IHSA Boys State Track & Field Championships - Class 3A Preliminary Session Highlights

By Michael Newman [email protected]

Charleston, Ill – What a wild and crazy Friday afternoon for athletes competing in the Class 3A preliminary session at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Field. For some, it was glorification of the end of a season where they would see their dreams extended for one more day. For other athletes and for some teams, their visions of realizing their dreams imploded right in front of them. Who know the reasons why? It could have been just lousy luck. It could have been for some that overworking caused some injuries that occurred on this day. We will never know.

Batavia that was one of the teams that was in position for a championship had some minor slipups like a bad pass on the final exchange of the 4x200m Relay that caused them not to finish. The Bulldogs still advanced eight to Saturday’s finals on a damp a dreary afternoon.

Injuries and just bad luck slowed down Minooka’s chances for a state title advancing five for the finals. None of their relays qualified including their 4x100m Relay that thought they had advanced. After close to a 30 minute delay before the results were published and made official, Minooka found out that they just missed the finals finishing 10th.

There were teams that had decent enough days to stay in the mix for a trophy. Glenbrook South is one of those teams advancing seven to Saturday’s finals along with a surprising Warren Township team that also had seven spots make it to the finals. Oswego (6), Edwardsville and Naperville Central (5) also put themselves into contention for a state trophy.

Cold, rainy, and windy conditions slowed some of the top athletes in this meet to a halt. Joshua Duncan of St. Charles North had run 10.31 in last week’s sectional in the 100 Meter Dash. He started to strain at about 60-meters into his heat and slowed near the finish line not qualifying for the finals. Duncan also had to scratch from the 200 Meter Dash. Jalen Johnson of Metea Valley had qualified in both hurdles. He finished second in his heat of the 110 High Hurdles making the finals but grabbed for his leg just after the finish. He left the stadium with his leg wrapped in ice. He scratched out of the 300 Meter Hurdles. His status is unknown for the finals on Saturday.

The 3A session started with the 4x800m Relay that started in a downpour making the The Big Blue Oval a Big Blue Lake. Downers Grove South led all qualifiers with their win in the first heat. South’s Tim Neumann ran a 1:55.09 anchor leg to bring the Mustangs from behind for the win ahead of Naperville Central (7:52.24) and Downers Grove North (7:55.08). Six teams qualified from the second heat. Brock Rice pulled away from the pack after receiving the baton. His 1:54.34 anchor leg easily gave Sandburg the win (7:53.79) with York (8:01.28), Hersey (8:01.68), Marist (8:02.81), Chatham-Glenwood (8:03.20), and Oswego (8:04.04) following behind.

Hinsdale Central won a tactical third heat (7:59.81) with Lane Tech finishing second (8:00.78). DeKalb finished third at 8:04.28 but missed qualifying for the finals by two tenths of a second.

The 1600 Meter Run heats Friday afternoon were spectacular. You can read more about those races here.

The 800 Meter Run heats played out as expected. Brett Wasick of Bolingbrook ran the prelims fastest time (1:54.56) just edging out Ryan Schreiner of Wheaton North (1:55.01) and Brian Hiltebrand of Glenbrook South (1:55.08). Defending state champion Daniel Watcke of Hinsdale Central ran under control with the first lap at 58.26 and his second lap at 58.52. He won the second heat at 1:56.78 with Caleb Levy of Warren Township his closest competition. Watcke also ran the 4x400m Relay. He took the baton for his anchor leg in sixth-place, caught the leaders with 200-meters to go, and then had control of the race at the finish as Hinsdale Central had the fast prelim time of the day (3:23.78) with Bradley-Bourbonnais (3:24.42) and Glenbrook South (3:24.85) the closest teams. Naperville Central (3:24.37) edged Champaign Centennial (3:24.71) for the win in Heat 1. Batavia had the third fastest prelim time as they ran 3:24.42 to win Heat 2 ahead of Warren Township (3:25.10).

The injury to Duncan in the fourth and final section made Saturday’s final s quite interesting. The biggest surprise was in the third heat when Will Stewart of Fremd ran a wind legal 10.57 for the win. It is a big personal best for him. He was in disbelief that he ran that fast after the race.

