Perfect pair: Callahan's titles cap prep career

BOYS TRACK -- Peter Callahan found a higher gear on the last day of his high school track career.

And no runner at the Class 1A state track finals could compare to the North Shore Country Day School senior.

Callahan burned up the blue oval at Eastern Illinois in Charleston one more time on Saturday, winning both the 800- and 1600-meter state championships and leading the North Shore 3200 relay team to a seventh-place finish.

The Evanston resident's 800 time of 1:51.22 was a Class 1A record, and he repeated in the 1600. His sizzling stretch run -- almost an instant replay of last year's 1600 race -- resulted in a personal-best time of 4:15.30.

The Raider's ability to rise to the occasion dazzled the sun-drenched crowd at O'Brien Field in the first year of three-class state competition. Callahan's efforts led North Shore to a ninth place finish in the team standings with 23 points, the best showing in school history.

Callahan, as is his custom, let rival Parker Thompson of Tremont set the pace for the first three laps of the 1600.

Then -- also as usual -- he broke away from Thompson and everyone else with 200 meters remaining.

"I had to dig down a little into the tank for this one, but I felt good," said Callahan. "Parker really took it out hard and it felt good to have to kick it into high gear like that. It's my senior year, and this is a great way to end it. I'm happy it could end on a high note for me like this.

"I knew Thompson would make a strong run at about 400 (remaining). I just tried to stay close. It's great if you have a kick, but if you're not close enough to use it, it doesn't help. The trick was to stick with him and use my kick at the end."

In the 800, Callahan set the qualifying pace in the preliminaries with a time of 1:56.56 that was good but not great.

Saturday he achieved greatness -- with a new pair of shoes, too.

"I always felt there was a lot more in him, and that maybe this race would develop to pull the best out of him," said coach Patrick McHugh after Callahan wiped out the previous 800 record of 1:52.81 set by Zach Glavash of Illinois Valley Central in 2003. "He's a classic racer, so I thought he had it in him.

"Peter wears Nike Victory shoes and he really prefers not to run in any other shoes. He lost the pair he had at the conference meet and he couldn't replace them in time for the sectional. Finally, his uncle in Champaign got him a new pair for State.

"But someone stepped on him in the relay and ripped it open, and his toe was hanging out after the race. So he couldn't run in those anymore. Luckily they were selling size 11 Nike Victory outside of the stadium, so I told him I've got my credit card, let's go get a new pair.

"That's the best 80 bucks I ever spent."

Both second-place finisher Zebo Zebe of Tolono Unity (1:52.59) and Thompson (1:52.64) ran faster than the previous half-mile mark, too.

"I felt good and relaxed and I just tried to stay with the leaders," Callahan noted. "They're both great runners and it wasn't easy. I had to push it. Those guys pulled me to that record.

"I can't say enough for Coach McHugh. I wouldn't be here without him. He's the one who was telling me that my workouts said I could run a 1:51. Even though it was a fast race, I felt pretty good."

The Princeton-bound Callahan also combined with junior Ivan Ramirez, senior Matt Thomas, and sophomore Matt Griffin for a seventh-place time of 8:04.71 that shattered the old North Shore record by five seconds.

That effort left Thomas, for one, with no regrets about switching sports after playing baseball for the Raiders his first three years at the high school.

"Coach McHugh and Peter (his teammate on the school soccer team) talked me into coming out," said Thomas. "And Peter's success in track is one of the reasons I switched over. People at the school are a lot more into track now. Guys are always saying, 'Good luck' to you in the hallways.

"Our main goal was to run as fast as we could and to try to beat that school record. It feels great! It's just a great feeling because of the way we were all able to come together at the end."

Thomas, who will play soccer next year at Ohio Wesleyan, turned in a split in the 2:02 range on the second relay leg, and Callahan passed three runners en route to an anchor leg of about 1:54.

McHugh, who is also the athletic director at North Shore, said it's hard to measure the impact Callahan's success has had on the rest of the school that until recently was mostly known for its academic achievements.

"I think it's had a carryover effect for some of our other kids," McHugh said. "He's helped them understand that they can be successful at the top level of the state -- if not the nation -- because they know someone who's done it. You know he's just like you are -- obviously talented, but also committed to something.

"Some people have fixed mind-sets that put limits on their ability to achieve. What's unique about Peter is not his physical talent, but the fact that he has what I call a growth mind-set. He never let any barriers or expectations restrict him. He's always been very methodical and very consistent about going after his goals.

"What's unique about him is what happens from the neck up -- not the neck down."