Three Kits Claim CSL South Track Titles

Jordan Harvey has already figured out the big picture for his hurdles career.

The Evanston sophomore’s plan is to keep adding the “class” records --- freshman, sophomore, junior and senior --- in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles to his collection as part of an effort to improve every year.

Considering the program’s legacy in that event, that’s definitely a path to future success.

Hoping to follow in the footsteps of past hurdles greats like Miles Granjean, Kalil Johnson and Duane Stone, Harvey won the Central Suburban League South division championship Friday night, one of three champs crowned by the Wildkits on their way to an overall finish of 3rd place in the team standings.

Harvey, Enijel Shelton (shot put) and Oliver Hassard (high jump) all turned in gold medal performances for Evanston at the championship meet hosted by Glenbrook North. The Wildkits totaled 97 points and trailed New Trier (173) and Glenbrook South (112) in the standings. Rounding out the scoring were Deerfield (74), Glenbrook North (50) and Maine South (48).

Harvey wasn’t able to match his season best time of 40.34, which is already under the Illinois High School Association state qualifying standard. But his 41.19 clocking Friday was good enough for the sophomore standout to live up to his No. 1 seed in the 300 and easily defeated New Trier’s Wiliam Landwer, the runnerup in 41.51.

Now Harvey can take aim at the sophomore school record of 40.12 currently held by Johnson. Harvey’s best time last year established a new freshman mark of 42.49.

“I wanted to run a 39 today, but it still feels good to win a conference championship,” Harvey said. “I did my best because I knew that New Trier kid really wanted to beat me. There was definitely some pressure on me, but most of the time it’s pressure that I put on myself. The coaches don’t put pressure on me, they just tell me to do my best and try my hardest.

“My technique allowed me to run well last year, but this year I’m much more aggressive out of the blocks. I’ve really focused more on my starts because the first 100 meters of the race is the most important part if you really want to succeed at it. My best start so far was at the Red Grange meet (at Wheaton Warrenville South) --- but this one was pretty good.”

ETHS head coach Don Michelin thinks that’s a mindset that will take Harvey a long way.

“If he has that mindset now, he’ll be more inspired to do well,” said the veteran coach. “We’ve had a number of good ones in that race and he can be one of them. He’s got the love for that race, so I think he can get it done. He just needs to clean up a few things.

“Those first two hurdles are the ones that set up the rest of the race if you can get off to a good start. He’s got the right approach. He just needs to get stronger cardio-wise so he can maintain better over the last couple of hurdles.”

Hassard was frustrated to a degree with his winning performance in the high jump since he matched his season high (6 foot, 3 inches) “quite a few times this year” and did it again Friday. But considering that he wasn’t certain he’d even be able to compete in the CSL South meet after straining his left hamstring in practice last week, Hassard was happy to earn a gold medal.

The Wildkit staff limited him to just the high jump, although he’s usually entered in the maximum four events, because of the injury.

“I want to be a decathlete in college and I love doing multiple events,” Hassard pointed out. “I picked up the hurdles this year, and being a part of an Evanston relay, well, there’s no feeling like it. I’m not going to turn down any opportunities in any event.

“This is the first time I’ve jumped in a competition in three weeks because I’ve been doing other things. Last Monday I got that minor strain coming out of the (starting) blocks in practice, and I had a lot on my mind when I was jumping today. What I did right today was mostly mental, because in the back of my mind I was thinking is it safe, should I be afraid it might snap?

“I fought it off pretty well. I acknowledged the pain when I was jumping, but I didn’t let it throw me off. All I could do was try to enjoy the process. I got some ‘bar luck’ and cleared it on my last try.”

Shelton, seeded 3rd in the shot behind New Trier’s Francesco Youkhana and Deerfield’s Ryan Cunningham, rose to the occasion with a career best toss of 15.96 meters --- or 52 feet, 4.5 inches --- on his second throw of the day and that was good enough to beat the rest of the field.

The ETHS junior also eclipsed the state qualifying standard for the first time, which should boost his confidence for performing when the stakes are even higher at the sectional meet next Thursday at Loyola Academy.

“I’ve been getting up at 4 a.m. every day to do what I have to do to get ready for this, and it paid off today,” said Shelton. “What did I do better today? It was really just another day --- another good day. I just had to do my business, but the job’s not finished.”

Shelton took up throwing when his freshman football coach, the late Alex Thomas, persuaded him to try another sport. At 5-foot-6 inches and 210 pounds, Shelton started in the offensive line for Evanston’s varsity and handled bigger foes on the football field this past fall.

Now he’s not intimidated by the fact that most of his opponents in the shot and discus are usually 6 inches taller and 50 pounds heavier than he is. He compensates with quickness in the throwing circle and better technique, too.

“I try not to think about it. I don’t let that get into my head, I just keep working hard,” he added. “Getting that state qualifying (distance) was great for me. I’m pretty proud of myself for that.”

The Kits also counted top 5 finishes from senior Lee Muir in the 110 hurdles (3rd in 15.88) and 300 hurdles (3rd in 41.76), freshman Justin Johnson in the long jump (3rd at 21 feet, 6.25 inches) and 100-meter dash (4th in 11.39), freshman Jaden Paul in the high jump (tie for 3rd at 5 feet, 9 inches), junior Sam Froum in the 3200 (4th in 9:48.87), junior Dallas Amos in the 400 (4th in 52.29), senior Jack Kleinschmit in the 800 (4th in 2:00.02), senior Camarius Morgan in the 100 (5th in 11.43), sophomore Deshawn Preister in the 400 (5th in 52.31), and senior Jeremiah Schwartz in the long jump (5th at 21 feet).