6:00!!!), Frederick 6:04, and Jesus (6:22). Jesus shaved off 51 seconds for his PR! WOW! Bradley ran just one second off of his (5:31), followed by Rod (6:08), Zack (6:16), and K-Man (6:21). Lucas logged a respectable 5:13 and Jaime 5:31. Nicely done! We also entered several 400m competitors. Lucas ran a hard sub-minute 57.2, along with Jaime 1:03.5 and Shemayah (1:17.0). Nice work! We concluded the race with a number of 4x400m relays and it is evident that the team had a great time in these team-building races. Overall we ran a very good meet, but there are some areas we will be tighteniing up for upcoming competitions. I am very pleased with the progress made and the Personal Records set in this meet. We will be testing ourselves against McHenry and Waukegan at Home on 4/10. Home v. Wauconda 4.1.14
We began our outdoor season with the first of many home meets, hosting the men and women of Wauconda. The strong eastward winds added an interesting challenge, but our runners responded well. This was the first opportunity for our JV guys to compete, and for the rest of the F-S team to enter into events--also the first opportunity for most of our guys to run multiple events.
Our Varsity 4x800m Relay team had a strong finish, clearly responding to the 400m track and posting a 3-second season PR of 8:45. Our F-S men posted a 1-second PR of 10:18, and our JV men got their first score on the board with 10:24. In the 3200m both Isaac and Kenneth ran resiliently against the wind, leading the entire coed field to post 10:23 and 11:18 respectively. In the 800m and 1600m we fielded most of the team. Andrew (4:57), Angel (5:03), and Dakota (5:06) led the pack and placed 1-3. Sergio set his lifetime best of 5:21, followed by Jaime (5:29), Bradley (5:44), John (5:46), Shemayah (5:57), and Zach running a season best at 6:06. Also coming in at 6:06 with a lifetime PR was Mikey, followed by Raijin at 6:33. In the 800m Lucas tied his season best with a beastly 2:09, followed by Kenneth C's 2:23 and Warren charting a 2:31. K-Man set a 2:35 season benchmark, followed closely by Kevin (2:40), Raijin (2:45), Rod (2:47), and Jesus (2:50). All-in-all, it was a strong opening meet and start to our outdoor season. We came away with a win against Wauconda (both men and women), and look forward to both warmer temperatures and the chance to see these runners try their skill at different events. Nice effort and win at home men! Proviso East 3.29.14
Our F-S 4x800m Relay Team: Bradley, Sergio, Warren, and Rod
This Saturday meet concluded our indoor series. Held at Proviso West High School in Hillside, IL, we brought our Varsity and Frosh-Soph runners to a nice 200m track strangely bathed in a orange fluorescent hue. While we prepared for a Carthage-esque preparedness and efficiency this proved not to be; however, the ZBDC men proved resilient and responsive to the delays.
Our 4x800m relay gave a good account of themselves, with Dakota leading off (2:11), passing to Angel (2:12), then to Desmond (2:11) and finishing with Lucas (2:12). With a total time of 8:48.68 this established a solid 4x800m PR by 14 seconds over the 9:02 from Carthage. Good job! Our F-S men were only allowed to run the relay in this meet, and also went out aggressively. Sergio (2:23), Bradley (2:51), Rod (2:51), and Warren (2:35) ran well and also set a PR, besting their 10:30 Thornwood time with a 10:19.65! Nice work all around! In the 3200m, Kenneth Caples went out competitively in the first heat, establishing an early lead in lap #2 of the 16-lap race. He competently held the lead, finishing with a great PR at 11:06! Isaac followed in the third and final heat, working hard in an aggressive field to take 4th place overall (10:20). Excellent work in the 2-mile! Lucas represented ZBDC in the 800m run some time later, running in the 4th heat. He logged 2:14.36--while not quite his best, it was an invaluable learning experience as he hones his splits. Dakota waited an extra hour for his opportunity to run the mile, and went out well. The long lull between races made it difficult to keep energy and confidence, but Dakota worked with his heat to earn a 4:56 and close out ZBDC's contributions to the meet. This was a challenging meet overall. We started out very strong with confidence and energy, yet the long periods of waiting sapped these assets as time wore on. We need to find new ways to boosting up and staying mentally tough as we enter the outdoor stretch of the season. I am confident the men will see a fresh perspective in the outdoor 400m track; for indeed we must if we are to zero out detracting factors and focus on the strong application of our training. We will welcome Wauconda on Tuesday to our track in the first home meet of the season! Carthage 3.22.14
We return from Carthage with several PRs and overall improvement. This was our third indoor meet (and again only Varsity), but largest track yet (200m). Our runners did a good job capitalizing on the longer track and being flexible with the busy schedule.
