Photo: Northridge Prep led all qualifiers in the Class 1A 3200 Meter Relay

By Michael Newman

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Charleston, Ill – Mason Barr of Colfax-Ridgeview stood by the check-in tent answering questions from reporters after his race in the 300 Intermediate Hurdles. When he was asked if he got to the check-in tent in time, Barr just smiled and said: “Yes. I got there in plenty of time.”

It was the one lasting question that had sat on Barr’s shoulder for almost one year now. The senior missed checking in on time in last year’s meet forcing out of the race. This year was different at the Illinois Boys State Championships 1A Prelims Thursday afternoon at Eastern Illinois University.

Barr left no doubt this year he would be the favorite in both hurdle races. He ran the fastest time in qualifying for the 110 High Hurdles with the fastest Class 1A fastest time (14.12). Caine Wilson of Salt Fork will be his closest competition in that race as he was the only other runner in the four heats that ran under 15-seconds (14.96).

Barr continued to make statements in the 300 Intermediate Hurdles. Barr made up the stagger in Heat 4 by almost 100-meters into the race. He cruised across the line with a Class 1A leading 37.89 winning his heat by more than three seconds. Wilson again will be his chief competition in this race as well as he ran 38.69 to win Heat 3.

Barr after his day was over thought that he could have run faster as he analyzed each race. “I clipped a couple of hurdles in the 110’s,” Barr added. If I eliminate that, I know I can run faster.

“I usually alternate legs around the curve in the intermediates,” Barr added. He had again nipped a few of the hurdles in an almost perfect race. A perfect race would be getting the Class 1A record of 37.33 that has stood since 2006. The record of 13.93 in the 110 High Hurdles is also in reach if he can run a clean race. He did state one of his goals was to win both titles. When asked if he wanted to get the records in the two events, he just smiled and said, “That would be nice.”

It is a different feeling for Barr in this state meet that it was a year ago. He was celebrating with his teammates after Colfax-Ridgeview won the Class 1A State Title. This year, he is the only athlete here from his school. An injury to start athlete Tate Walcott before their sectional meet at Watseka ended that dream if a repeat.

“It is a different feeling than last year,” Barr concluded. “ But they are here with me. Both races that I am in I do for them.”

Class 1A Team title still up for grabs

We thought that the team title heading into this meet would be up for grabs. Some sorting of the prelims, some disqualifications knocked a few teams out of contention. There is no clear favorite heading to Saturday’s Class 1A team title. DuQuoin, Pleasant Plains, and Salt Fork lead all teams with seven advancing to Saturday. Forreston is next with six. Morrison has five advancing but all of their entries could get quality points.

DuQuoin would like to repeat what the school’s Girls team did when they won the 1A title last week. They have five individuals and two relays going through led by Dasani Edward jumping a personal best 23’ 5.50” to lead all qualifiers in the Long Jump.

A team that could be a surprise is Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley who only advanced four led by freshman Aidan Laughery. He qualified in the 100 Meter Dash and 200 Meter Dash as well as helping his team qualify in the 800 Meter Relay and 1600 Meter Relay.

Class 1A Prelims Highlights

Pleasant Plains had the second fastest qualifying time in the 3200 Meter Relay (8:09.70) as they won Heat 2 lading five other teams to the finals. Defending champion Morrison did what they needed to do to pick up the automatic qualifier in winning Heat 1 (8:19.13) ahead of Illini West (8:21.17). Northridge Prep won Heat 3 with the fastest qualifying time of 8:09.63.

Disqualifications of two of the higher seeds Rushville-Industry and Belleville Althoff opened the door for a little wider for some of the other favorites in this wide-open relay. Spring Valley Hall’s 42.89 to win Heat 1 held on as the fastest qualifying times to Saturday’s finals. St. Joseph-Ogden (44.25), DuQuoin (43.56), and Pana (43.35) were the other heat winners.

