Kit Runners Rule At Red Grange Invitational

There’s no doubt that Evanston fields a stronger track team every time Justin Johnson is in the lineup.

But even when conflicts with off-season football interrupt Johnson’s sprint career, the Wildkits still find a way to win.

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Evanston took down south suburban power Homewood-Flossmoor for the second week in a row --- different format, same result --- and captured the team title at the Red Grange ABC Invitational meet hosted by Wheaton Warrenville South Friday night.

The Wildkits, who also won the team title in 2023, piled up 254 points to H-F’s 238 in the 12-team field. Evanston racked up seven first place finishes and 14 runner-up finishes in a meet format that rewards depth. Each school can score in three different races or throws in each event, except for relays, and runners and throwers are matched against foes at their own level.

Evanston prevailed on a perfect night for high school track. How perfect was it? The conditions (no wind, 60-degree temperatures) contributed to new meet records set in three relays (400-meter, 800-meter, 3200-meter) plus the open 200, 400, and both hurdles events.

And it’s the last time the Kits will be without Johnson in the lineup. The rest of the state of Illinois has been warned now. His 7-on-7 grid schedule is over until high school workouts begin in the summer.

The junior sprinter’s return could help ETHS make an even bigger impact in the short relays and will definitely lengthen the lineup.

“I’d say the fellas did a good job without him tonight,” smiled veteran ETHS head coach Don Michelin. “It was a total team effort. We got contributions from all areas. We didn’t pinpoint (beating) H-F tonight. We’re just trying to be the best version of our selves, whatever that means.

“Justin is an All-Stater and he’s been doing his part for us. He loves track, but he wants that national exposure football-wise (after earning a Division I scholarship from the University of Illinois to play cornerback), so I get it. This is supposed to be the last meet he misses. The team has done pretty well when he’s not here, but we’re definitely better with him. He knows this group can do some good stuff this year --- and he wants to be part of it.”

Michelin is still weighing his options with Johnson, a top 8 finisher at the Illinois High School Association last spring in both the 100 (6^th) and 200 (8^th) dashes as a sophomore. He could enter postseason competition in both open races again, plus a couple of relays, or he could focus on relay races.

Evanston broke the meet record in the 400 relay Friday, as hurdler Jordan Harvey substituted in for Johnson, with a sizzling time of 41.83, but the unit that also features Emmanuel Roache, Manny Blake and Anthony Honore had to settle for second place when Glenbard West blazed its way to a winning time of 41.38. Both teams eclipsed the old mark of 42.20 set by H-F last year.

The Kits also placed third in the 800 relay (1:30.58) and fourth in the 1600 relay (3:27.33) in more than respectable times.

Seven different individuals scored victories for the Wildkits, none in the A flight. B flight winners included Honore, 11.08 in the 100; Nelson Mbangamoh, 15.97 in the 110 high hurdles; Deshawn Preister, 49.56 in the 400; and Chance Simmons, 6.47 meters in the long jump.

In the C flight, ETHS counted wins from Roache in the 100 (11.01), Lewis Scott in the 400 (51.13) and senior Kendyle Jones in the triple jump (12.98 meters).

Several of the second place performances by the Wildkits, who as a team registered numerous PRs (personal records), were also noteworthy.

In the A high jump, junior Jaden Jean-Paul reached a new high when he soared 6 feet, 9 inches, the same as eventual champ (and a 2025 state qualifier) J.J. Lewandowski of Champaign Centennial, who won based on fewer misses. Jean-Paul also notched a PR in the A triple jump, where he claimed second at 13.74.

The Wildkits also got unexpected contributions in the distance races from senior Andrew Rich and sophomore Alex Praeuner.

Rich moved into the A slot in the 3200 lineup partly because Praeuner’s twin brother, Andy, has been sidelined with a foot injury. He chopped 28 seconds off his seed time, competing with the top pack for the entire race, and ran second in a race where the top three finishers (Jack Sanders of Wheaton North in 9:48.09, Rich in 9:48.72, and Jack Barbieri of Wheaton South in 9:48.85) all finished within a second of each other.

After impressing the coaching staff in a workout earlier in the week, Praeuner moved up from the 800 to the C 1600 and churned to a time of 4:37.54, behind only Sam Walker of Wheaton South (4:35.96).

Senior Lucas Anderson also shined for the Orange and Blue with second place efforts in the B high jump (1.85 meters), B 110 hurdles (15.09) and B 300 hurdles (40.68).