Sports
SPORTS PHOTO GALLERY: Niles North Wins Track Sectional Championship
The Vikings captured the team championship while Niles West qualified a number of individuals for the state meet.
Niles North showed off the depth and versatility of its team on Thursday by capturing the IHSA Class 3A Skokie Sectional held at Niles West. The Vikings totaled 104 points, outdistancing Prospect (95) and Evanston (65). Niles West finished with 48 points.
The Vikings qualified five individual athletes for the state championships next weekend in Charleston while Niles West had two individual qualifiers.
Niles North was led by Devonier Casey, who qualified in three individual events. The senior won the 400 (48.67) and triple jump (45-00) while taking third in the 200 with a qualifying time of 22.24.
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Zheng Fang took second in the 110 hurdles (14.56), but won the 300 (39.21) later on in the meet.
“My coach told me before the race no one has ever gotten both medals down state, both hurdle events,” Fang said. “I’m trying to break that and bring two gold medals home.”
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Kosta Papazoglou was second in the 3200 (9:19.10) while Montreal Sykes also qualified for the state meet by taking second place in the triple jump (44-06.5). Junior Ethan Velasquez was Niles North’s last individual qualifier after taking second in the pole vault (13-03).
Niles West’s Lavelle Jordan had a pair of second-place finishes in the 100 (10.85) and 200 (22.19).
He also ran the anchor leg for Niles West’s 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams, both of which advanced to the state meet. Jordan overtook Evanston on the home stretch to help win the 4x100 relay (42.27) while the 4x200 team finished in third with a qualifying time of 1:28.32. Niles West won state championships in both relays last season.
Neal Omar was the Wolves’ only other individual qualifier, taking second in the 800 (1:55.19).
