McAuley sprinters off to strong start

Updated: March 23, 2011 3:50PM

The last few years, Mother McAuley has been known as a school for distance runners. The McGreal sisters, twins Meg and Beth, saw to that.

This year is different. With senior Kayla King and sophomore Katherine Kingsbury in the lineup, the Mighty Macs are fast in the sprints.

King posted a 7.35 time in the 55-meter dash, 11th-best in the area, last month. Kingsbury isn't far behind, clocked at 7.38 Saturday at Argo. Kingsbury added a 27.90 time in the 200 on the sweeping turns in Argo's fieldhouse, the eighth-best time in the Southland so far this year. King's also the area leader in the long jump, moving into first with a leap of 16 feet, 9¾ inches.

Those aren't the only surprising numbers so far this season. Here are six more.

1. Argo senior Mike Brown's 50.47 time Friday in the 400. That's the best area time by about two seconds, and comparable to late-April outdoor times. So Brown, on indoor tracks with tighter turns, is a month ahead of everyone else.

2. Griffin Nykaza's blistering 1:59.48 in the 800. The Beecher senior won the 1A outdoor state title with a 1:56.96 in 2010. The state finals record is owned by Lincoln-Way's Jason Van Swol, a 1:49.71 in 1998. Nykaza may threaten it.

3. The 6-foot-5 height of Bloom's Dvonte Gore, which leads the high jump at the moment. That probably will change when Lockport's Karrington Ward, his basketball season over, returns to jumping. He tied for second at last year's 3A finals, clearing 6-9.

4. Lockport pole vaulter Alex Fisch already has cleared 13-6 this winter. He finished 12th in last year's 3A finals by clearing 13 flat. The best is yet to come for this senior.

5. Lincoln-Way East junior Nicole Nepote's 2:22.40 in Saturday's 800 at Argo extended her Southland lead to nearly six seconds. It's also the seventh-best time in the state this year. She'll probably see state leader Lindsay Rakosnik, of Glenbard East, at the Prep Top Times showdown March 26 in Bloomington.

6. Finally, Justin Kilpatrick's 6.31-second 55-meter dash, posted Tuesday at Homewood-Flossmoor, is a sensational time, the best in Illinois this year. The Hillcrest senior's clocking is better than his previous indoor best of 6.35 of winter 2010. It will be an upset if he doesn't surpass the 11.17 he posted in the outdoor 100 last spring.

Around the track

Saturday's big action is in four places, with the SouthWest Suburban Conference's boys and girls division meets simultaneously taking place. Red boys is at Thornwood, Blue boys at Lockport, Red girls at Thornton and Blue girls at Joliet Central. However, Lincoln-Way East is sending a portion of its girls squad to Charleston, and Homewood-Flossmoor's doing the same for the meet at Proviso East. ... Also Saturday: Hillcrest's girls step up against 3A competition at the Lyons Invitational.

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