Boys Track: Deerfield edges Niles North for Central Suburban North title

Updated: May 11, 2012 11:32PM

Before the 1,600-meter relay, the Central Suburban North boys track meet’s final event, a Deerfield coach came up to the Warriors’ 1,600-meter relay team with an unofficial tally of the meet’s team scores.

“There was a lot of speculation coming out before that race,” said Deerfield’s Adam Rabushka, who anchored the 1,600-meter relay. “Our coach was scoring the meet throughout and he had us down one. We weren’t sure.”

Deerfield’s 1,600-meter relay team, comprised of Luke Williams, Tristan Nunez, Donald Middlebrook and Rabushka, beat second-place Niles North by more than three seconds. Then, the Warriors were forced to wait patiently for the meet’s team results.

After more than 10 minutes huddled together, the final scores were announced over Maine East’s sound system and the Warriors erupted in elation. The Deerfield coach’s unofficial tally was correct: Deerfield had ended the Vikings’ seven-year reign atop the CSL North by one point, 163-162.

“It was just so good,” Rabushka said of hearing Deerfield announced as CSL North champions. “They’ve won seven years in a row and it’s just big. It’s my senior year, and the last three years we’ve just been close and always (end up) losing at the end of the meet. To finally hear Deerfield won was just unreal.”

In addition to anchoring Deerfield’s 1,600-meter relay, Rabushka won the 300-meter hurdles and finished second behind teammate Danny Katz in the 110-meter hurdles. Katz won the 110-meter hurdles (15.00), 200-meter dash (22.60) and finished second to Maine East’s James Shields in the long jump and triple jump.

Although Niles North finished second in the meet, the Vikings eclipsed their seeded point total. Oshayne Brown (100-meter dash), Abe Youkhanna (shot put), Ethan Velazquez (pole vault), Aron Sebhat (800-meter run) and Micah Beller (1,600-meter run, 3,200-meter run) all earned individual victories in Park Ridge on Friday. The Vikings also won the 400-, 800- and 1,600-meter relays.

“It’s very disappointing,” Niles North Co-head coach Paul Swanson said. “I think this is a meet that was within our grasp, but I am very proud of our kids’ effort. I feel like we left everything on the track.”

Highland Park (95.5) finished the meet in third, one place ahead of Maine West (65.5).

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