2021 IHSA Class 2A Boys Sectional Highlights

 

 

By Michael Newman

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2A Glen Ellyn (Glenbard South) Sectional – June 10

 

Burlington Central will be a team to watch at this Friday’s 2A State Finals. The Rockets scored 146.66 to win the Sectional team title. Fenwick at 102 points finished second. Zac Schmidt of Burlington Central ran a personal best of 49.87 to win the 400 Meter Dash ahead of teammate Jacoby Haynes (50.64). Schmidt was also a part of his team’s winning 4x400m Relay (3:28.64). Burlington Central’s Yusuf Baig won two distance races in this meet. Baig ran 9:41.61 to win the 3200 Meter Run winning by a margin of 33 seconds. Baig came back to run 4:29.74 to win the 1600 Meter Run with Fenwick’s Grayden Rill second (4:38.58).

 

Jackson Gerard of St. Francis jumped a huge personal best of 23-3.5 to win the Long Jump. Gerard also has a good race on the track running 10.98 to win the 100 Meter Dash. Stephen Brown of Fenwick ran 11.03 to finish second. Brown came back to win the 200 Meter Dash (22.79) by two hundredth of a second ahead of Randall Reed of Chicago Clark (22.81).

 

2A Lincoln Sectional – June 10

 

Triad won this meet held at Springfield’s Memorial Stadium scoring 97 points. Springfield Lanphier scored 86 points to finish second. Triad’s CJ Edison was the meet’s only double event winner. Edison ran 11.02 to win the 100 Meter Dash edging Lanphier’s Tierre Butler by two hundredth of a second (11.0). Edison followed by running 22.88 t win the 200 Meter Dash again ahead of Butler who finished second (23.21).

 

Lincoln’s Garrett Slack ran 50.39 to win the 400 Meter Dash by a margin of one second. Stack was part of two winning relays for Lincoln. The Railsplitters ran 8:16.50 to win the 4x800m Relay with Rochester finishing second (8:19.26). Lincoln finished the meet running 3:28.63 to win the 4x400m Relay with Rochester finishing second (3:29.54). Jacksonville ran 43.87 to win the 4x100m Relay. They came back to run 1:31.57 to win the 4x200m Relay. Lamar Manning of Lanphier jumped 21-2.75 to win the Long Jump.

 

2A Metamora Sectional – June 10

 

Eureka showed that hey are ready for the state finals next Friday scoring 102 points to win this sectional. Mahomet-Seymour scored 93 points to finish second. Both teams will plain a factor in the 2A team race.

 

CJ Shoaf of Mahomet-Seymour had a big meet winning four individual events. Shoaf cleared 6-9.5 to win the High Jump. Shoaf hit the track as he ran 14.54 to win the 110 High Hurdles ahead of Eureka’s Mitchell Danner (15.20). Shoaf came back to run a personal best of 38.40 to win the 300 Meter Hurdles again with Danner finishing second (39.70). Shoaf ended his day running 22.68 to win the 200 Meter Dash by just two hundredth of a second ahead of Manual’s Jerome Cranford (22.70). Cranford earlier had run 11.14 to win the 100 Meter Dash with Eddie Saunders of Peoria Notre Dame running 11.22 to finish second.

 

Micah Senior and Aden Sears are the main point producers that we will see this week in Charleston. Senior jumped 21-4.75 to win the Long Jump with Sears jumping 21-0 to finish second. Sears and his teammate Elijah Skutt finished 2-3 in the High Jump both clearing 6-3.5. Senior ran a personal best of 49.07 to win the 400 Meter Dash with Sears a close second (49.17). The two Eureka athletes were part of Eureka’s winning 4x400m Relay (3:24.77) that has the fastest Sectional time in the state by almost two seconds.

 

Wilson Georges of Limestone set himself for a distance double in Charleston. Georges ran 1:56.88 to easily win the 800 Meter Run by over four seconds. Georges ran 4:24.15 to win the 1600 Meter Run by four seconds ahead of Metamora’s Ian O’Laughlin (4:28.19). O’Laughlin earlier ran 9:42.81 to win the 3200 Meter Run with Charlie Kistner of Olympia placing second (9:48.40). The top three sectional times in the 4x800m Relay came from this meet. Morton ran 8:08.21 to win the sectional title ahead of Olympia (8:09.93) and Mahomet-Seymour (8:14.73).