Our 4x800 opened the meet. As they say, "third time is a charm," and we executed our handoffs perfectly and after the correct number of laps! Daniel led our team in the first leg, bringing his 800m split down to 2:23 (3 seconds better than Thornwood). He handed off to Angel, who worked with grit to reel in the string of competitors ahead of him (2:14). Desmond then ran a beautiful lifetime PR (2:08!!), and Lucas finished with a split of 2:13. Overall we ran well, coming in 2nd in the heat with 9:02.01. While we must continue to shave the splits, this time beat our Thornwood time by twelve seconds. Good work! We did encounter the situation where the meet was running well ahead of their estimated time schedule (thank you Carthage Track & Field for the efficiency!), but this resulted in Dakota and Andrew narrowly missing their heat of the mile. We were able to place them in later heats but this also meant slower competition to run with. I am proud that both kept an open mind and gave great effort in their races. Andrew logged a 4:45 and Dakota a 5:02; both respectable times considering the conditions they worked with. Our Wildcard entry to the meet was Bradley, running his first Varsity race in the 1600m. He ran very well, working off the pack of competitors for a LIFETIME PR of 5:30, smashing his previous best by 10 seconds. Well done Bradley! Lucas represented ZBDC in the 800m race and was our only runner to enter two events. Though he ran a respectable 2:13 split earlier, he showed great strength in this race and charted a season best of 2:09.91, taking 16th place overall and beating his previous season best of 2:11.42 at Evanston. Good job Lucas! Our 3200m runners ran toward the end of the meet. While Isaac and Kenneth were in separate heats, both got out well and worked hard against their competitors. Isaac charted a season best of 10:16, besting his 10:31 from Thornwood; Kenneth ran an 11:26 PR over his 11:48 Thornwood race. Good job guys! Overall, we charted respectable improvement. To keep moving forward we will need to be competitive and apply a little work on form. As we enter a (hopefully) warmer phase of the season and prepare to embark on our outdoor season, we will be honing our 800m splits and kicks with some dedicated speed work. The dedication and skill is there, but it is time to bring it to the next level. Keep moving forward guys! Evanston 3.14.14
This one was a late night. Despite the setbacks of this year's use of Fully Automated Timing and long stretches of downtime, our Varsity distance runners gave a strong showing at our second indoor meet of the year.
Our start was not entirely strong, as we unfortunately repeated the error from last week our 3200m relay. Andrew led off with a strong 2:06 split, followed by Desmond at 2:13. Dakota was led by the official into handing off one lap early, and Lucas finished his five laps in 2:12. In the official decision that followed, our team was not faulted and Dakota's laps averaged to estimate a split of 2:15. We were awarded points for fourth place, but moving forward will be working to solidify our lap counting to eliminate future mishaps. Lucas represented ZBDC in the Medley Relay as well. He anchored with an 800m run, logging 2:11.42! Andrew and Isaac were our final contenders, running the 1600m late in the evening and staying warmed up through the many race delays. Andrew worked with the top runners to log a 4:37 season PR and Isaac ran a 4:54. Running this many indoor laps with sharp turns is challenging, and I am proud of the focus these runners maintained to compete. Overall it was a challenging night but one with which our runners competed with strength and class. There were less event opportunities at this meet than following ones, and we look forward to Carthage this coming Saturday--both for their 200m track and for the upcoming competition. With luck we will be able to put in some quality time on our track this week as the temperatures rise and snow melts. Go Bees! Season Opener: Thornwood Invite
The Bees of ZBDC 2014 kicked off their season yesterday at the Thornwood High School 31st Thunderbird Invitational. This meet was for our Varsity and Frosh-Soph teams, so our JV men were not able to compete. Overall we had a strong showing, especially since we haven't seen anything resembling a track since mid-December.
