MONDAY MORNING FINISH LINE

February 5, 2024

A fast start even before we even start the 2024 Illinois High School Track & Field Season

Photo – York Boys 4x8 quartet after their win on their home track.

By Michael Newman

I started following high school track and field in this state in 1977 when I was a freshman at York High School. Things were different 47 years ago. There were only two 200m tracks in the Chicago area with sizable facilities at Proviso West and the University of Chicago. My teammates and I got to train indoors on a 13 lap to the mile track below our gym. Never got injured on that track. Everyone thought that North Central College had a great track back then (including me) where the Merner Fieldhouse track was 12 laps to the mile.

We are in a period of time that high school athletes have taken advantage of. There is the improved technology of how running shoes are constructed allowing runners to achieve some unbelievable performances. In Illinois, the IHSA changed over the past years the archaic rules giving Illinois athletes a better chance to run out of state against runners from around the country. Then there are the buildings and indoor tracks that give those runners to run fast.

The week ended in Boston on the two-year old Track at New Balance. A pair of Illinois athletes set some high standards in the Junior 1 Mile Run on Saturday and Sunday.

Patrick Hilby of Aurora Central Catholic last May set a new IHSA Class 2A State Meet record in the 800 Meter Run and followed that up five days later at the HOKA Festival of Miles when he finished second behind now 800 Meter Record holder Dan Watcke.

Things look promising for Hilby this season from what we saw in the Boys race Saturday in Boston. His first race of the season gave him eight-place in a race where Utah’s JoJo Jourdan went under 4-minutes for the first time to win the race.

Hilby ran 4:10.10 (US #12), an amazing personal best. He passed 1600-meters in the race in 4:08.70 improving his personal best at that distance.

Ali Ince of Normal Community is more known for her successes in the 800 Meter Run. Ince heading into her senior season has 15 out of the top 17 times ever for an Illinois Girls High School runner. Her race Sunday afternoon was great staying near the front throughout the race. Ince ran 4:39.74 (US #4) to finish fourth. Her time is the second fastest indoor time ever in Illinois behind Tatum David. Her time is third fastest overall (indoor/outdoor) behind David and Katelynne Hart.

That’s not bad for an athlete who is still in the middle of her basketball season doing cross-training to run that fast. Ince is off to another fast season.

Hilby’s fast mile on what looks to be base training shows promise in what he could do this spring. It also opens up what could be an exciting Class 2A state meet in May. Earlier in the day on Saturday, Gavin Genisio of Benton won the 1 Mile Run at the Louisville Indoor Games. Genisio ran a sizzling 4:10.48 (US #13) to set a new meet record and ahead of the rest of the pack by eight seconds. His teammate Gabriel McLain ran 4:20.48 to finish sixth. We knew he is on a high fitness level after running 9:05.01 in the 2 Mile Run at the Misfits Invitational at Gately Park.

I know it is a long way off but let’s think ahead. Do we see Hilby double again in the 800/1600? He did that in 2023 but scratched out of the 1600 Meter Run. Genisio just missed the Class 2A record in the 1600 Meter Run. What road will he choose when we get to the state series?

Dylan Nalley of Marion has not raced yet this season but will in two weeks in the 2-Mile Run. Nalley’s junior season was hampered by illness which led to injuries. He still came back to earn all-state honors in the 3200 Meter Run. We all know what he did last fall being the only runner in the state under 14:10 twice at Detweiller Park twice along with earning a 2A State title for the second time. He is in great fitness shape now compared to where he was a year ago.

Two mysteries to keep an eye on this spring in Class 2A. Ethan Hogan of Columbia had his senior season affected by injuries last fall not running in sectionals or state. That injury may affect him running this spring, but we are unsure of that at this time. We wish him a speedy recovery. Pinckneyville was moved into Class 2A for the next two years for track starting this spring. Isaac Teel, who finished second last fall behind Genisio at Detweiller Park, may not run this spring. A couple of college coaches who wished to remain anonymous and contacted Teel stated that he is focused on trade school after he graduates. He may not run this spring but that remains to be seen. Putting a healthy Hogan in along with Teel would make things extremely interesting. Teel won the 1A 1600 Meter Run State Title in 2022.

It could be interesting overall in Illinois in the mile this spring. There are four Illinois runners that are ranked nationally in the event with Hilby and Genisio followed by Camyn Viger and Trey Sato. Aden Bandukwala has not raced yet this indoor season. It will be interesting to see what he produces in his first big meet of the season.

Away from the distance events for a minute. Paul Migas of Lakes Community has taken his performances to the next level in the Pole Vault. Migas in two meets in January has some big performances. He ended the 2023 season clearing 16-4.75 to finish third at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals. This winter he has cleared at or higher than 16-9 five times. Migas cleared 17-0 to win the High School Division at the Reno National Pole Vault Summit.

A week later at the Misfits Invitational at Gately Park, Migas cleared a personal best of 17-3 (US #3) to win the competition. Isaiah Whitaker of Bloomington Central Catholic cleared 16-6 (US #9 tie) to finish second. Whitaker has the highest height clearance for a sophomore nationally.

I do like the small meets to start the season watching the “unknown” runner overjoyed by running a personal best. I usually start my season watching an intrasquad meet at Wheaton-Warrenville South and then followed by a boys quad meet at York two days later. The Wheaton meet is about seeing friends again and networking. I did see South sprinter Daijion Riley run 6.57 in the 55 Meter Dash. It would be the best time in Illinois if it were not a time trial.

The York Boys saw a number of good performances inside the Joe Newton Fieldhouse at York. York Boys ran 8:33.10 (IL #2) in the 4x800m Relay. The times obviously are slower than what we will see in May. The winning time was 10-15 seconds faster than we usually see in this meet. The current fastest time in the state in the relay is 8:30.19 run by Whitney Young at the Dr. Conrad Worrill Invitational on the same day.

Josh Poeschel of Downers Grove South passed 800-meters in 2:15 in the 1600 Meter Run. He negative split the second part of the race in 2:11 to finish in 4:26.89 for the win.

Brady Golomb of York also was impressive in his win in the 800 Meter Run. This was the first 800 Meter Run race for Golomb since his freshman year. The senior, who transferred to York from Southlake Carroll TX after the cross-country season, was also running his first indoor meet. Golomb ran the first two laps in 61.5, followed by laps of 29 seconds and 28 seconds for the last lap. His time is an IL #1 1:59.06. It will be interesting to see his times go down in the next months.

It will be interesting to see how these meets play out as week head to end of the indoor season at Illinois Top Times in March, then at state at the end of May.