 

2A Rochelle Sectional – June 10

 

Sycamore edged Sandwich 106-100.5 to win the Sectional team title. Dixon scored 91 points to finish third. Sandwich’s Jayden McCulskie-Green qualified for three events for the 2A finals winning two of them in this sectional. McCulskie-Green cleared 6-1.5 to win the High Jump. The senior came back to jump 45-11.25 to win the Triple Jump. McCulskie-Green qualified in the Long Jump finishing third (21-7.5) behind event winner Darcis Bitangalo of Rockford Boylan (22-6.5) and second place Olek Clark of Sycamore (21-9.75).

 

Sycamore’s Tyler Carter ran 14.97 to win the 110 High Hurdles and ran a personal best of 39.15 to win the 300 Meter Hurdles. Brock Drengenberg of Dixon ran the fastest 2A time in the 800 Meter Run (1:55.91) in his win by more than four seconds. Drengenberg came back to run 4:24.41 to win the 1600 Meter Run with teammate Cadyn Grafton at 4:26.58 to finish second. Grafton earlier in the meet ran 9:58.06 to win the 3200 Meter Run winning by 42 seconds.

 

Michael Marrs of Sandwich ran 10.99 to win the 100 Meter Dash and 22.12 to win the 200 Meter Dash. Don Tay Thompson of Freeport finished second in both races.

 

2A Tolono (Unity) Sectional – June 10

 

Mt. Vernon tuned up for the State Finals by scoring 104.5 points to win this sectional meet. Urbana (74 points) and Monticello (72.5 points) finished second and third. If Urbana contends for a trophy in Charleston, it may because of Jeremiah Hamilton who qualified in three events, two of which are relays. Hamilton is part of Urbana’s quartet that ran 42.70 to win the 4x100m Relay ahead of Monticello (43.28). Urbana also ran 1:30.54 to win the 4x200m Relay. Hamilton’s individual win came when he ran a personal best of 21.58 to win the 200 Meter Dash with Kyle Burgoni of Tolono Unity finishing second (21.73). Burgoni earlier ran a personal best of 10.71 to win the 100 Meter Dash.

 

Alec Sledge of Mt. Vernon was a double winner in the hurdles. The junior ran 14.54 to win the 110 High Hurdles by almost a second. Sledge came back to run his second personal best of the meet with his 40.07 time to win the 300 Meter Hurdles.

 

One of the runners to watch in the distance events in Charleston is Chris Cherry of Taylorville. Cherry ran 9:45.70 to easily win the 3200 Meter Run by 17 seconds ahead of Urbana’s Sam Lambert (10:02.38). Cherry came back with a personal best of 4:19.73 to win the 1600 Meter Run with Centralia’s Brooks Harlan placing second (4:27.00).

 

Kyle Hensley of Mt. Zion cleared a personal best of 14-11.5 to win the Pole Vault. Centralia’s JehChys Brown of Centralia had a 54-4.75 personal best to win the Shot Put. The sophomore came back to throw 158-6 to win the Discus.

 

2A Chicago (St. Rita) Sectional – June 10

 

Evergreen Park scored 120 points for the sectional team title ahead of Mt Carmel (93 points) and Chicago University (77 points). Nicky Edwards-Levin of Chicago University dominated the distance events that he competed in. The senior ran 1:57.20 to win the 800 Meter Run by 10 seconds. Edwards-Levin came back to run 4:32.88 to easily win the 1600 Meter Run this time by 20 seconds.

 

Jalen Jones of Evergreen Park was a double winner in this meet. Jones jumped 42-6.25 to win the Triple Jump. Jones also ran 11.09 to win the 100 Meter Dash. John Green of Agricultural Science 52.99 to win the 400 Meter Dash and jumped 19-7.5 to win the Long Jump.

 

2A Chicago (De La Salle) Sectional – June 9

 

Payton Prep won this meet at Hope Academy scoring 135 points. De La Salle (88 points) and Northside Prep (80 points finished second and third. Ladanian Linnear of Westinghouse ran 11.15 to win the 100 Meter Dash and 23.02 to win the 200 Meter Dash. Payton’s Ritvik Viniak ran 10:39.38 to win the 3200 Meter Run and 4:52.70 in winning the 1600 Meter Run. Jaden Blake of De La Salle cleared 13-10.5 to easily win the Pole Vault.