Our Varsity 4x800m Relay was our first to compete. Despite a mishap with the officials that resulted in a premature handoff, our team consisting of Andrew, Daniel, Angel, and Lucas finished 3rd overall with a time of 9:14.43. Our F-S 4x800 Relay, consisting of Bradley, Sergio, Rod, and Warren, finished 7th with a combined time of 10:30.91. In the Varsity 2 Mile, Isaac maintained a steady lead for most of the race but was caught in the final laps; he earned a medal for his 2nd place finish (10:31). Kenneth gave an equally gutsy performance to finish 5th overall (11:48). We did not enter any F-S racers into the 3200m. Next, we were able to enter some distance runners in the 600m and 800m races. Rod ran his 600m in 1:43, while Warren represented us in the 800m. He tied for 6th place with a time of 2:27. At the Varsity level, Daniel (1:31) and Desmond (1:30) ran in the 600m race. While we may not compete in 600m races the rest of this season, it was still invaluable racing experience for our guys. Our final event was the Mile. Sergio and Bradley ran well in their first timed mile on a track this season (we've been running on roads!). Sergio took 7th overall (5:27) and Bradley ran a 2-second LIFETIME PR with a time of 5:45! Way to go Bradley! At the Varsity level, Andrew and Angel represented our team. Both got out well and in good positions. Andrew took and maintained a race-long lead and Angel worked with the pack. Andrew's hard run earned him a first place medal with a time of 4:43 and Angel finished 7th with a time of 5:10. Overall it was a good start to our season. Zion-Benton finished 6th overall in the meet out of a field of 12 teams. We have established our baseline from which we can begin to chisel down the times. Our F-S guys gave a gutsy early-season performance, and our Varsity shows great promise as a competitive team. Hopefully shifting weather patterns will uncover our track as well and provide us a consistent training surface to work with. I am impressed with the hard work ZBDC has put in these past two months and look forward to their many future accomplishments! 
|
Season Bests
4x800 Relay (V): 8:21.0 FAT (@ Conference)
4x800 Relay (JV): 9:31 (@ Grant) 4x800 Relay (F-S): 9:25.1 FAT (@ Urbana) 800m Split (V): 2:01.9 (Unze, Conference) 800m Split (JV): 2:13.7 (Cantu, Urbana) 800m Split (F-S): 2:14 (Vargas, @ Conference) 3200m (V): 9:42.9 (Ntim, @Prospect) 3200m (JV): 11:08 (Dykhuizen @Libertyville) 3200m (F-S): 11:23 (Cruz, @ Conference) 600m (V): 1:30 (Washington, Thorn.) 600m (F-S): 1:43 (Clark, Thornwood) 800m (V): 2:03.9 (Ntim, v. McH/Wauk, Unze @ Conant) 800m (JV): 2:22.3 (Olvera, Home v. LZ/LF) 800m (F-S): 2:25 (Omorgieva, v.McH) 1600m (V): 4:24.3 FAT (Ntim, Sectionals) 1600m (JV): 5:08 (Cantu, v. McH/Wauk) 1600m (F-S): 4:58 (Vargas, @ Conference) 400m (V): 57.2 (Unze, @Mundelein) 400m (JV): 63.5 (Cantu, @Mundelein) |
