2021 IHSA Class 1A Boys Sectional Highlights

 

 

By Michael Newman

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1A El Paso-Gridley Sectional – June 11

 

El Paso-Gridley won their own sectional with a whopping 173 points. Tremont was the closest team scoring 69 points to finish second. Asa Smith of El Paso-Gridley won one individual event along with being on two of his team’s winning relays. Smith ran 2:01.80 to win the 800 Meter Run ahead of Tremont’s Clayton Brown (2:03.20).

 

Smith was a part of El Paso-Gridley’s win in the 4x800m Relay (8:17.53) and 3:34.75 in the 4x400m Relay . EP-G’s Kollin Schlipf won both the 110 High Hurdles (15.13) and the 300 Meter Hurdles (41.43). Peoria Christian ran 11.18 to win the 100 Meter Dash and 23.43 to win the 200 Meter Dash. Ronnie Foster of Peoria Heights jumped 21-1.25 to win the Long Jump and 41-2.5 to win the Triple Jump.

 

1A Erie Sectional – June 11

 

Sherrard edged Riverdale 87 to 83 for the sectional title. Rockridge’s Peyton Locke ran a personal best of 10.92 to win the 100 Meter Dash ahead of David Arney of Riverdale’s 11.09 second place time. Locke came back to run 22.80 to win the 200 Meter Dash.

 

Jacob Belha of Sherrard and Tommy Murray of Riverdale had two close distance races. Behla won both running 10:00.44 to win the 3200 Meter Run ahead of Murray’s 10:01.90 time. Behla ran 4:33.04 to win the 1600 Meter Run with Murray again second (4:39.90). Morrison ran 3:30.16 to win the 4x400m Relay.

 

1A Gillespie Sectional – June 11

 

Pleasant Plains edged Auburn 97 to 87 for the sectional team title. Will Ross of Waverly jumped 21-8.25 to win the Long Jump, jumped 44-11 to win the Triple Jump, and then ran 22.90 to win the 200 Meter Dash. Will Carlile of Litchfield cleared a personal best of 14-2 to win the Pole Vault. Cameron Crow of Litchfield cleared 6-2.75 to win the High Jump. He came back to run 50.41 to win the 400 Meter Dash. Jake Hewitt of Gillespie ran 163-5 in winning the Discus. Jackson Kern of Auburn ran 15.96 to win the 110 High Hurdles and 40.43 to win the 300 Meter Hurdles. Kaleb Rutter of Riverton ran 1:58.68 to win the 800 Meter Run ahead of Zach Fales of Springfield Lutheran (2:00.79) and Reece Butcher of New Berlin (2:01.57).

 

1A Kewanee (Wethersfield) Sectional – June 11

 

Elmwood was in control in this sectional scoring 107 points for the team title. Stark County (80 points) and Princeville (65 points) finished second and third. Kaiden Droste of West Central sets himself up for a big 1A State Finals winning four individual events in this meet. The sophomore jumped 21-3 to win the Long Jump. He swept the sprints running 11.27 to win the 100 Meter Dash, 51.45 to win the 400 Meter Dash, and 22.87 to win the 200 Meter Dash.

 

Elmwood ran 8:27.75 to easily win the 4x800m Relay. Elmwood’s Luke Hoffmann was a double winner running 9:57.01 to win the 3200 Meter Run and 4:45.21 to win the 1600 Meter Run. Thomas Harmon of Elmwood ran 1:59.50 to win the 800 Meter Run.

 

1A Maroa (M.-Forsyth) Sectional – June 11

 

Maroa-Forsyth won their own sectional with 106.25 points ahead of Williamsville (88 points) and Bloomington Central Catholic (69.25 points). Top 1A sprinter Aidan Laughery of Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley  cruised to the win in the 100 Meter Dash (10.85) ahead of Maroa-Forsyth’s Ben Gilbert (11.04). Gilbert ran 22.46 to win the 200 Meter Dash. The closest finish was in the 300 Meter Hurdles. Isaiah Chatman of Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley ran 39.26 to win the 300 Meter Hurdles by just one hundredth of a second ahead of Tri-Valley’s Luke Myszka (39.27). Myszka earlier ran a personal best of 14.78 to win the 110 High Hurdles with Chatman finishing second (15.26).

 

Max Olysav of Williamsville jumped 21-4.25 to win the Long Jump.

