Morrison Boys Relays, Kenli Nettles in spotlight in first day of championships

By Michael Newman

[email protected]

Bloomington, Ill – The Morrison High School Boys Track does not have an indoor season. They had jumped into a couple of meets before the Illinois Top Times Championships on Friday. None of the athletes on the team ran in individual events in the two meets that they competed in. They just competed in relays. We were just having fun was their common reply.

RESULTS | VIDEOS

Morrison had fun on Friday evening sweeping all three relay events contested in this meet. Juniors Nick Allen, Nathan Mickley, Keegan Anderson, and Koby Brackemeyer ran on the winning 3200 Meter Relay and 800 Meter Relay. Freshman Hunter Newman replaced Allen in their winning 1600 Meter Relay.

Five athletes. Three wins. It is an incredible accomplishment. No team has won all three relays in the history of this meet let alone with only five athletes.

“We really did not back off for this meet. We trained right through it,” Brackemeyer said. “Yesterday we did stadiums (steps) and then 200’s on the track.

Morrison was seeded 10^th in this 12-team field in the 3200 Meter Relay. It did not look for them early on as Nick Allen handed off the baton in eighth-place. Nathan Mickley moved the team up to fifth-place on the second leg. The third leg was the momentum changer as Keegan Anderson ran a 2:00 split for his 800 to move Morrison to the lead. Koby Brackemeyer ran his anchor split in 2:01.5 to give his team the win (8;16.57). Tremont (8:21.76) and Pleasant Plains (8:24.97), who traded off the lead early in the race, finished second and third.

It was the same quartet in the 800 Meter Relay with a different order. The name of the game in this indoor relay is getting the lead and holding it Morrison used Anderson as their leadoff man. He was all-state last spring in the 400 Meter Dash. He got Morrison the lead with a 22.9 opening split. Brackemeyer followed with 23.7, Mickley with 23.6, and Allen brought home the win (24.2). Morrison won (1:34.43) by more than a second ahead of St. Joseph-Ogden (1:35.86) while DuQuoin from Section 3 finished third (1:36.08).

By the time that the 1600 Meter Relay was ready to be raced, there was an aura surrounding the Morrison team. Other teams were looking, wondering, thinking if they could beat the red clad team.

Brackmeyer led off with a 53.1 to give his team the lead. The freshman Newman followed keeping the lead for Morrison with a 53.3 split. The third leg was the key as Harvest Christian and Tremont tried to make the pass on Mickley. That did not happen as the junior ran a 53.6 leg handing off to Anderson. Two strides into the final 400 and it was assumed that Anderson had it. They competed the sweep on Anderson’s 51.9 anchor leg. Morrison, the top seed in this event, held that running 3:32.17 for the win. Tremont (3:36.53) and Harvest Christian (3:36.71) followed.

Nettles takes home three championship titles

Kenli Nettles of Arthur-Lovington looked exhausted after finishing fourth in the 60-Meter Dash. She had just finished fourth after winning the 60 Hurdles. She caught her breath, stretched out, and got back into the competition in the High Jump.

Nettles put the pressure on long time rival DaeLin Switzer of St. Teresa by clearing her first five heights on her first attempt including 5-6. Switzer missed on her first two attempts but had to leave the event to run on her team’s 800 Meter Relay. She came back and looked tired. Switzer spent a few minutes stretching and focusing on what she needed to do. Her final attempt started with an aborted runup when her steps were not right. She hit the bar on the way up ending her day in the event. Nettles defended her title with that 5-6 clearance she missed three times at 5-8.

Nettles started her day by running 8.94 to win the 60 Meter Hurdles ahead of Chloe Meyer of Macon Meridian (9.35) and Grace Jessup of Salt Fork (9.36). Nettles came right back to finish fourth 8.01 in the 60 Meter Dash being nipped at the line for third by Aurora Christian’s Alyssa Busker by two thousandths of a second.

As Nettles came off the first turn of the 400 Meter Dash, it was hard to tell that Nettles had competed earlier in three events. With a determined and focused look on her face, the junior pulled away from Delanie Dykes in the final 150-meters to win the event (58.74) ahead of Dykes (1:00.62) and Morgan Mette of Teutopolis (1:00.62).

“That was the second ever running the 60 Meter Dash. I just thought go for it,” Nettles said. “I had a lot of lactic-acid in my legs after that race, so I stretched out before I jumped. I have not been jumping well this season so winning that event is amazing. DaeLin (Switzer) is such an awesome person to compete against.”

