By Michael Newman

DyeStat Illinois Editor

[email protected]

3A Boys – Josh Eiker, Galesburg

If there was one athlete that supplied more “Wow” moments in the sprints during the 2016 track season, it was Galesburg’s Josh Eiker. The first instance was at the Charger Classic indoors at the University of Illinois Armory at the beginning of March. Eiker made up the stagger on Bloomington’s Cary Lockhart the first 25 meters of the 200 Meter Dash. Eiker went on to run the third fastest time ever in that facility 21.57. There was no one indoors that could touch him in that event.

He was in charge of the 3A sprints outdoors as well. He ran the best time ever for an Illinois prep athlete when he ran a wind legal 20.83 in 45 degree temperatures at the Bob Cohoon Invitational on April 22. He wowed people at the IHSA State Meet when he ran a wind aided 10.34 in the prelims of the 100 Meter Dash. He swept the sprints the next day winning the 100 and 200. The closest athlete to Eiker was Derrius Rodgers (Lockport Township HS) this season. He was the only runner to defeat the Galesburg runner when he ran 6.87 in the finals of the 60 Meter Dash at the Illinois Top Times Championships at the end of March. He finished second in both the 100 and 200 at the state meet.

The achievements in the sprints by Octavian Wells (Grant Township HS, Fox Lake) also should be acknowledged. He was undefeated in the 400 Meter Dash this year achieving a 47.07 in the prelims at the state meet. He ran 47.39 to capture the 3A state championship. He also anchored Grant’s 1600 Meter Relay quartet to a sixth place finish at state.

Congratulations to Josh Eiker of Galesburg High School as the 2016 DyeStat Illinois 3A Boys Sprints Athlete of the Year.

2A Boys – Aaron Harris, Lisle

It looked like it would be a rocky season for Aaron Harris after he injured his hamstring at a meet at Proviso West at the end of February. He was injury free by the end of April moving on from that point to the state meet. Harris was undefeated in the 200 and 400 from that point forward culminating with a double win at the state meet. Harris first ran 48.80 to capture the 400 crown. He came back a short time later to run 22.17 to win the 2A title in the 200. Harris had two losses during the outdoor season both in the 100 Meter Dash. He finished third at the IHSA Sectional at Lisle. He came back the following week to finish second in the finals behind Adam Nelson (Triad HS, Troy).

Nelson and Ja’Mari Ward (Cahokia HS) had some great battles during the season in the short sprints. Nelson had the edge on Ward winning two of their three matchups outdoors. After Ward’s injury at the Collinsville Invitational at the beginning of May, Nelson went on to concentrate just on the 100. That paid off with his win at the state meet ahead of Harris. Ward did have the fastest “Non-St. Rita Sectional” time in Class 2A this season (10.64). Ward also wowed the crowd at the Belleville West Invitational early in April (21.05). He was undefeated in the 200 both indoors and outdoors as well as running a state best 6.81 to win the 60 Meter Dash at the Illinois Top Times Invitational.

Ward’s injury at Collinsville did not penalize him in this award for the sprints. It would have helped him running the state series events so we could see where he was against the rest of the state. The margin of victory that Nelson had on Ward in the 100 was near hundredths of a second. I think the state series would have clarified that more. Nelson’s win in the 100 was strong, but losses to Ward at Illinois Top Times did not help. Harris did not run the strength of schedule that Harris did, but he was dominant in the two sprint events when it counted.

Congratulations to Aaron Harris of Lisle High School as the 2016 DyeStat Illinois 2A Boys Sprints Athlete of the Year.

1A Boys – Kahlil Wassell, New Berlin

The one main reason that New Berlin was crowned the IHSA 1A State Team Champions was because of the efforts of Kahlil Wassell and the four events that he was in. Wassell was victorious in two of the four events. Wassell anchored New Berlin to the win in the 400 Meter Relay. He came back to run 49.00 to win the 400 Meter Dash ahead of Jordan Rowell (IC Catholic Prep, Elmhurst) and Jeremiah Davis (Collins Academy, Chicago).

Wassell was not perfect at state but he was close to it. Connor Icenogle (Williamsville HS) won the 100 Meter Dash but by only three hundredths of a second ahead of Wassell. Jeremiah Davis won the 200 Meter Dash but that margin of victory ahead of the New Berlin junior was only two hundredths of a second.

Wassell was undefeated this year in the 400 Meter Dash outdoors. His only other blemish in the dashes outside of the state meet in the 100 and 200 was by Bloomington’s Cary Lockhart at Springfield in the middle of April. It should be a great 2017 season in 1A with Wassell, Rowell, and Warrensburg-Latham’s Diondre Lewis battling for the three sprint crowns in Charleston. This year in the 1A sprints belonged to Wassell.

Congratulations to Kahlil Wassell of New Berlin High School as the 2016 DyeStat Illinois 1A Boys Sprint Athlete of the Year.