CHARLESTON — If Plainfield Central sprinter Khamari Montgomery played the role of Superman on Saturday, then Ty Moss was Batman for Neuqua Valley.
On the final day of the Class 3A boys track and field season at Eastern Illinois University, Moss turned in an electrifying performance in two relays and won the 800-meter run to help the Wildcats duplicate their best finish in program history.
Montgomery won the 200 to complete a clean sweep of the three dashes and give Plainfield Central a seven-point lead over Neuqua Valley entering the 1,600 relay.
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“I didn’t want to worry about (team) scores,” Moss said. “I wanted to worry about our race. I didn’t know how much we were behind, but I knew we were behind.”
Evanston — also in the relay — was a point in front of the Wildcats for runner-up to Edwardsville, which had long clinched the title.
Moss, who began his day by passing five runners on the anchor leg to secure fourth place for the 3,200 relay, had another monster concluding leg to secure runner-up for the Wildcats in 3 minutes, 16.87 points.
Earning eight team points, Neuqua passed Plainfield and tied Evanston for second place with 37 points.
“I just do my best at the end,” Moss said of his twin powerhouse anchor legs. “The guys (in the relays) gave it their all. That’s all I can ask for.”
Zac Espinosa was also a three-event All-Stater after being inserted into the 3,200 relay to replace Connor Horn, who was fourth in the 3,200 run.
Neuqua was in last place in the 1,600 relay when the Stanford-bound Espinosa, seventh in the open 400, halved the Wildcats’ disadvantage.
“I was running pretty angry,” Espinosa said. “I said, ‘This is for the team.’ My leg was very good, but a four-by-four takes four guys.”
Moss put Neuqua in position to match its 2009 team finish by fending off Edwardsville senior Wes Schoenthal by 11 one-hundredths to win the 800 in 1:51.8.
“Ty Moss was the stronger runner,” Schoenthal said.
“The open eight, just had to go out and get it,” Moss said.
Horn reversed the sectional results against Yorkville twins Jake and Luke Hoffert by passing the celebrated brothers in the 3,200.
“I knew I had to get as many points as I could for the team,” Horn said.
Kimani Mobley had the Wildcats’ only field-event points with his sixth-place triple jump.
In addition to Moss and Espinosa, Isaiah Robinson was on both relays for Neuqua Valley.
Matthew Horsely rounded out the 3,200 unit. Jacob Sampson was the first leg on the Wildcats’ 1,600 relay.
Waubonsie Valley was the only other local program to score at the state meet.
Tyler Kirkwood was considered a long shot to make the finals, let alone secure a major finish, in the 110 hurdles. But the Warriors’ junior exploited mistakes from his fellow competitors to secure third place in 14.56.
“I am so happy right now,” Kirkwood said. “I don’t know what happened (to some of my fellow competitors). I thought, ‘This is my chance.’ It’s not real.”
McGavin is a freeelance writer.
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