Boys Track: Josh Nance wins two events at Homewood-Flossmoor Invite
Updated: April 14, 2012 8:14PM
Running all three sprints isn’t the easiest assignment, but Josh Nance is ready to tackle it.
“I guess it’s tough to get used to, but it’s something I’m going to have to get used to because it’s a possibility for state,” the Homewood-Flossmoor senior said. “I’m not so sure about the 100, but it’s still a possibility.”
The 200 and 400, on the other hand, are looking like locks for the postseason for Nance. He won both at Saturday’s Homewood-Flossmoor Invitational, taking the 200 in 22.69 seconds (after running the fastest prelim, a 22.53) and the 400 in 49.05.
The 400 time was the second fastest in Class 3A this spring according to DyestatIL.com and Nance needed it to edge out Thornwood’s Kenneth Allen, who ran a 49.07.
“After running the (1,600) relay the past few years, I’m used to close races,” said Nance, who nonetheless had some nervous moments down the stretch.
“I was actually expecting the Thornwood runners to come out harder at the 200 mark like they always do,” Nance said. “It surprised me when I didn’t see them at first. I was expecting to see them halfway through the curve, (but) it just didn’t happen.”
Allen still wasn’t in Nance’s sights on the back straightaway. “I was starting to freak out because I knew he was there so I was trying to get to that finish line as fast as possible.”
That’s what he did, winning by the narrowest of margins. Nance, who was sixth in the 100, had an easier time in the 200, which he won by two-tenths of a second.
“When I got on that straightaway, I didn’t want to lose at home again,” Nance said. “I had already lost in the 100, it was too close in the 400. I needed one win that was just mine.”
Ditto for Crete-Monee’s Rashad Hulbert, who was disqualified in the 110 hurdles final after taking a fall when he clipped the final hurdle. Hulbert came back to win the 300 hurdles in a Class 3A season-best 37.78.
“Everybody falls,” Hulbert said. “Obviously I just need a little but more work. ... I just had to shake it off and get up and run the 300 hurdles.”
Hulbert’s teammate Brandon Sykes won the 110 hurdles (14.30) and was second in the 300s (38.82).
Lockport won the team title, 116.5-93.14 over H-F. The Porters had wins from pole vaulter Patrick Fisch, who cleared 13 feet, 9 inches; shot putter C.J. Monroe (53-6) and its frosh-soph 3,200 relay team.
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