MONDAY MORNING FINISH LINE

 

March 15, 2021

 

By Michael Newman

[email protected]

 

 

I wanted to do something different in this week’s article. I did not want it to be all about the season ahead. I wanted to reflect on how former Illinois High School athletes did at the NCAA D1 Indoor Championships this past weekend with a little bit of the IHSA and end it with a little bit of love.

 

So be it.

 

Some Illinois Athletes at D1 Indoor Nationals

 

Ja’Mari Ward of the University of Missouri (Cahokia HS) achieved a personal best jumping 8.11m (26’ 7.25”) in finishing fourth in the Men’s Long Jump. Ward started out early hitting that mark in his opening jump of the competition. It placed him third through the first half of the six jumps of the event. Ward’s mark places him currently 13 in the world for the event. His performance also qualifies for the United States Olympic Trials in June.

 

Marcellus Moore of Purdue University (Plainfield North HS) took advantage of being the final qualifier for Saturday’s 60m Dash finals. Moore ran a college personal best of 6.65 to finish sixth in that finals race. Moore also ran 6.65 in the prelims on Friday afternoon.

 

Another All-American honor was earned by Zach Bradford of Kansas University (Bloomington HS) as he finished third in the Men’s Pole Vault on Saturday. The junior cleared 5.70m (18’8.25”) to earn that position in what was a great competition. Bradford entered the competition at 5.70m clearing that height on his second attempted. He passed at 5.55m and 5.65m clearing on his first attempt at 5.60m and 5.70m. KC Lightfoot of Baylor cleared a new meet record of 5.93m (19’ 5.5”) to win the national championship.

 

When Katelynne Hart of the University of Michigan (Glenbard West HS) took the baton for her 1600m anchor leg in Friday’s Women’s Distance Medley, she was in eighth place. She moved up during her leg to finish sixth overall. A disqualification moved Michigan up to fifth. Hart ran a personal best 4:37.75 split for 1600-meters. Hart will be one of many Illinois High School alumni runners that will be in Stillwater, Oklahoma today for the NCAA D1 National Cross-Country Championships.

 

In the Men’s Distance Medley Relay earlier on Friday, Sean and Chris Torpy (Sandburg HS) helped Miami OH finish eighth in the finals earning All-American honors. Sean ran his opening 1200-meter leg in 2:56.51. Chris anchored his team with a 4:01.83 1600-meter leg.

 

Manning Plater of the University of Illinois (Rushville-Industry) saved his best for the final indoor meet of his college career. The senior achieved a personal best and school record with his 22.73m best (74’ 7”) in finishing third in the Men’s 35 LB Weight Throw and earning All-American status.

 

Other Illinois High School Alumni that competed in the D1 Nationals:

 

Tom Brady of the University of Michigan (Maine South HS) ran 7:57.92 to finish 12th in the Men’s 3000 Meter Run.

 

John Meyer of the University of Michigan (Lockport Township) had a meet best of 19.50m (63’ 11.75”) to finish seventh overall in the Shot Put to earn All-American Honors.

 

Dan Spejcher of the University of Arkansas (Lake Park HS) scored 5630 points to finish ninth in the seven event Men’s Heptathlon.

 

Amira Young of the University of Minnesota (Whitney Young HS) earned All-American Honors by running 23.47 to finish eighth in the 200 Meter Dash. Young ran 23.16 in the prelims to qualify for the finals. Young also qualified in the 60 Meter Dash running 7.32 to finish 13th in the prelims. Dajour Miles of the University of Kentucky (West Aurora HS) also qualified for the meet in the 200 Meter Dash running 23.76 to finish 15th in the prelims.

 

Ashley Tutt of Northern Illinois University (Minooka HS) ran 16:19.42 to finish 13th in the 5000 Meter Run.

 

Latavia Maines of the University of Tennessee (Centralia HS) had a 16.28m best to finish 12th in the Women’s Shot Put. Kameesha Smith of Illinois State University (Thornwood HS) cleared 1.76m (5’ 9.25”) to tie for 10 in the Women’s High Jump.

 

Aliyah Welter of the University of Louisville (Monticello HS) cleared 4.16m (13’7.75”) to finish 13 in the Women’s Pole Vault.

 

Jasmine Mitchell of the University of Mississippi (Thornwood HS) earned All-American Honors with a 22.89m best (75’ 1.25”) to finish fourth in the Women’s Weight Throw.