Tyler Colwell of Minooka ran 10.78 to edge Jahari Scott of Lake Forest (10.85) and Danny Eloe of Naperville North to win Heat 1. Nathan Shapiro of Glenbrook South was in control of Heat 2 as he ran 10.78 for the win ahead of Connor Lee of Barrington (10.88). Jonathan Mayhand of Oak Forest stepped up to win Heat 4 (10.81) just ahead of Quincy’s Jettason Rose (10.84).

Rose enters Saturday’s finals of the 200 Meter Dash with the top seed. Rose ran a 21.76 to win Heat 3. Ryan Coleman of TF South was the only runner under 22-seconds as he ran 21.98 to win Heat 2. Mayhand (Heat 4, 22.05), and Colwell (Heat 1, 22.06) were the other heat winners.

Jonah Fallon of Batavia ran 49.13 to win Heat 3 and lead all qualifiers in the 400 Meter Dash. 10 runners qualified for the finals due to a tie for ninth-place. Elijah Reed of Downers Grove South ran 49.76 to win Heat 1. Josh Pugh of Yorkville ran 49.97 in winning Heat 2. Vorn Ellis of Evanston ran 51.00 to win Heat 4. The heat winners plus the next five fastest times advanced. Ellis’ time was 14th fastest overall.

Homewood-Flossmoor looked very controlled with good passes in both the 4x100m Relay and the 4x200m Relay. The Vikings ran the fastest time in the prelims (42.03) finishing ahead of Bradley Bourbonnais in Heat 3. Batavia ran 42.37 to win Heat 1 ahead of Warren Township (42.47), Neuqua Valley (42.77), and Downers Grove South (42.84). Champaign Centennial ran 42.95 to win Heat 2 ahead of Wheaton-Warrenville South (43.04). Centennial was the only relay to qualify from that heat. Naperville North (42.59) to edge Glenbrook South (42.65) to win Heat 4.

Batavia not able to finish in the first heat of the 4x200m Relay opening the door for Crete-Monee who ran the fastest time of 1:28.88 to finish ahead of DeKalb (1:30.26) and Hampshire (1:30.27). Homewood-Flossmoor ran 1:28.90 to win Heat 2. Downers Grove North ran 1:29.41 to win Heat 3.

Collin Forest of Minooka continued to improve his personal best this time in the 110 Meter Hurdles. He ran the fastest prelim time of 14.09 to win Heat 3. Michael Campbell of Rolling Meadows ran 14.44 to win Heat 1 ahead of Sam Burns of Niles West (14.59). Gabe Czako of Lockport ran 14.60 to win Heat 3.

Ian Kelley of Oak Park-River Forest holds the fastest time in the 300 Meter Hurdles. His Heat 2 winning time of 38.86 just finished ahead of Jamarion Stubbs of Larkin (38.96). Czako won Heat 3 (39.40) while Campbell ran 39.46 to win Heat 2.

The High Jump is still confusing to figure out. The officials had athletes competing in a driving rainstorm for the first flight. With the rain still going on, officials decided t move the second flight indoors. Defending state champion Rob Pulliam of Moline led 20 qualifiers to Saturday’s finals with all clearing 6-1.25. Seven athletes from the rain flight qualified while the rest of the qualifiers came from indoors.

Toriano Tate of DeKalb has almost a foot lead after the prelims in the Long Jump. His third round jump of 23-1.25 leads Alonso Perkins of Glenbard East (22-3.75) and Nathan Shapiro of Glenbrook South (22-3.75). Jalen Buckley of Batavia has a sizeable lead in the Triple Jump. Buckley has a lead mark of 46-8.25 with Desmond Horton of Lake Park (45-7.25), Caleb Wright of Oswego (45-5.25), and Charlie Nolan of Normal West (45-5.25) his closest competition.

It is close after the first three attempts in the Shot Put. Defending state champion Kyle Clabough of Yorkville had a third round attempt of 59-2 to snare the lead in rainy conditions. Alex Sohn of Normal Community is the closest to Clabough with a 58-7.50 first round put. Jonathan Young of Andrew threw 182-0 and is the leader going into the finals of the Discus. Maverick Ohle of Naperville Central is second with his throw of 178-2.

13 athletes qualified for the Pole Vault Finals. Charles Cruse of Normal Community and Nicholas Fortino of Batavia are some of the notable qualifiers.