By Michael Newman

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Charleston, Ill – When Crete-Monee’s 400 Meter Relay team ran 41.12 at the IHSA 3A Bloom Township Sectional on May 15, some thought it would only be a matter of time before this squad would break the IHSA State Meet Record of 41.12 set by Cahokia in 2015.

Crete-Monee had a different time schedule.

The Warriors electrified the sweltering crowd at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Field setting a new meet record of 40.86 in the final preliminary heat of the event.

The quartet of Jamal Safo, Victor Cameron, Kavon Jones, and Jalen Echols were on as soon as the gun fired. Safo had made up the stagger on the field before he handed off the baton to Cameron. The exchange from Cameron to Jones was a high wire act as the two stretched out the zone stretching out to hand of the baton without losing momentum. It was the same effect when Jones handed off to Echols.

The time means they have the record, but not the title in the event. They will have to get the baton around the track one more time on Saturday to complete their task.

Crete-Monee had a good preliminary session on Friday afternoon leading all teams with nine (6 individuals, 3 relays) advancing to Saturday’s finals. Homewood-Flossmoor, Oak Park-River Forest, Bloom Township, and Neuqua Valley will be some of the teams that will be chasing Crete-Monee.

Jamal Safo has the lead after the prelims in the Long Jump (23-5.50) with Quinton Stringfellow of Homewood-Flossmoor close behind. Stringfellow had a monster jump of  49-4.50 to lead the field in Triple Jump by more than a foot.

Victor Cameron will come into both hurdle races as the favorite. Cameron ran 13.86 to win Heat 3 of the 110 Meter Hurdles less than a tenth of a second off AJ Harris’ state record of 13.77. Cameron won his heat of the 300 Intermediate Hurdles with the third fastest preliminary time. Robert Williams of Springfield led all qualifiers (38.54).

Crete-Monee had the third fastest prelim time in the 800 Meter Relay (1:27.79) behind Oak Park-River Forest (1:27.30) and Bloom Township (1:27.39). The Warriors also qualified in the 1600 Meter Relay (3:22.12). Grant Community, behind a 47.9 anchor leg from Jason Thormo, ran 3:20.02 to lead all qualifiers. Thormo, the defending state champion in the 400 Meter Dash, had the top qualifying time in the event (48.20) ahead of Crete-Monee’s Ricky Johnson (48.32).

One of the most anticipated preliminary races of the afternoon session was when Marcellus Moore of Plainfield North stepped into the blocks of the 100 Meter Dash. The junior, who set the meet record in the event last year, had some minor hamstring injuries that had forced him out of his conference meet.

Moore crossed the line with a smile on his face as he ran the fastest preliminary time (10.46) in what his coach Tony Holler said the only object was just to win his heat. Jermarrion Stewart of Collinsville will be his closest competition. The fellow junior ran a personal best of 10.49 to win his heat.

Moore quieted his doubters even more in the 200 Meter Dash. He was the only runner to dip under 22-seconds in the preliminaries as he set the standard in winning Heat 1 (21.70). Cedric Rowzee of Wheaton-Warrenville South (22.14) and Stewart (22.15) were the next fastest qualifiers.

The heat index that reached 95 degrees in mid-afternoon effected the three distance races that took place in the 3A schedule.

A strong third leg from Michael Madiol gave Neuqua Valley the advantage and the win in Heat 1 of the 3200 Meter Relay ( 7:50.40) with the fastest qualifying time in the event. Batavia (7:53.54) and St. Charles East (7:58.83) were the other heat winners.

Thomas Shilgalis of Naperville Central had the best qualifying time in the 800 Meter Run. Shilgalis pulled away from the field in the final 150-meters to win the final heat in 1:56.10. Will O’Brien of Glenbard West (1:57.45) and Ethan Baker of Prairie Ridge (1:56.73).

List leader Andrew O’Keefe of Granite City was well in control of his heat of the 1600 Meter Run. He dictated the pace going out in 63 seconds daring the rest of the field to chase after him. The pack caught up to O’Keefe in the last final lap. Nine of the ten runners in that heat qualified and finished within two seconds of each other. O’Keefe made a surge in the final 10-meters running 4:20.55. Samuel Rivera of Whitney Young led two other runners in qualifying in Heat 1. Rivera had the fastest qualifying time (4:19.10) in the event.

Shilgalis also qualified in the 1600 Meter Run. The possibility is there that Shilgalis could run in the 3200 Meter Relay for Naperville Central along with the two individual events.

Marcellus Moore photo from Tony Holler, Plainfield North HS.