 

We now have State Meet Dates

 

I have stayed away from social media about the mask issue that was released by the IDPH in the IHSA Track & Field Guidelines last Thursday. There is time to figure that out before track meets begin in mid-April. You won’t find anything about that in this week’s article.

 

The IHSA also released the dates of when the state meet will take place. The Girls Sectionals will take place from June 2 to June 4 with the state meet occurring on June 10 to June 12. The Boys Sectionals will take place from June 9 to June 11 with the state meet occurring the following week from June 17 to June 19.

 

What was not disclosed was the location of where the state meet will take place or the format on how this state meet will be run.

 

“Right now, the state is telling us that masks are required while competing or not whether indoor or out.  We are working with the IDPH, and we will let everyone know if anything changes in this regard,” said IHSA Assistant Executive Director Kraig Garber said in an e-mail reply on Thursday. We do not have a state meet site yet, and we have not finalized state qualifying criteria at this point.”

 

It is not yet known if we will be holding the state meet at its traditional home of Eastern Illinois University. Holding the meet there hopefully gives athletes, coaches, and fans the access of staying in the school’s dorms. In the period that we are in where social distancing is an action that is stressed, we might not see that happen.

 

The IHSA not putting out qualifying standards at this time could be a signal of what we could see in June. If Eastern Illinois University is not available, where would a state meet take place? More so, how would a state meet take place for each of the classes?

 

Let’s imagine and speculate a little bit. This is what could happen. I don’t expect it to happen. But still.

 

If we are going to social distance, we would not want teams staying at spots for more than one day. The over night stay for schools would be out. A state meet in central Illinois could be a solution. It would cut down travel for schools across the state.

 

Eliminate the format that we are used to with preliminaries on Thursday and Friday and finals on Saturday. That would be for this year only. Take the top 16 athletes / relays in each event. Those athletes/ relays lists would be finalized by the latest Saturday morning after sectionals. Teams have until Sunday night before the state meet is to start to declare who would be competing in this scaled down state meet. Those who scratch from an event would be replaced by the next runner. It gives a chance to have full fields etc. instead of the last second scratch at the meet.

 

Each day of competition at the state meet is a final if the IHSA chooses only one site. Field events could have six try finals in the weight events and the horizontal jumps with three preliminary attempts then nine athletes advancing to the finals.

 

Track events? This could be fun to play with considering that most schools will be out of session. Why not conduct a state meet under the lights? No preliminary heats. Run all the events in sections. The fastest runner wins. Another way to conduct a finals day is run prelims at noon for sprint events. The finals could start at 5 PM.

 

Just thinking out loud. I am sure there are many ideas out there. What do you think?

 

Final Notes

 

One of the things that I was looking forward to this weekend was a Zoom call that I was to be on with some of my college teammates from North Central College. I have been on so many zoom calls this past year (like most of you have).

 

I have been on some Zoom calls with coaches that attended my old school. They have been great and widely informative. Sunday night was a little different.

 

We stopped after 90 minutes. We could have talked all night. The decision was made that we wanted to continue it at another time.

 

We talked about who we were then. We talked about who we are now. We talked about our coach who shaped us, Al Carius. This was a family talking. There was a love that flowed through some of the jokes that were given back and forth to each other. It did not start on this Zoom call. It started when we first stepped foot on campus and met this man we all call Al.

 

It was not a matter of developing a winning culture only at this Naperville institution. It was a matter of a bond that we had amongst one another that formed through this collection of men. It was family that we cared for each other which brought about winning not just only when we ran but in other things during the for years at NCC.

 

If you are reading this and have graduated college, when was the last time that you contacted your college coach to say thank you? When was the last time you went back to your old high school and told that coach that formed you into a better person thank you?

 

Take a couple of seconds of your day to reach out to that coach or even teacher that influenced you while you were in school. If you are in school, think about how that coach or teacher makes you better not in a race but in life.

 

I talked to a coach while at Nike Cross Nationals a few years ago. He asked me about my background. I told him the schools that I attended. His reply was “You lucky bastard.”

 

I was blessed to be mentored by Joe Newton and Al Carius. The love I received from them I try to share with you about this sport that I cherish. It is not about the sport that we care about. It is the people that touched us or that we touch that can be a difference maker in life.

 

We are all better because of those moments and those people that had an influence on us.

 

Thank you, Al.