Distance Runners Seek State Track Medals

Deerfield High School distance runner Alex Gold and his Highland Park High School counterpart Jonah Hanig have been friends for a long time and like to help each other out.

Though Gold and Hanig will be trying to medal in both the 3,200-meter run and the 1,600 at the State Meet Friday and Saturday at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, look for them to assist each other there too.

Earlier: Evanston Take Sectional Track Crown

In both races at Thursday’s Sectional Meet in Skokie, Gold and Hanig worked together to pace themselves and teammates in a way to qualify as many Warriors and Giants for the State Finals as possible.

“Jonah (Hanig) and I have known each other a long time and we were trying to help each other out,” Gold said. “We’ve raced each other at least 50 times. He lives (right next door) in Highland Park.”

The two of them set the pace for the field in both races during the Sectional. They created a pack that included others like Angel Estrada of Highland Park and Peter Cotsirilos of New Trier. Toward the end Gold pulled away to with the 3,200 and Cotsirilos in the 1,600.

“We were trying to help Angel (Estrada) qualify,” Hanig said of the strategy which turned out to be successful. They also gave some assistance to Cotsirilos who pulled away from a pack including Gold, Estrada and Hanig in the final lap to win the 1,600. All four qualified.

“I was just really able to get into it,” Cotsirilos said describing how he ran extra hard the last 450 yards. “I was boxed in in the third lap or I would have started to kick a little earlier.”