Above Photo: Ohio’s Ben Ewert broke his own meet record defending his title in the 2000 Meter Steeplechase (Laura Duffy Photo)

By Michael Newman

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Lisle – Winds gusting close to 25 mph slowed down some of the runners competing in Saturday night’s Midwest Distance Classic at the Village of Lisle /Benedictine University Sports Stadium. It, however, did not stop them as more than 60 personal bests were achieved in this meet. The spotlight on this night were in the Boys events.

One of the feature races of the night was the Boys 3200 Meter Run where the top five placers finished under 9:10. The pace for the first 1600-meters was fast as a pack led by Evan Goddell of St. Louis (MI) went through the mark in 4:29. The action picked up in the final two laps as Ryan Murphy of Linn-Mar (IA) and Clayton Adams of Kearney (MO) traded off the lead.

Adams decided to make his move passing Murphy just before the bell lap as the wo passed the finish line in 7:57. Drew Bosley of Homestead (WI), who had run 9:17 to finish 6^th the week before at the Wisconsin State Meet, was starting to close the gap on the two leaders as he was only four seconds back. It seemed like Adams had the race won with 200-meters left. Murphy had energy for one more move but real estate ran out on the Iowa state champ. Adams won the race with a personal best 8:58.47. Murphy also achieved a personal best in finishing 2^nd (9:00.79).

“I was just trying to stay positive saying to myself I can do this,” Adams said. “When he (Murphy) took the lead, I kept telling myself that I could get him on the last lap.”

Bosley finished 3^rd (9:05.44) holding off Illinois 1A State Champion Logan Hall of Arthur-Lovington who had a personal best in finishing 4^th (9:05.75).

There was just as much drama in the Boys 800 Meter Run. The pace was quick as Chris Conrad of O’Fallon and Hudson Kugel of Oregon (WI) through the first 400-meters in a fast 52.5 seconds. Cole Johnson of Rockford (MI) was a second back in 3^rd but poised to make a move.

Johnson did just that passing Conrad with 200-meters to go passing that point in 1:21.2. Conrad made a move coming off the final curve but Johnson would not relinquish the lead. The Michigan junior, who won the Division 1 title in the 1600 Meter Run last week, lowered his personal best by two seconds crossing the line in 1:50.72 with Conrad close behind (1:50.95). Grant Jensen of Prairie Ridge won Section 2 of the event in 1:53.32. That time was good enough for third overall.

“Today I was just looking forward to running fast especially that last 300-meters,” said Johnson. “It was good to run this race fresh. I didn’t get to do that in last week’s state meet.”

The only drama in the Boys 1600 Meter Run was that the pace was slower than hoped for as the pack passed through the first 400-meters in 64.1 seconds. The damage was done for Whitney Young’s Clayton Mendez as he had to play catch-up with the pace passing 800-meters in 2:06.9 opening a two second lead on the rest of the field. He pushed the next lap in 62.0 seconds passing 1200-meters in 3:08.9. The combination of the wind and the inconsistent pace at the beginning began to take its toll on Mendez in the final 200-meters. He had enough to hold off Conant Smith of Middletown (OH) for the win. Mendez dropped his personal best by six seconds with his 4:11.26 winning time. Smith also achieved a personal best (4:12.90) in finishing 2^nd.

“I wanted to break 4:10. I just wanted to follow suit with what Soren Knudsen, Dylan Jacobs, and Jack Aho had accomplished,” said Mendez. “I am really looking forward to New Balance Outdoor Nationals. I have not run a 2-mile since state. After achieving a huge PR like this, I am just excited to go out there and compete.”

Ben Ewert of Beavercreek (OH) defended his title in the 2000 Meter Steeplechase also breaking his meet record in the process. Ewert, who will attend the University of Louisville this fall, broke away from the field 1000-meters into the race and rolled to the win (5:58.89) breaking his meet record by three-seconds. Brayden Hamblen of Rock Falls, who had never run this event before his meet, pushed his final two laps to come in next (6:13.10).

Ewert’s sister Taylor had a broken leg this time a year ago and just started running this spring with three screws sill in her leg. She had enough to win the Girls 2000 Meter Steeplechase (7:24.40) holding off second-place Abigail Juedemann of Lindbergh (MO) by three seconds (7:27.84).

Savannah Noethlich of New Trier might have had the most exciting win of the night in the Girls 800 Meter Run. The junior was five meters behind Toni Glazier of Custer (SD) and Urbana University’s Arielle Summitt as the three entered the final straightaway. Noethlich passed the two with 50-meters left crossing the line in 2:13.74 ahead of Summitt (2:13.95) and Glazier (2:13.99).

Enyaeva Michelin of Evanston Township took the lead in the first 500-meters of the Girls 1600 Meter Run and never looked back. The junior ran 5:03.47 for the win holding off Summitt (5:06.24) and Katherine Williams of Omaha Marian (NE) who ran a personal best of 5:06.93.

Madison Malon of Grandville MI won the Girls 3200 Meter Run basically running the race by herself (11:13.48). The story of this race was Nygia Pollard of Harvest Christian Academy. She was 30-meters behind Malon after the first of half of the race. On the fifth lap, Pollard was forced to stop with a cramp on her side that made it unbearable to run. Pollard kneeled in pain for two minutes before she started running again. For some, it might have been easier to stop and drop out. Pollard’s perseverance of pain in the final three laps wanting to get to the finish line demonstrated that she was the biggest winner of the night.