CHICAGOLANDPREPS.com
Melto takes seventh at state
By Rob Valentin
Sports editor
Saturday, May 28, 2011
CHARLESTON, Ill. — Northside College Prep junior Mac Melto was excited to see what he could do heading into the state meet this weekend at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Stadium.
And then disaster nearly struck. One day before Friday’s preliminaries, Melto came down with a fever and some stomach problems and his chances at a medal in the 400-meter dash appeared to be in jeopardy.
“I had a pretty bad fever and I thought my state chances were going to be over,” Melto said. “But I came here on Friday and made it to finals.”
Competing with the fastest runners in the state of Illinois in Saturday’s finals, Melto proved he belonged, taking seventh place in a time of 48.86. Saturday’s final was an improvement on his prelims time where he took second in his heat with a 49.04.
“I started track when my brother was a senior just to spend time with him,” Melto said. “I never knew it would turn into such a hobby for me. And it’s become more than a hobby, it’s my life right now.”
Melto had a great sophomore season last year but he never imagined climbing up onto the podium and accepting a medal as an All-State runner.
“In fact my goal was to maybe make it to state,” Melto said. “Just qualify but I did more than that. I made it to indoor state, made it to outdoor state. I surpassed both of my goals.”
As for Saturday’s meet, there were plenty of little side stories. With thunderstorms knocking on the door, race officials decided to break from their predetermined schedule. This caused the 400 to be run about an hour ahead of schedule.
Then instead of introducing the field on the PA system, the starter just got the runners ready to go. After the gun, a second gun was fired indicated a false start. But no one was booted from the race meaning it was nothing more than a false false start.
“There were a few hiccups with the race,” Melto said. “I was waiting for them to announce everyone so I thought I had time to stretch and get ready. So when they said ready, I was not ready for that. A lot of adrenaline built and the false start hurt that but I just remembered that whatever I’m going through, every other runner has to do the same thing.”
Once the race finally got underway for real, Melto could feel the effects of his sickness and the previous days race.
“I was a little tired from (Friday) because I went through that 400 pretty hard trying to make sure I got here,” Melto said. “Lane nine was a terrible lane for me because I can’t judge where I am at any point. Around the 200 when I got passed I knew I had to start kicking it and give my all.”
After finishing in seventh, Melto was able to climb atop the podium to the applause of a packed stadium.
“It’s definitely an achievement and something I never thought I would be able to do when I joined track,” Melto said. “I remember freshman year, people were saying in a few years you might get our 400 school record. But I never knew I’d make it Downstate in that event.”
Melto looks to be in great shape for next track and field season. Five of the six runners that finished ahead of him will graduate. But Melto has a couple of things that will keep him busy before next spring.
“Track’s over for most people but I decided to sign up for a national race, the New Balance Nationals, so I’m going to enter that as an ‘emerging elite’,” Melto said. “I’ll take my work from this season and see if I can get one more PR.
“That’s about a month from now. After that, I’m going to join cross country to help build endurance.”
robvalentin@hotmail.com
Melto headed to state in 400
Thursday, May 19
Northside College Prep’s Mac Melto knew he faced stiff competition in the 400-meter dash at the Niles West Sectional.
Niles North’s Devonier Casey took second in the state finals last season but Melto wasn’t too concerned. Melto looked at is a challenge.
The two squared off in one of the highlight races of the day and Melto nearly picked up the win, but Casey edged him out in the last 20 meters, winning with a time of 48.67.
But Melto’s time of 48.78 was more than a second under the state cut time so it seems the two are destined for a rematch at next weekend’s state finals at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Stadium in Charleston.
“The 400 was definitely good,” Melto said. “I came into this meet to not only qualify but to see if I could race with Devonier.
“He was a really strong competitor and gave me the race of my life. Knowing he’s one of the favorites this definitely gave me a taste of what next week will be like.”
Melto, just a junior will be making his first trip to the state finals. There’s definitely going to be nerve but that’s something that Melto feeds off of.
“The pressure will definitely be on but that’s good because I perform well under pressure,” Melto said. “In big important race I definitely get strong race nerves and that adrenaline really helps me push through the final stretch of my 400.”
Melto’s time at sectionals would have been the third fastest time in last year’s state finals, so even though he’s just a junior, he has a chance to make a big mark.
“At state I want to make a name for myself,” Melto said. “I want the colleges to know I’m out there. I’m just focusing on how much time I can drop and we’ll see what I can do.”
Melto was also part of the 1,600 relay team that took eighth place in a time of 3:28.85. The team, which also included sophomore Nathaniel Agharese, junior Josh Williams and senior Wesley Laytham, came up just short of the school record. But the four runners, who all had competed in several other events, still had a lot to be proud of.
“There’s a lot of pressure in these big meets,” said Williams, who also competed in long jump and triple jump. “Mac and Nathaniel are coming back so we just have to find one more guy to run a 50 or 51.”
Williams will look into a couple jump camps during the summer to help him keep improving.
Agharese also competed in the 100, taking 11th with a time of 11.45 is excited about the talent coming back for the Mustangs in the 1,600 relay.
“We have some good talent going into next year,” he said. “Each of us just need to get that much faster and I think that will happen. We’re almost there.”
Laytham had a bit of a tough day. Last year he qualified for state in the 800 and this year he ran an even faster sectional time than last year. But because the IHSA lowered its qualifying standard, Laytham fell just short.
Laytham completed the half-mile race in a time of 1:57.49 to take fourth place. The state cut time was 1:56.84.