Busy schedule does not slow down Lindeman from repeating in the Girls Shot Put

Fulton’s Chloe Lindeman did not really think about this meet heading into Friday. She was busy just trying to survive her crazy schedule which included many activities including student council. After the meet, she was to travel to Chicago to join her classmates for an Art Class Field trip.

When she stepped into the ring, Lindeman was the queen of the ring.

The 2018 defending champion in the event in the first round when she nailed a 45-1 opening put. It got a little closer when Claire Bushur of Teutopolis recorded a 42-6 put in the third round. Lindeman responded with a 45-8.50 put in Round 4 but fouled in Round 5.

Lindeman was tight in that ring but found it was time to just let go. She started doing jumping jacks trying to loosen up.

“This was a crazy week for me. I knew I was going to have to compete against myself,” Lindeman said. “So many things were going on. I am involved in so many activities.”

She knew that she had won the event but wanted one to surpass the rest. The national champion did just that with a 46-8.50 winning put. Bushur finished second with the only other athlete with a mark over 40-feet.

“I was doing the jumping jacks telling myself to relax, relax, relax,” Lindeman added. “It is one of the things that I have worked over the last years has been to relax. I used to be a sprinter, so it is one of the things that I have continued to do.”

1A SPRINT/HURDLE HIGHLIGHTS

Jayla Collins of Madison won the 60 Meter Dash last year and came to the finals with the top prelim time (7.93). The senior got out of the blocks nicely and gave her the win (7.93) ahead of Kamryn Kolb of Bureau Valley (8.00).

Mason Barr of Ridgeview defended his title in the 60 Hurdles. Barr ran 8.21 in the prelims missing his own 1A Meet record of 8.18. Barr was in command in the finals running 8.25 for the win ahead of Salt Fork’s Caine Wilson (8.50).

Makail Stanley of Argenta-Oreana exploded at 30-meters that gave him the edge for the win in the Boys 60 Meter Dash. His time of 7.02 edged Cody Klein of Pana by four hundredths of a second (7.06) for the win. Princeville’s Adam Snedden finished third (7.10).

Kamryn Kolb came back in the 200 Meter Dash and won the event running out of the second section of the event. Her time of 26.08 held up as she won ahead of Section 4 winner Faith Wyman of Trenton-Wesclin (26.35) and Tori Thomas of Alleman (26.46).

It is worth noticing when a sophomore wins a major sprint event. A freshman seldom accomplishes that. When he does, he is someone to keep an eye on. That was the case with Aidan Laughery of Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley when the freshman ran 22.67 to win the 200 Meter Dash ahead of club training partner Mason Barr who ran 23.13.

Bureau Valley, behind a strong anchor leg from Kamryn Kolb, dominated in winning the 800 Meter Relay ahead of DuQuoin (1:50.26) and Warrensburg-Latham (1:50.46).

DuQuoin pulled away on the final leg of the 1600 Meter Relay to win that event (4:13.95) ahead of Amboy (4:15.29) and Rockridge (4:15.82).

With 1A Meet record holder Mason Barr choosing not to compete in the 400 Meter Dash, it came down to a close battle from Bobby Kapolnek of St. Thomas More and Caine Wilson. Kapolnek had the edge at the end to win the title (51.26) ahead of Wilson. Makail Stanley, who had won the 60 Meter Dash, ran 52.18 to win Section 2 and finish third overall.

1A DISTANCE EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

Robinson’s Negus Bogard was willing to let Warsaw freshman Miles Sheppard lead the 3200 Meter Run taking the pack through 4:48 for the opening 1600-meters. Cort Ross of Casey-Westfield tried to stretch out the lead but Bogard just sat on the shoulder of Ross. Bogard started his quick with three laps left in the race. That strategy paid off as he won the Boys title (9:34.12) holding off Fisher’s Lucas Chittick (9:35.96) and Ross (9:37.04).

The strategy in the Boys 1600 Meter Run paid off for anyone who was running multiple events. No one really wanted to push the pace through the first 1200-meters of the race as Christopher Collet of Seneca reluctantly led the pack through 71 at 400-meters, 2:22 at 800-meters, and 3:33 at 1200-meters. This was the dream scenario for anyone having a monster kick. Noah McIntyre of Athens took the lead with two laps left as Collet and Bogard stayed on the shoulder of McIntyre. A series of moves occurred in the final 100-meters of the race. Collet tried to pass McIntyre on the far turn, but the Athens’ junior would not let the lead go. McIntyre held off Collet entering the final 40-meters with Bogard swinging into Lane 3. McIntyre raise his hand in apparent victory with Collet making a desperate lean. Only two hundredths of a second separated the two with McIntyre getting the win. Bogard was timed at 4:34.02 to finish third.

