Somewhere along the way, Fenwick senior Salvatore Flight added a little brother to his family.
Fellow Friar Jack Darrow, a sophomore, bonded with Flight as the two both competed in the 1,600-meter run this season.
“It’s gotten to the point where people make fun of us because they think he’s my little brother, when I’m not at all related to him,” Flight said. “I love having him around. He’s a great kid and he’s really going to go far. His work ethic is the best.”
The two will look to spend another week together after Flight qualified for state by winning the 1,600 in 4 minutes, 28.49 seconds at the Class 2A Fenwick Sectional at Concordia on Thursday, May 21. Darrow was close behind, taking second in 4:33.25, as both runners advanced to the state meet at Eastern Illinois O’Brien Stadium in Charleston, Ill. on Friday, May 29 and Saturday, May 30.
“It really helps a lot to have someone like Sal,” said Darrow, a Clarendon Hills resident. “He’s an incredible teammate and it’s really nice having someone push me in training like he does.”
Flight, who is from Riverside, is glad the season is finishing up with success. He also won the 1,600 at the Catholic League championships on May 16 and during the indoor season placed first in the 3,200 at the Top Times Meet.
He was unsure what would happen after being injured all fall after fracturing his collarbone three separate times over the span of four months.
“The whole goal was to be able to do something with this season,” Flight said. “After the third fracture we didn’t know how long I would be out for. So it’s just great to have been able to train in early spring and run as well as I have been.”
Flight has an academic scholarship to Providence, where he plans to compete in cross country and track.
Flight and Darrow will have company on their trip downstate.
Senior Joseph Bleyer qualified in both the 110 high hurdles (1st, 15.22) and the 300 intermediate hurdles (1st, 41.65). Also earning a seat on the bus to state were sophomore Anthony Pasquesi in long jump (2nd, 20-feet-7) and senior Christopher Hawthorne in shot put (2nd, 43 feet, 11 inches).
Fenwick was third in the meet with 78 points, while Evergreen Park won, scoring 99.
Elmwood Park
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Dante Bruno almost got boxed in early during the 800 at sectionals.
However, the junior kept calm and moved to the outside when everyone else was cutting in. The decision paid off as he took the lead 200 meters into the race and never gave it up, finishing first in a time of 2:00.76.
“I got caught up and I wasn’t expecting that,” Bruno said. “I just gradually moved to the outside and got around them.”
While Bruno staved off disaster early, his moment of truth came with about 260 meters left when Fenwick’s Joseph Cozzi (3rd, 2:02.92) pulled within half a stride, just to his right.
“I felt him coming and I gave it everything I had,” Bruno said. “I knew I had to hold him off now, instead of trying to get him in the last 100 when I would have nothing left. He gave me a run for my money.”
Elmwood Park assistant coach Patrick Sheridan admired Bruno’s strategy during the race.
“He got tripped up twice in the first 100 meters and it could have been a problem,” Sheridan said. “But he got out pretty quick and then the Fenwick kid gave him a good run.
“Keeping a guy on your right shoulder before a turn is huge because they have to work that much extra and it comes down to tenths (of a second) and tenths matter in the 800. That was a big momentum-preserver for Dante.”
Bruno will also be competing in the 3,200 relay after he teamed with senior Lucas Kieffer, sophomore Lukasz Mordarski and junior Keit Dine to finish first in a time of 8:23.67.
Also heading to state for the Tigers are senior Piotr Walaszek and junior Gustavo Alvarez in pole vault (tied for 2nd, 10 -6) and junior Ernest DeAngelo in high jump (5 -9).
The Tigers took fourth with 71 points.
Valentin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.