By Michael Newman

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Photo – Lyons Township celebrates their win at the Collinsville Boys Invitational  (@LTCRossCounty)

As Girls teams were in conference meet competition, Boys teams were tuning up for this week’s conference meets and the following week at IHSA State Meet qualifying sectionals.

Here is a look at some of the highlights from this past week’s action. You can also watch videos and read the recap of the DUPAGE COUNTY BOYS CHAMPIONSHIPS.

Collinsville Boys Invitational

The last tune-up before conference and state series meets resulted in three meet records Saturday afternoon.

Quincy’s Jordan Johnson is the defending 3A state champion in the Discus. He has emerged as one of the top athletes in the nation in the event. He displayed his mastery of the throws setting a new meet record of 206-1 in the fifth round of the competition. Johnson has the best throw in the state this season and is ranked second nationally. Johnson also won the Shot Put with a personal best of 62-11 (IL #2).

This was the last meet for Granite City’s Andrew O’Keefe before the sectional meet at Bloomington in two weeks. Granite City is an independent and does not belong in a conference. O’Keefe was dominant in winning the 800 Meter Run in a state leading time of 1:53.32. The Granite City senior was in control the entire race going through the first 400-meters in 56.5 with Cassius Havis of Alton and Jackson McAlister of Waterloo close on his side. O’Keefe ran 56.9 seconds on the second lap to pull away for the win. McAlister made a statement in Class 2A with the second fastest time of the year in this classification in finishing second (1:55.54, IL #5). Havis finished third (1:56.73, IL #9).

Jermarrion Stewart set the third record of the meet on his home track. The Collinsville junior ran 21.34 to win the 200 Meter Dash ahead of Alton’s Deonte Mcgoy (22.01) and Cahokia’s Darreon West (22.22). Stewart and McGoy faced off in the 100 Meter Dash with Stewart running 10.70 for the win. Mcgoy ran 10.77 to finish second.

Steven Harris of Cahokia will be one of the athletes to keep an eye on in the Class 2A hurdle races at the state meet later this month. Harris was impressive in the two hurdle races in this meet. His win in the 110 High Hurdles was convincing as he ran 14.92 for the win ahead of Zachary McLain of Lyons Township (15.12). Harris picked up his second win in the 300 Intermediate Hurdles (38.64) with Noah Williams of Freeburg (39.29, IL #10) and Alton’s Joe Morrissey (39.71) following.

Rantoul’s Jerry Harper made a statement in his win in the 400 Meter Dash. The junior ran 48.99 (IL #2) to win the race with Edwardsville’s Brandon Battle (49.54) the only other runner under 50-seconds in this race. Cahokia’s Andra Ward went past 47-feet in the Triple Jump with his 47-2 effort winning the event ahead of teammate Dartavious Brown (43-2).

Kane County Boys Championship

Geneva broke Batavia’s four-year winning string in this meet. It was close as Geneva scored 124 points just ahead of Batavia’s second-place total of 121 points.

Connor Wagner of Burlington Central ran two personal bests in winning both hurdle races. Wagner ran 14.91 to win the 110 High Hurdles with Geneva’s Onyi Ukaobasi running 15.10 to finish second. Wagner followed that by running 38.99 (IL #8) to win the 300 Intermediate Hurdles with Ukaobasi again finishing second (39.45). West Aurora’s Moshe Rogers was the only other double winner in this meet jumping 21-10.50 to win the Long Jump and jumping a seasonal best of 45-1 to win the Triple Jump.

All three finishes of the distance individual races were close. Zach Loomis of St. Charles East ran 9:39.53 to win the 3200 Meter Run by less than two seconds ahead of Geneva’s Ben Calusinski (9:40.73). Batavia took the top two spots in the 800 Meter Run as Damian Rodriguez ran 1:56.92 for the win with teammate Joseph Knanishu (1:58.09) and Kaneland’s Austin Adams (1:58.24) close behind. Illinois Math & Science Academy’s Daniel Chen looked strong in winning the 1600 Meter Run (4:19.38) less than a second ahead of Batavia’s Christopher Levario (4:19.59).

St. Charles East ran the second fastest time in the state this year by running 7:59.42 to win the 3200 Meter Relay ahead of Marmion Academy (8:04.27, IL #6). South Elgin dipped under 43-seconds in winning the 400 Meter Relay (42.49, IL #8) ahead of Batavia (42.82). It was Dundee-Crown that had the edge in the 800 Meter Relay running 1:29.56 (IL #7) for the win ahead of South Elgin (1:29.82, IL #8). Burlington Central closed the meet by running 3:25.61 (IL #10) to win the 1600 Meter Relay just ahead of Batavia (3:25.74).