McIntyre’s final 400-meters was timed in 60.1 seconds. He follows his brother Wyatt, who won this event in 2018, in victory.

Shane Yamaco of Riverton was willing to wait to make the ultimate move. The senior did that in the final 200-meters covering that in 29.1 seconds as he won the 800 Meter Run (2:01.42) by more than a second ahead of Carlinville’s Jacob Landon (2:02.52) and Salt Fork’s Dawson Rogers (2:02.89).

Katelyn Robbins of Liberty and Ailey Mitchell of Shelbyville pushed each other through the first 1600-meters of the Girls 3200 Meter Run in a swift 5:40. Mitchell made her move at that point opening up a three second lead in the next two laps. The lead grew from there. The all-state junior Mitchell pulled away to run 11:29.01 for the win with Robbins next in 11:42.94.

Delanie Dykes of Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley finished second last year behind Arielle Summitt in the Girls 800 Meter Run. She was determined to make this event her own. Dykes pulled away for the win (2:21.70) holding off a hard charging Lexy Henrickson of Williamsville who ran 2:22.79 to finish second.

St. Thomas More’s Fran Hendrickson has had to train on her own this season ever since her sister Marguerite has graduated. She felt at home in the Girls 1600 Meter Run as she started to gap the field in the second lap tin the race opening a seven second lead by 800-meters. She held on to run 5:21.30 for the win as Natalia Marino of Winnebago got close at the end to finish second (5:24.07). Mitchell came back after winning the 3200 to run a great double as she finished third overall (5:27.45).

FIELD EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

Faith Frye of Casey-Westfield jumped 18-0 in the final round to win the Girls Long Jump. Kamryn Kolb had held the lead with a round 1 jump of 17-10.75. Kolb finished second overall.

Pre-meet favorite Tate Walcott of Colfax-Ridgeview did what he needed to do to win the Boys Long Jump. Walcott actually won the event with his 22-6.25 first round jump. He improved to 22-9.25 in the fifth round followed by 23-0 on his final jump. Jacardia Wright of St. Teresa was Walcott’s closest competition as he jumped 22-1.75 to finish second.

Only one-inch separated Danielle Taets of Orion and Daekota Knott of Fulton in the Girls Triple Jump. Taets jumped ahead with a 36-8 mark in the first round. Knott bettered that by jumping 36-9 in the fourth round. That mark held to give the Fulton senior the win.

Carlinville’s Will Walton jumped 43-3.50 in the fifth round to win the Boys Triple Jump. Ramsey Hunt of Hume Shiloh finished second with his 43-0.50 effort in the fourth round.

It was a fifth round put of 51-11.75 that gave Williamsville’s Brad Olyslav the lead for good as he won the Boys Shot Put. Logan Lee of Orion took the lead in the fourth round with a 51-2.75 put. That was enough to give him second overall.

Jordan Tedford of Williamsburg-Latham was on the “tight-rope” in competing in the High Jump Friday night as he cleared 6-4 on his third and final attempt at that height. He passed at 6-5 putting the pressure on the remaining three jumpers. Levi Cole of Erie, Michael Douglas of Carlinville, and Gaven Davis of Vandalia all missed on their attempts. Tedford still had to clear 6-6 because he was behind on misses. He did clear the height as he cleared 6-6 on his final attempt for the win. He had the bar raised to 6-8 where he cleared that height on the first attempt.

Windsor Roberts of Tri-Valley gained confidence heading into this meet by clearing 12-6 in a meet at the Shirk Center a week ago. She was perfect as she cleared 11-3, 11-9, 12-3, and her winning height all on her first attempt to claim the Girls Pole Vault. Tori Thomas of Alleman cleared 11-9 to finish second.

Erie’s Kyle Kruthoff made it simple as he came in at 14-6 with Tim Moore of Altamont and Cameron Withers of Vandalia still in competition. Kruthoff closed the door making that height on his first attempt while Moore and Withers exhausted their attempts. Kruthoff cleared 15-0 on his first attempt and 15-6 on his third attempt to win the Boys Pole Vault.