 

1A Tuscola Sectional – June 11

 

Arthur-Lovington (125 points) and Shelbyville (87 points) were the top two teams in this sectional meet. Drew Hurelbrink of Macon Meridian cleared a 1A leading 6-8 to win the High Jump. Chris Boyd of Tuscola was a double winner in the weight events. He had a 48-6 put t win the Shot Put and then came back to throw 143-9 to win the Discus.

 

Layton Hall of Arthur-Lovington was a double winner running 9:48.14 to win the 3200 Meter Run and 4:29.52 to win the 1600 Meter Run. Finnian Davison also of Arthur-Lovington ran 11.37 to win the 100 Meter Dash. Davison finished second in the 200 Meter Dash behind teammate Max Allen (22.86).

 

1A Winnebago Sectional – June 11

 

Forreston scored 102 points to win the sectional title ahead of Pecatonica (72 points), Indian Creek (69 points), and Winnebago (60 points). Forreston’s Bennett Soltow had a great meet running 14.92 to win the 110 High Hurdles and 39.29 to capture the win in the 300 Meter Hurdles. Soltow was also a part of Forreston’s quartet that ran 43.88 to win the 4x100m Relay. Jordan Neuschwander of Forreston jumped a personal best of 20-8.75 to win the Long Jump. Cameron Russell of Indian Creek cleared 6-4.75 to win the High Jump, jumped 43-10.5 to win the Triple Jump, and ran 52.67 to win the 400 Meter Dash.

 

1A Chester Sectional – June 9

 

Trenton-Wesclin edged Steeleville 87-83 for the sectional team championship. Justin Mumford of Trenton-Wesclin won the 3200 Meter Run (9:31.83) ahead of Father McGivney’s Tyler Guthrie (9:58.03). The two runners finished 1-2 in the 1600 Meter Run with Mumford running 4:32.33 for the win with Guthrie again second (4:44.91). Tommy Marron of Breese Mater Dei ran 2:00.29 in winning the 800 Meter Run.

 

Luke Hatten of Lebanon won both weight events. Hatten had a 51-7.75 best to win the Shot Put. He came back with a 154-6 throw in winning the Discus.

 

1A Chicago (Hope Academy) Sectional – June 9

 

Northridge Prep edged Harvest Christian Academy 94.33 to 90 for the sectional title. Both teams will be contenders for the state title in the 1A State Finals. Host Hope Academy scored 61 points to finish third.

 

Caleb Lerus of Lycee Francais de Chicago will be an athlete to watch in Charleston after winning the three sprint races in this sectional. Lerus ran a personal best of 11.07 to win the 100 Meter Dash ahead of IC Catholic Prep’s Antonio Richardson (11.13) and Ryan Williams of Hope Academy (11.14). Lerus’ second win came when he ran 50.89 to win the 400 Meter Dash just ahead of Northridge Prep’s Aidan Martin (51.09). He came back to run 22.15 to win the 200 Meter Dash with Richardson (22.69) finishing second.

 

The distance races in this meet were great. Northridge Prep will be the favorite in the 4x800m Relay after win (8:07.55) ahead of Harvest Christian Academy (8:15.86). Four runners were under 10-minutes all qualifying in the 3200 Meter Run. Matthew Olech of Harvest Christian Academy pulled away in the final lap to win (9:49.84) ahead of his teammate Daniel Winkelman (9:51.64), Akili Parekh of Latin School (9:56.12), and Kieran Subra of Lycee Francais de Chicago (9:59.64).

 

It was a great 1600 Meter Run later in the meet as Olech won for the second time in 4:22.89. Ryan Hardiman of Latin School (4:24.58), Winkelman (4:26.92), and Peter Bernhardt of Latin School (4:29.50) all advanced to the 1A Finals. Four runners again all advanced to state with times under two-minutes in the 800 Meter Run. Andrew Brockmeier of Northridge Prep ran 1:57.37 edging Hayden Colclasure of Harvest Christian Academy (1:57.44) for the win by seven hundredth of a second. Mark Masaka of Northridge Prep (1:59.44) and Charlie Richardson of DePaul Catholic Prep (1:59.52) finished third and fourth.

 

Harvest Christian Academy ran 3:25.91 in winning the 4x400m Relay ahead of Northridge Prep (3:27.62). Sam Roszak of North Shore Country Day won three events at this meet including the 300 Meter Hurdles (40.54), the High Jump (5-11.75), and the Long Jump (21-8.25).