Lake County Boys Championships

Sam Liokumovich of Deerfield tuned up for championship season with wins in the Shot Put and the Discus. Liokumovich achieved a personal best and extending his state leading best with a 64-1 put (US #10) to win the Shot Put with teammate Henry Boudreau finishing second (55-2). The two Deerfield athletes swept the Discus as Liokumovich throwing 171-9 for the win ahead of Boudreau (164-11).

Juniors Ben Rosa of Lake Forest and Charlie Smith of Antioch had a great race in the 3200 Meter Run. Rosa ran 9:16.41 to win the race with Smith running 9:20.83 to finish second. Mundelein’s Michael Parduhn ran 1:56.20 (IL #6) to win the 800 Meter Run. An eyelash separated the top two finishers in the 1600 Meter Run. Grayslake North’s Connor Riss took home the win (4:23.39) just edging Grant Community’s Justin Splitt (4:23.41).

Grant Community made some noise in the 1600 Meter Relay to win the event in 3:22.94 (IL #2). Warren Township ran 8:05.54 to win the 3200 Meter Relay ahead of Barrington (8:07.42).

McCarthy Memorial Invitational @ Hinsdale Central

Oak Park-River Forest athletes tuned up for this week’s WSC-Silver Championships with some great performances at this meet. JT Lowder was in control of the hurdle races running 14.13 to win the 110 High Hurdles by more than a second. Lowder came back to run 38.79 to win the 300 Intermediate Hurdles ahead of teammate Koren Leonard (40.19). Tyrone Clarke had a double win in the sprints running 50.38 to win the 400 Meter Dash and then 22.15 to win the 200 Meter Dash in a close finish ahead of teammate Amir Blanchard (22.16) and Kamrin Williams of Bloom Township (22.22). Williams earlier in the meet ran 11.10 to win the 100 Meter Dash. Oak Park-River Forest got some great handoffs in running 42.23 (IL #4) to win the 400 Meter Relay ahead of Bloom Township (42.92).

Lincoln-Way Central’s Jared Kreis continued to look strong heading into championship season. The junior ran 4:16.39 (IL #10) to win the 1600 Meter Run with teammate Andrew Englert finishing second (4:23.47).

Thornton Boys Invitational

The eye-opening performance in this meet came in the Frosh/Soph Triple Jump. Abdul-Karim Toheeb-Lawal of Homewood-Flossmoor came into this meet with a 42-9.50 personal best. In this meet, he unleashed a 47-6 monster jump (IL #3) to easily win the event.

Leondre Pollard of Thornridge jumped 22-10.25 (IL #8) to win the Long Jump. Pollard on the track ran 11.05 to win the 100 Meter Dash with Homewood-Flossmoor’s Jesuseun Adeyiga (11.07) and Joshua Bridges (11.29) following. Pollard also ran 22.30 to win the 200 Meter Dash ahead of Adeyiga (22.75).

Evanston Township’s Max Peterson was a double winner running 1:57.53 to win the 800 Meter Run and 4:38.19 to win the 1600 Meter Run.

Carlin Nalley Invitational @ Bolingbrook HS

TF South’s Khullen Jefferson swept the sprint races. He started by running 11.12 to win the 100 Meter Dash ahead of Walther Christian’s Charles Stamps Jr. (11.27). Jefferson followed by running 49.29 (IL #4) to win the 400 Meter Dash as Providence St. Mel’s Samuel Herenton ran 49.38 (IL #8) to finish second. Jefferson ended his day by running 22.06 to win the 200 Meter Dash ahead of Benet Academy’s Ian Smith (22.55).

1A State Cross Country champion Christopher Collet of Seneca appears to be read y for championship season. Last week he ran 1:56.46 for 800-meters on his home track. Saturday, he ran 9:25.88 to win the 3200 Meter Run with Kyle Bell of Providence Catholic the only other athlete to run under 10-minutes in this race. Bell ran 9:33.32.

St. Viator’s Patric Natindim ran a personal best of 1:56.96 to win the 800 Meter Run ahead of Lemont’s Andrew Deuschle (1:58.34).

The horizontal jumps belonged to Lincoln-Way East’s Fard Farrakhan in this meet. Farrakhan jumped 46-6 (IL #5) to win the Triple Jump. He followed by jumping 21-10 to win the Long Jump.

Conant Gummerson Invitational

It was a close finish in the Class A race of the 3200 Meter Run. Tommy Brady of Maine South ran 9:14.96 to win the 3200 Meter Run with Rory Cavan of Glenbard West running 9:15.85 for a close second. Glenbard West’s Will O’Brien ran 1:58.00 to win the 800 Meter Run ahead of Prospect’s Erik Snell (1:59.70).

Maine South’s Charlie Smith owned the short sprint events. Smith ran 11.25 to win the 100 Meter Dash just ahead of Rock Island’s Austin Taylor (11.30). Smith came back to run 22.08 to win the 200 Meter Dash again ahead of Taylor (22.49).