Photo Credit: Kayla Wooten

By Michael Newman

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Lisle, Ill ---  “I didn’t think we were going to run that fast,” Sean Torpy said after he crossed the finish line after winning the 800-meter run at Saturday evening’s Midwest Distance Classic at Benedictine University.

Torpy ran a memorable race, clocking 1:47.95, which is the fastest 800 ever run by an Illinois high school runner. The previous best was run at the IHSA State Track & Field championships when Peoria Central’s Dave Ayoub ran 1:48.9 for 880 Yards in 1977. Now 39 years later, Sean Torpy stands alone on top of the mountain for that event.

Sean stayed back behind his brother Chris during the first 400 of the two-lap race. Pace setter Nick Fiene led Chris Torpy and Dustan Davidson (St. Louis University MO) through in 52.4. Sean was a second back in third place waiting for the moment to move to the front. Chris still had the lead as they passed through the 600 in 1:19.1.

Sean had passed Davidson and was moving closer to his brother. Kyler True (Olpe HS KS) also moved past Davidson wanting a piece of the front.  Sean continued to close on his brother around the curve and then passed him with 100 meters to go. It looked like Sean had a little more in his legs as he approached the finish line. He crossed the line, looked at the clock, then looked at his coaches that were standing on the outside with a look of “Did you see what I just did!” His time is the fastest high school time nationally so far this season.

Chris Torpy was looking for strength down the final straight as he held off True for second place (1:49.80, US#9). True ran almost a three-second personal best (1:49.87, US #10). Torrain Haughton (Maine East HS IL) passed Davidson in the final 10 meters to finish fourth (1:50.56, US #18). Davidson was next running a personal best (1:50.87, US #23).

“We just wanted to go out in 53 seconds and roll with the second lap,” Chris said with his brother by his side. “I just wanted to stay smooth and try not to overdo it. I am looking forward to next week (Brooks PR Meet) and try to get my school record back.”

“I was confident and knew my pace. I was comfortable with the gap but I was close enough to them,” added Sean. “I was feeling really good in the final 100 meters. I started to feel the pace with 30 meters to go. When I crossed the line, I was ecstatic. I crushed my PR which was good.”

After Tannor Wagner (Ashwaubeon HS, Green Bay WI) ran 4:12 at last Wednesday’s WISCO Mile in Milwaukee, he decided that he would race in Saturday’s 3200-meter run in this meet. He had not run a 3200 this season but having run three 1600 races at 4:13 or under was a pretty good indication that the junior was a ready for a fast race.

As the pace setter Andrew Nelson stepped off the track just after 1600 meters, Blake Evertsen (Hinsdale Central HS) led the race through in 4:29.6 followed by Wagner and Robert Wagner (Pewaukee WI). Evertsen picked up the pace to 67 seconds for the fifth lap but both Wagners were getting closer to the Hinsdale junior. With 700 meters to go, Tannor Wagner took the lead and started to push the pace even faster. Robert Wagner passed Evertsen and tried to stay with his fellow Wisconsin runner. The Ashwaubenon junior would not let up. The gap started to grow as the bell sounded for the last lap. Tannor Wagner ran the final 400 in 66.2 winning the race (8:57.14), improving his personal best by 18 seconds.

“We just knew that we were running good miles, good 800 this year. I just wanted to see what my overall energy was going into the cross country season,” Wagner said afterward. “I knew I did not have a seed time but I felt I could go under nine minutes. I felt good going through the first mile under 4:30. It felt comfortable.”

Robert Wagner ran 9:03.62 to finish second. Evertsen ended up third (9:10.40) with Ryan Murphy (Linn-Mar HS IA) running 9:12.20 to finish fourth.

Ben Ewert (Beavercreek HS) basically ran by himself in the 2000-meter steeplechase, improving his personal best by six seconds running 6:01.59 (US #1) to win by 22 seconds ahead of Kav Fitzpatrick (Lakeland Union HS WI), who ran 6:23.11.

Vince Zona (Lyons Township HS, LaGrange IL) took the lead in the third lap and held off Illiana Christian’s Nick Wondaal and Colin DeYoung in the final 200 meters to win the 1600-meter run (4:14.53). Wondaal (4:15.47) and DeYoung (4:16.18) finished second and third. Michael Parduhn (Mundelein HS) ran 4:40.06 to win the freshman 1600-meter run ahead of teammate Robert St. Clair (4:46.70).

Stephanie Jenks (Linn-Mar HS) was the headline attraction in the girls side of the meet as she easily won the 2000-meter steeplechase. It could be a race that we see Jenks run in the future. Her future college coaches at the University of California-Berkley suggested that she get her feet “wet” in this event in this meet. She is also entered in the event in the US Junior Championships at the end of June. There was really no challenge for the Iowa State champion as she ran 7:03.47 to win her race by almost a minute. The only challenge was running this race for the first time.

“I lost focus before the first barrier. After that, the race was fine,” Jenks said. “It was a fun race. I think the 3000 meter distance will be a little better for me.”

Before she heads off to Iowa State University for the next four years, Larkin Chapman (Muscatine HS IA) pulled away from the pack just after 400 meters and ended her prep career with a seasonal-best 2:10.80 to win the 800-meter run. Jenna Diers (Lincoln-Way Central) achieved a personal best (2:13.46) to finish second ahead of York freshman Sarah May, who also achieved a personal best (2:14.73).

Christina Ryzhov (DeKalb HS IL) pulled away in the final 400 to win the 1600-meter run (5:03.85). Grace Belson (Stevens Point HS) ran 5:26.46 to win the girls freshman 1600-meter run ahead of Downers South’s Olivia Duax (5:28.20). Kayleigh Pittman (Glenbrook South HS) ran a personal-best 11:10.58 to win the 3200-meter run.

2016 Midwest Distance Classic Videos