Date posted online

Date posted online: Sunday, April 16, 2006
H-F almost vaults to a title
Pole vaulter Justin Gholson and thrower Mike Schallmo lead Vikings to second
by MARTIN ZABELL
Times Correspondent

BOYS TRACK | HOMEWOOD-FLOSSMOOR INVITATIONAL

FLOSSMOOR | H-F's Justin Gholson was 18 inches short of his school's pole vault record when he told the record's holder Ed Miller last year that he was going to set the new mark.

On Saturday, Gholson almost fulfilled his boast, vaulting a personal record 14-0 to win the Homewood-Flossmoor Boys Invitational by 18 inches. He also jumped high enough to shatter Miller's 14-6 mark on a later jump, but hit the bar on his descent.

Gholson's victory helped the Vikings finish second in the 16-team event behind Lockport and ahead of Conant and Thornwood.

"I had the height to get (the record), but I brushed (the bar) on the way down," said Gholson, a senior, about his first attempt at 14-7. "I was so frustrated that I wanted to break the pole in half."

Shot put and discus champion Mike Schallmo and sprinter Mike Lavizzo also excelled for H-F, which almost won the invitational for the first time.

Thornwood was led by Warren Lowe, who won the 200-meter run and helped the Thunderbirds win two relay events.

H-F led early in the competition because it is very strong in the field events. Schallmo, a senior, threw the shot put 54-7 1/4 and the discus 170-2 to win his specialties by five and 20 feet, respectively.

"That kid is really one of a kind," H-F track coach Frank Gomez said. "He works out every day in the summer by himself. He really put in the time and it's paying off. He's improved quite a bit."

James Wood (fifth in the long jump, third in the triple jump), Terry Barney (fifth in the triple) and Mike Krivanec (second in pole vault) also did well for H-F in the field events, but the spotlight was on Gholson as he vaulted 14-0 on his third attempt to break his personal record by one foot and made three attempts to break the school record set by Miller as a senior in 2003.

"He was over the bar by four or five inches," pole vault coach Brad Kain said. "He hit (the bar) with his chest after he cleared it. He'll get that record."

Gomez also predicted Gholson would raise Miller's record and was equally confident about Lavizzo, whose 50.72 in the 400 is the second-best mark in H-F history.

With victories in three of the four freshman/sophomore relays, Lockport passed H-F, but the Vikings regained the lead 108-98 thanks to Lavizzo finishing third in the 100 and the 400 and a fourth in the 800 varsity relay.

Lockport regained the lead 115-108 with a win in the 1,600 and a fourth in the 300 hurdles before Lavizzo entered the blocks in the 200, the meet's second-to-last event.

"(My teammates) were trying to spur me on," said Lavizzo, a junior.

However, Lavizzo finished fifth, and Lockport won the 1,600 relay while H-F was fifth to score 125 points to 115 for H-F.

"Mike was the workhorse of today," Gomez said about his star sprinter. "He doesn't back down from competition. That makes him a tough runner."