By Michael Newman

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3A Boys

This was a tough call since the three athletes that were considered were close to equal.

Sam Liokumovich of Deerfield was dominant this spring in the Shot Put. The senior had a great final season going undefeated indoors and outdoors in the Shot Put. He started the season in February with a 63-0.25 put in his first meet. At the end of the year at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals he had a 65-225 put that placed him tenth nationally.

Jordan Johnson of Quincy and Quinton Stringfellow of Homewood-Flossmoor were undefeated this outdoor season in their disciplines. Johnson’s 206-1 throw in the Discus at the Collinsville Invitational gave him the edge placing him among the top athletes in the nation in the event. That throw at Collinsville is currently ranked #3 nationally. Johnson won his second straight IHSA 3A State title in Charleston in the Discus in May. He also finished sixth in the Shot Put at state. Stringfellow was undefeated in the Triple Jump winning the state title in that event. He had two marks over 49-feet this spring outdoors.

It was a tough call between Johnson and Liokumovich. The Deerfield senior had a bad sectional meet failing to qualify in the Discus. What made the decision easier in Liokumovich’s favor was his seventh-place finish indoors at the New Balance Indoor Nationals in the Shot Put and then third in the outdoor nationals in June. Johnson did not have his best meet in North Carolina finishing 27^th in the Discus.

Congratulations to Sam Liokumovich of Deerfield High School as the 2019 ILXCTF.com 3A Boys Field Event Athlete of the Year.

2A Boys

It was not too hard of a decision in deciding in this classification.

Hunter Hendershot of Mahomet-Seymour entered the 2019 Track & Field Season as the defending 2A champion in the Shot Put. He also finished third last spring in the Discus at state. As the season progressed, you could sense that the junior wanted a little more.

That he did. Hendershot was almost perfect in both the Shot Put and the Discus. His only blemish before the state meet was a seventh-place finish at the News-Gazette Honor Roll Meet three days before his sectional meet.

Hendershot was untouchable in the Shot Put culminating with a 62-1.25 personal best in winning his second straight 2A state championship in that discipline. He also took a step up in the Discus with a 182-4 best to win the 2A state title. He’s has one more year of high school competition. It will be interesting to see what he accomplishes in 2020. He will be on the national scene his senior season after finish seventh at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals.

Chandlar Ifft of Prairie Central was just as dominant in the Pole Vault. Ifft, who finished fourth in last year’s state meet, went undefeated in his nine meets outdoors clearing 16-feet or better seven times. He cleared 16-1.25 to tie for sixth at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals and earn him All-American honors.

It was the two state championships by Hendershot that gave him the slight edge.

Congratulations to Hunter Hendershot of Mahomet-Seymour High School as the 2019 ILXCTF.com 2A Boys Field Event Athlete of the Year.

1A Boys

It came down to two athletes in this classification. Jorden Tedford of Warrensburg-Latham seemed to lay low during the outdoor season after winning Illinois Top Times in March clearing 6-8 in the final indoor meet of the season. He only had gone past 6-6 twice during into the state meet. He shined in Charleston winning his second straight 1A state title in the High Jump clearing a personal best 6-10.

Kyle Kruthoff of Erie was the dominant athlete at the end of the year regardless of classification in the Pole Vault in Illinois. He entered the state meet as the 1A defending champion. He made noise in the state finals winning his second straight state 1A title. He set a new Class 1A State Meet record of 16-8 in winning that title.

Congratulations to Kyle Kruthoff of Erie High School as the 2019 ILXCTF.com 1A Boys Field Event Athlete of the Year.