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YORKVILLE – Matt Richtman stood up on his tippy toes as he smiled for a picture with friendly rivals, looking for extra height.
Richtman and Kaneland stood tallest Friday.
Richtman, Kaneland's Bradley-bound distance standout, won the 3,200-meter run and took second in the 1,600. Knights' throwing star Clayton Hannula did his part, sweeping the discus and shot put.
Their teammates did the rest, leading Kaneland to the team championship of the Northern Illinois Big 12 Conference meet.
Kaneland scored 143.50 points, with Yorkville (112) second. Kaneland, also conference indoor champ, last won a share of the conference outdoor title in 2015.
It's exactly the way Richtman wanted to go out.
"It's a good night for us," Richtman said. "It's definitely very exciting to come out with the team championship. It's one of those things that you always look to."
Richtman engaged in one last memorable 3,200 duel with Sterling's Jacob Gebhardt. The two friendly rivals since the eighth grade were neck-and-neck through seven laps.
Gebhardt, an Indiana recruit, surged ahead to start the bell lap.
But it was Richtman who had the final burst in the final 200, winning in 9:28.10 to Gebhardt's 9:31.45.
"I love racing against these guys," Richtman said. "It was a really fun race, being that close together. I needed a lot of mental toughness to stay in there. It's definitely a high point of my season so far."
Richtman and Gebhardt hooked up again later in the 1,600 race, but Sycamore senior Stephen Poorten stole the show.
With fresh legs, running his only event of the night, Poorten grabbed the lead in the third of four laps and coasted home in 4:28.68. Richtman was second in 4:30.21.
"I felt really fresh, Matthew and Jake were both coming off the two-mile, that's a daunting double so I knew their legs would be a little bit heavy – they're both great runners," said Poorten, a Marquette recruit.
Hannula, as expected, owned the throwing events Friday.
The Kaneland senior threw the discus 175 feet, 7 inches, then came back to take the shot put with an effort of 56-8.
"I feel consistent in discus, my average in shot put is definitely better than it was last year – but I still feel I have more," Hannula said. "It's just mental, getting more distance. I just have to go get it."
Hannula, a two-time shot put champ and first-time discus champ, has come a long way in four years.
"I've competed in this meet since I was a freshman," Hannula said. "My first one, I remember scratching almost every one of the discus. Winning this meet, as a team, means everything."
Kaneland also took the 1,600 relay, the team of Ted Allen, Kyle Angelotti, Ben Durbala and Noah Butzman clocked in 3:31.25. Colton Doll was third in the 200 (23.39), Allen was fourth in the 400 (52.81), Drew Gould was second in the 110 hurdles (15.03) and fourth in the 300 hurdles (41.42) and Daniell Occhipinti was fourth in the 1,600 (4:31.86). The 800 relay of Doll, Chris Angelotti, Kyle Angelotti and Josh Marczuk was second (1:32.53).
In field events Porter Conroy was second in the high jump (6 feet), Doll second in the triple jump (42-6.5) and Grant Wilk second in the pole vault (13-6).