ADAMS TWP — Nick Gentile was cruising to a win in the 800-meter run at the Mars Invitational 10 days ago when air began leaking out of his lung into his chest cavity.

The Freeport senior didn't realize it at the time, but the freak injury threatened to derail a track-and-field season filled of high expectations.

"It was strange," Gentile said. "At first it was real painful."

Air oozed from a small opening in his lung and formed an air pocket around his heart. Doctors concluded that the leak eventually would close and the air pocket would dissipate.

What they didn't know was when.

Luckily, Gentile was cleared to run Monday. On Tuesday, he showed why the season was so full of promise when he placed first in the 800, second in the 400 and ran an anchor leg of Freeport's first-place 1,600-meter relay to qualify for next week's WPIAL Championship at the Class AA Northern Qualifier at Mars High.

"No more leaks," Gentile said. "The last three days or so it hasn't been bothering me."

Just in the Nick of time.

Gentile wondered if he would be cleared soon enough to participate in the most important part of the season.

"I was kind of worried I wasn't going to be able to run (Tuesday) or the rest of the season," Gentile said. "I'm just so happy I finally was able to run."

On a cold, wet day, Gentile showed little rust from his layoff.

He said he was a little nervous for the 400 — his first event of the day — and his legs felt "a little wobbly" after that race. But he recovered quickly enough to cruise to the win in the 800 and flash his speed down the last 100 meters at the end of the 1,600 relay.

Gentile said he isn't worried about a relapse of the condition.

"It's one of those things that happens in tall, skinny guys like myself," Gentile said. "In only 5 percent of cases does it happen again, so I should be fine."

Gentile wasn't the only Freeport athlete who enjoyed a big day.

Darius Frantz also qualified for next week's WPIAL Championships in three events, placing second in the long jump and triple jump, and third in the high jump.

For Frantz, Tuesday was just a matter of survival because of the poor weather.

"The weather was a big disadvantage to everybody," Frantz said. "But everyone had to go through it."

Times, distances and heights were affected, as few athletes came close to their season best.

Gentile won the 800 in a full five seconds slower than his seed time. Frantz's high jump was 6 inches lower than his best heading into the meet.

Still, Freeport got its fair share of athletes to the championships at Baldwin, and most of them in good positions.

Derek Durand qualified in both the 100 and 300 hurdles, Cody McClelland made it in the shot put and discus, and Alex Isenberg advanced in the triple jump and two relays.

In the girls meet, Freeport's Bronte Soul advanced in the triple jump and long jump, and the Yellowjackets 400-meter relay and 1,600-meter relay teams punched their ticket to the championships with impressive runs.

"We have a lot of kids going," said Freeport track and field coach Bill Dillen. "We're in pretty good shape."

If there was one sour note for Freeport Tuesday, it was the exchanges in the boys relays.

The 400-meter relay team was disqualified after a botched exchange on the third turn, and, despite winning the event, the Yellowjackets 1,600 relay team had a rough exchange that was nearly disastrous.

Qualifiers from Summit Academy are Gregg Thompson in both the 100 and 200, and Niran Williams in the discus and the team's 400 relay.