Hinsdale South's Okoro, Hinsdale Central Athletes Compete at USATF Nationals

Hinsdale South senior-to-be Uzo Okoro wanted to showcase the jumping progress she made this summer with the Zephyrs Track Club at the USA Track & Field National Junior Olympic Championships July 26-31 in Wichita, Kansas.

Okoro certainly desired personal records, especially after earning all-state honors in both the long jump (6th, personal-best 17 feet-11 ¾ inches) and triple jump (6th, 37-5 1/4) for the Hornets at the high-school state meet in May. Another USATF All-America medal for a top-eight finish would have been nice as well, especially after earning one in 2010.

After finishing 29th in the triple jump (35-5 ¼) and tying for 33rd in the long jump (16-9 ¾) in the Young Women’s division for 17- and 18-year-olds, Okoro is only looking ahead.

“Unfortunately, everyone didn’t get to see my actual jumps and distance and get a PR (personal record), but I still feel I have the technical skills to do it again,” Okoro said. “I feel like I missed the chance this summer, but I’m going to come back and try to get a new PR. It’s not like it’s not going to happen.”

Recent Hinsdale Central graduate Kayla Schwarz and Hinsdale Central seniors-to-be Connor Furlong, Dan Hinspster, Dakota Limjuco, Andre Nelson and Anthony Vicino also competed at nationals for the Zephyrs. It was the third national trip for Schwarz and the first for all five boys.

Making her third straight trip to nationals, Okoro finished an All-America fifth in triple jump (37-2 ½) in 2010 in the younger Intermediate Girls division (ages 15-16). Her lifetime best in triple jump is 38-1/4 from 2010, when she was an all-state sixth at the high school state meet. She was determined to beat that distance at nationals, given the improvements she’s seen in her third phase and after being disappointed with how she performed in long jump the day before.

During her three preliminary attempts in triple jump, however, Okoro said she and Zephyrs jumps coach Greg Frandsen had miscommunication from the stands about the adjustments she needed to make during the event. Coaches are not allowed on the infield to be with their athletes during the meet.

“There were a lot of (takeoff) boards. He thought I was going from one board, 32 (feet away) and I was going from 37. He kept telling me to go back and my steps were off,” Okoro said.

Instead, Okoro began her phases well behind her takeoff board, the spot from where the official distance was measured. She thinks her actual overall distance might have contended for the finals.

To finish among the top eight in her age group, Okoro would have needed personal-best distances of at least 38-8 ¾ in triple jump and 18-7 in long jump.  

“I can’t really say what it was, but it just wasn’t a good day overall (in long jump),” Okoro said. “I think if I would have got a good (triple) jump on the board, I would have been pretty close to making the finals. I felt like I was close to having a PR because I feel my last phase is getting longer and in the air more. That’s why I was disappointed because I feel like I jumped really well but it wasn’t reflected in the actual mark.”

Schwarz was part of the Young Women’s 400 relay that was 12th (47.35 seconds), .71 of a second from the eight-team finals, and 1,600 relay that was 15th (4:02.09).

In the Young Men’s division, the 3,200 relay with Hinspeter, Furlong, Limjuco and Vicino was 20th (9:13.01) and the 400 relay with Furlong, Hinspeter and Nelson was 31st (44.73).

This was the final high-school meet for Schwarz, who will continue competing at DePaul University as a sprinter. As a junior at Hinsdale Central, she was a key contributor to the Red Devils’ 2010 Class 3A state team championship as part of the state-title 400 and 800 relays and seventh-place 1,600 relay. She earned a fourth individual all-state medal in May with the fifth-place 800 relay.

“(The 2010 state title) was probably the best thing I ever went through, and holding the (team) trophy. I came home with four medals and it was probably the best experience I ever had,” Schwarz said.

“I had been dreaming of a state title, putting it in my head since I was a sophomore. We had the talent sophomore year, but not everything went as planned. Junior year, everyone was healthy. We wanted to show what we had at the state meet.”

The USATF nationals also marked the last time Schwarz worked directly with Zephyrs coach Pat Wilson, also an assistant coach for the Hinsdale Central girls track team who oversees the sprinters. Schwarz is excited that going at DePaul will allow Wilson to watch her compete.

“I’ll miss her so much. I just talked to her the other day (after nationals), ‘What are you doing?’ ” Schwarz said. “She’s always saying how proud she is of me and I’m happy we’re staying close. She has a passion for track and she’s really made me who I am. We’ve always been close, even since freshman year. By senior year, we were so close it’s ridiculous.”

The Zephyrs, a non-profit organization, sent roughly 50 athletes to nationals from its two summer training sites of Hinsdale Central and Proviso East high schools. Volunteer coaches at the Hinsdale Central site were Wilson, Hinsdale Central assistant girls track coach James Conyers and Lyons Township girls track head coach Greg Frandsen.