Prospect boys’ track and field hosted their 58th annual Wanner Invitational on Friday, May 1. This is considered one of the most prestigious invites in the Chicago suburban area and showcased some of the top talent in the state. Prospect was trying to win the invite for the first time since 2022.
For sporting events like these, it doesn’t just take a team of athletes. It takes a team of coaches, teammates and volunteers to put together an event where top athletes can compete against each other.
“It takes a lot of work, a lot of time, a lot of love, a lot of planning,” coach Jay Renaud said.
For junior distance runner Landon Samp, he has run the Gauntlet Mile since freshman year. For those who don’t know, the Gauntlet Mile is when spectators and athletes stand on opposite sides of the track and create a tunnel for the runners to run down.
“It’s an electric race… I love how everyone is invested in the race,” Samp says.
While the Wanner Invite has been an event for several years, this is the first year that there has been a wheelchair event. Freshman Stephen Foltin competed in the 100 meter, 200 meter, shot put, and discus wheelchair events.
“It felt great actually having competition at a meet … It gave me a good peace to know where I stood with everybody else in the division,” Foltin said.
After an event, athletes make sure to go and congratulate their teammates. For people like senior Nate Cichy (4), even athletes from other teams will come and congratulate him on his race.
“It’s a huge compliment … I feel like when a lot of the work in track is done behind the scenes and not in front of a crowd, that acknowledgement means a lot,” Cichy said.
From the shot of the gun to the stop of the clock, the athletes push themselves to win races, break records, and celebrate their team’s success.
This year, Prospect athletes won 22 individual medals in addition to the four relay teams that finished top eight. Prospect won the meet with 173 points in total, which was 86.75 points more than the second place team, Naperville Central.
Coach Andrew Bensing said, “I think it’s a testament to what our team is capable of and our willingness to compete … it’s definitely a bit of a prideful moment for the moment as a whole.”
Never miss important news: every Monday, get a preview of what’s going on this week at Prospect, and what went down last week. To sign up for the Knight Notes newsletter, click here.