 

2A Geneseo Sectional – June 9

 

Princeton scored 112.5 points to win the sectional team title ahead of Pontiac (83 points) and Geneseo (65.5 points). Peoria Richwoods’ Kevyere Mack ran 14.52 to win the 110 High Hurdles. The senior came back to run a personal best of 38.74 to win the 300 Meter Hurdles. Teegan Davis of Princeton jumped 21-7 to win the Long Jump. He also cleared 6-1.5 to win the High Jump. Keegan Fogarty of Princeton won both the 100 Meter Dash (11.17) and the 200 Meter Dash (22.70).

 

2A Herscher Sectional – June 9

 

Host Herscher scored 99 points to claim the sectional crown finishing ahead of Kankakee (99 points). Drew Rogers of Herscher will enter the 2A Finals as the favorite in two distance races. Rogers ran 9:13.30 to win the 3200 Meter Run. Ryder James of Paxton-Buckley-Loda ran 9:48.43 to finish second. The two runners lapped the entire field in this race. Rogers came back to win the 1600 Meter Run (4:21.77) again ahead of James (4:29.55).

 

Quaevon Autman of Kankakee qualified in four events for the state meet. Autman jumped 20-1.75 to win the Long Jump. He ran 11.10 to win the 100 Meter Dash. Autman was also a part of Kankakee’s quartet running 43.09 to win the 4x100m Relay. Autman finished second in the 200 Meter Dash (22.68) behind sectional winner Dalton Woods of Herscher (22.68).

 

2A Mascoutah Sectional – June 9

 

Mascoutah showed why they will contend for the 2A championship in their win in their own sectional scoring 115 points. East St. Louis-Senior scored 1107 points to finish second. East St. Louis’ Devonte Ford was the star of this meet winning three individual events and then part of a winning relay. Ford started his meet by running 14.24 to win the 110 High Hurdles. Ford came back with an outstanding run in the 300 Meter Hurdles. Ford ran the fastest time in the state and a personal best of 37.31 to win the event with Carterville’s Townsend Barton placing second (39.36) also a personal best.

 

Ford’s final individual race was when he ran 22.18 to outdistance the field to win the 200 Meter Dash. Ford was also a part of the quartet for East. St. Louis-Senior that ran 3:26.47 to win the 4x400m Relay finishing ahead of Mascoutah (3:27.77). Mascoutah won two other relays with the 4x100m Relay running 42.74 to win ahead of East St. Louis (43.01) and 1:30.18 to win the 4x200 Relay again ahead of East St. Louis-Senior (1:30.77).

 

Jordan Eddy of Mascoutah ran 1:58.61 to win the 800 Meter Run. Bryson Wilson of Marion ran 49.86 to win the 400 Meter Dash ahead of East St. Louis’ Timothy Cross (50.44). Cross’ teammate Kenneth Buchanon ran 11.18 to win the 100 Meter Dash.

 

Benton’s freshman Gavin Genisio just opted for the 1600 Meter Run in this meet. Genisio ran 4:20.63 to win the sectional title ahead of Carbondale’s Alex Partlow (4:25.93) and Tucker Poshard (4:31.62). The two Carbondale runners swept the top two spots in the 3200 Meter Run with Partlow running 9:34.71 for the win ahead of the second-place finish from Poshard (9:40.42).

 

2A Richmond-Burton Sectional – June 9

 

Rockford Christian rolled to the sectional championship with 106.5 points. Woodstock (698 points) and S. Viator (64 points) were the next teams. Their success in the relays is one of the reasons why the Royal Lions could contend for a trophy in the 2A Finals. Rockford Christian won three of four in this sectional starting with a 43.09 time in the 4x100m Relay ahead of St. Viator (43.48). Their second win came when they ran 1:31.12 to win the 4x200m Relay ahead of Richmond-Burton (1:31.99). Rockford Christian finished the meet by running 3:32.50 to win the 4x400m Relay.

 

St. Viator won the 4x800m Relay (8:17.20) ahead of Rockford Christian (8:28.23).

 

Peter Walsdorf of Marian Central Catholic was a double winner running 9:46.72 to win the 3200 Meter Run and then 4:28.04 to win the 1600 Meter Run ahead of Michael Schumacher of St. Viator (4:29.14). Stephen Thomas of Rockford Christian ran 2:00.20 to win the 800 Meter Run. Jalen Burton of Carmel Catholic ran 11.25 to win the 100 Meter Dash and then 22.01 to a win in the 200 Meter Dash.