“It was a really physical race and I ran a lot of the race in lane two,” he said. “If I didn’t have to, I probably would have hit the time.”
Laytham got stuck in a pack for the first part of the race and he just couldn’t work his way out.
“It made it real hard to get a good position because for the first 200 I got stuck back in eighth,” he said. “Then I had to bump out to lane three. It wasn’t ideal.”
Friday’s race marked an end to Laytham’s solid career at Northside.
“It’s been a really good four years,” he said. “It’s a great team.”
Laytham will go to Davidson down in North Carolina where he’s thinking about majoring in social science or science.
Williams will definitely be sad to see Laytham go.
“Ever since I’ve been at this school he’s been a role model for me,” Williams said. “It was real special to run his last race with him. It’s a shame we couldn’t qualify for state but we tried our best.”
Hersh Perlmutter also wrapped up his career as a Mustang. He took 15th in the 110 hurdles (16.33) and 20th in the 300 hurdles (44.78).
“I think they were two good last races,” Perlmutter said. “Track’s been an important part of my life for the past four years. There are good memories from this.”
Perlmutter will attend the University of Michigan where he plans to major in environmental engineering.
Mustangs looking good as 2011 campaign starts
Chicagolandpreps.com editor
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
It was just the second meet of the season but Northside College Prep was in fine form Wednesday at the Spartan Indoor Classic hosted by Glenbrook North.
The Mustangs finished the meet with a bang winning the final event, the 1,600 relay, in a time of 3:49.51 led by Mac Melto (53.61), Pat Duffy (59.36), Erik Zuehlke (59.0) and Wesley Laytham (57.54).
Melto led the race off and wanted to get his team the lead. He did just that.
“My strategy was to get ahead right at the start and make sure no one passes us. I felt really good for my 400,” said Melto, who drew off his teammates cheering him around the corner. “Nothing gets you pumped up like having your whole team cheering you on as you run past them.”
Duffy took the baton from Melto and made sure not to let up.
“I got the handoff and we were in first and I kept it all the way through,” Duffy said. “We were never behind and it helps so much with the small track. And we had so many people cheering for us.”
Duffy, who is a junior was competing in his first meet of the season at GBN after suffering through a stomach flu in Northside’s opener at Bloom.
“This is my first meet of the season so I’m definitely trying to improve and I’m looking at getting down to 56,” he said. “That’s my goal.”
Zuehlke’s goal was simple when he got the baton third.
“We had been leading the whole time so I didn’t want to lose it,” Zuehlke said. “I was a little bit nervous because I didn’t want to disappoint the team. I get the baton and just go. It was nice to lead from start to finish.”
Laytham took the baton and while he was in first, there were no guarantees.
“Normally I can hear if he’s right on me and all the cheering helps you gauge how far they are,” Laytham said. “The whole time I was trying to hold the lead. Having run the 4X8 and mile, it does get to your legs a little bit.”
Laytham was second in the mile earlier in the day with a 4:49.9. In a meet that lasted just over two hours he didn’t have a lot of time to recover.
“I think I recovered pretty well in the time I had,” he said. “I didn’t feel as tired as I do in other meets so that was good. This track was a little nicer to run on. I battled the Highland Park guy for most of the way but I got a stitch with three laps to go so I had to pull up.”
The frosh-soph 1,600 relay team of Lucian Fitzpatrick, Karl Heinz, Walter Johnson and Robert Szmurlo also won its race.
Zuehlke also won the 800, completing the race in a time of 2:16.5. Dan Graham was second with a 2:19.
“I’m more of a distance guy so I just want to keep PRing in the mile,” Zuehlke said.
Laytham and Duffy are other names to look for in the 800 this season. Laytham went to state last year in the 800 and Duffy is making him his mentor.
“The 800 is my favorite,” he said. “I want to get to as close to 2:00 as possible. It’s so great having Wesley for his last year. I look up to him.”
Meanwhile, the mentor will try to finish up his high school career on a high note.
“I definitely want to drop time in the 800 and PR in the mile,” Laytham said. “My best time in the mile was from sophomore year so I want to break that. As a team we’re looking to do something no one really expects of us: We’re trying to field a competitive 4X8 and 4X4 at the same time.”
The 3,200 relay started the day off with a second place finish in a time of 8:51.8, behind Melto (2:11), Duffy (2:16), Mesimore (2:20) and Laytham (2:04), an improvement of over two seconds from last year’s meet at GBN.
“With it being my first 800, I felt pretty good,” Melto said. “I hope to do more 800’s and bring that time down as well.”
Melto’s marquee race are the sprints but he showed a lot of versatility that will definitely help the Mustangs.
“I’m feeling really good and hitting all my target times,” Melto said. “For the rest of the season I’ll just keep working to qualify in some events.”
Other standouts for Northside were Nathaniel Agharese in the 400 (2nd, 56.5) and Josh Williams in the 400 (3rd, 58.3,) in the long jump (1st, 19-feet 8-inches).
“The long jump was a school record,” Williams said. “I went through warm-ups and felt pretty good. Then it all clicked on my first jump. Normally it takes a while for me to get into it but today was a good day.”
Williams, who is a junior, had a previous best jump of 18-7. But he worked hard in the offseason and ran cross country in the fall and that may have helped a lot.
“I did cross country for the first time and I think it strengthened my legs so I could jump farther,” Williams said. “My next goal is qualifying for indoor state.”