Cody Klein of Pana looks to be the favorite for the finals in the 100 Meter Dash. Klein ran 10.75 to win Heat 3 ahead of Omavi Epps of St. Anne and Marshall Walk of Spring Valley Hall. Makail Stanley of Argenta-Oreana won Heat 1 (10.92) by just three hundredths of a second ahead of Charles Stamps Jr. of Walther Christian. Brady Webb of Forreston was the sole qualifier in winning Heat 2 (11.10). Aden Snedden of Princeville won Heat 4 (10.86) ahead of Aidan Laughery. Colton Sargeant of Illini West missed qualifying by one hundredth of a second.

The prelims in the 200 Meter Dash were run into the wind. Hopefully, we will see the runners in Saturday’s finals running with the wind. Aidan Laughery led all qualifiers running 22.43.

Maybe the best race of the Class 1A schedule will be the 400 Meter Dash as three runners went under 49-seconds. Samuel Herenton of Providence St. Mel led all qualifiers as he ran 48.25 to win Heat 4. In the previous heat, Morrison’s Keegan Anderson ran 48.73 to win the heat just ahead of Makail Stanley.

Spring Valley Hall ran 1:30.18 to lead all qualifiers in the 800 Meter Relay followed by Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley (1:30.44) and Forreston (1:30.55).

Morrison ran 3:24.07 to win Heat 4 behind Keegan Anderson’s 49.5 anchor leg. They have the fastest time in the 1600 Meter Relay ahead of Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley (3:25.4) and Pleasant Plains (3:25.71)

Class 1A Distance Highlights

Boston Stewart of St. Teresa led all qualifiers in the 800 Meter Run when he ran 1:57.73 to win Heat 2. Stewart had to come from third-place in the final 200-meters to accomplish that. Jacob Landon of Carlinville took the lead with 200-meters left passing Beacon Academy’s Charlie Clary. Stewart caught Landon with 20-meters left in the race. Both Landon and Clary advanced to Saturday’s finals. Stewart also qualified in the 400 Meter Dash running 50.17 to win his heat.

Race favorite Shane Yamco of Riverton looked relaxed leading the entire way to win Heat 3 (1:58.26) ahead of Salt Fork’s Dawson Rogers and Morrison’s Koby Brackemeyer. It would not be a surprise if Yamco runs in the low 1:53’s on Saturday.

Hunter Newman of Morrison was the other winner in the heats running 1:58.33 to win Heat 1.

Five runners qualified in Heat 1and seven runners qualified in Heat 2 in the 1600 Meter Run. Negus Bogard of Robinson ran 4:25.71 to win the first heat winning by just one hundredth of a second ahead of Bismarck-Henning’s Gabe Martinez. Christopher Collet of Seneca broke Heat 2 wide-open when he ran a 66 second third lap with only Noah McIntyre of Athens, Cort Ross of Casey-Westfield, and Tristan Olpin of Keith County Day. Collet came in under control to win the heat (4:25.16) ahead of McIntyre (4:25.58).

Class 1A Field Event Highlights

Zachary Olenek of St. Edward surprised some when he jumped 46’ 1” to lead all qualifiers in the Triple Jump. Ramsey Hunt of Hume Shiloah is currently in second (44’ 6.50”).

The Shot Put should come down to the final events on Saturday. Greg Zellers of New Berlin leads after the prelims with a 55’ 9.25” put. Logan Lee had  55’ 8” best and is currently in second. Joe Kingery of Teutopolis is in control in the Discus. His throw of 179’ 0” leads all other qualifiers by more than 17-feet.

13 athletes advanced to the finals of the High Jump led by defending champion Jorden Tedford of Warrensburg-Latham and sectional list leader Tristen Tewes of Pleasant Plains. All qualifiers cleared 6’ 2”.

Defending state champion Kyle Kruthoff of Erie led 14 other athletes to the finals of the Pole Vault with all clearing 13’ 6”.