 

1A DuQuoin Sectional – June 9

 

DuQuoin rolled to the win in their own sectional scoring 148 points. Pinckneyville (96 points) was the closest team in second. Landen Swiney of DuQuoin ran 9:57.30 to win the 3200 Meter Run ahead of Zach McKowen of Christ Our Rock Lutheran (9:58.84) and Ty Barbre of Carmi-White County (10:05.80. Isaac Teel of Pinckneyville won the 1600 Meter Run (4:46.04 just ahead of Swiney (4:46.40). Seth Hamerski of Bluford Webber ran a swift 1:59.66 to win the 800 Meter Run.

 

Cole Rushing of Goreville ran 11.15 to win the 100 Meter Dash and then 22.62 to win the 200 Meter Dash.

 

1A Newton Sectional – June 9

 

Altamont scored 114.5 points to win the sectional title ahead of Newton (90.5) and Robinson (71.5 points). Daniel Lucas won the Shot Put (50-7) and the Discus (139-0). Jace McWhorter of Brownstown cleared 6-4.75 to win the High Jump. Isaac Stanford of Flora ran 2:02.83 in winning the 800 Meter Run.

 

1A Rushville (R.-Industry) Sectional – June 9

 

The host school Rushville-Industry scored 110 points to win the team title ahead of Illini West (84 points) and Beardstown (71 points). Miles Sheppard of Warsaw won two distance races. Sheppard ran 9:8.50 to win the 3200 Meter Run and 4:31.27 to win the 1600 Meter Run ahead of teammate Noah Stout (4:47.57). Four athletes were under two minutes in the 800 Meter Run. Isaac Jones of Astoria ran 1:58.12 for the win with Tyler Bickerman of Rushville-Industry (1:58.54), Adam Bohm of Havana (1:59.78), and Eli Newton of Illini West (1:59.80) following in second through fourth.

 

Illini West captured wins in all four of the relays. The Chargers started by running 8:35.44 to win the 4x800m Relay edging Warsaw (8:35.49). The second win for Illini West came when they ran 44.09 to win the 4x100m Relay ahead of Camp Point Central (44.23). Illini West ran 1:32.40 again edging Camp Point Central (1:32.66) for the win in the 4x200m Relay. Illini West closed the meet by running 3:3.49 to win the 4x400m Relay ahead of Rushville-Industry (3:36.36).

 

Dez Cardoza of Rushville-Industry picked u wins in the Shot Put (47-10.5) and the Discus (146-6).

 

1A Seneca Sectional – June 9

 

Seneca won their own sectional with 106 points finishing ahead of Westmont (95 points) and Chicago Christian (77 points). Carson Collet of Seneca cleared a personal best of 12-2 to win the Pole Vault. Abe Rieke of Dwight had a put of 47-7.25 to win the Shot Put and then threw 133-0 to win the Discus. Gabe Kuecker of Chicago Christian won the 3200 Meter Run (10:37.24). He came back to run 4:48.66 to win the 1600 Meter Run with Lucas Hoffman of Ottawa Marquette finishing second (4:57.69).

 

Hoffman earlier in the meet ran 2:04.73 to win the 800 Meter Run. The 200 Meter Dash top three finishers were separated by only four hundredth of a second. Tyron Ferguson of Aurora Christian ran 22.93 for the win ahead of Luke Jelderks of Chicago Christian (22.96) and Tony Phillips of Kankakee McNamara (22.97).

 

1A St. Joseph-Ogden Sectional – June 9

 

Host St. Joseph-Ogden tuned up for the 1A State Finals by scoring 147 points to win this sectional ahead of Salt Fork (90 points). Hayden Knott led the Spartans with wins in the Shot Put (54-4) and the Discus (160-11). Eli Mojonnier of Bismarck-Henning won the 800 Meter Run (2:01.54) finishing just ahead of St. Joseph-Ogden’s Brandon Mattsey (2:01.90). Mojonnier came back to run 4:35.32 to win the 1600 Meter Run with Bryson Grant of Iroquois West finishing second (4:40.38).

 

Jameson Cluver of Watseka ran the fastest time in Class 1A (50.11) in winning the 400 Meter Dash. Brady Buss of St. Joseph-Ogden was a double winner in the 100 Meter Dash (11.30) and the 200 Meter Dash (22.57).