Morrison destroys 1A State Meet Record in 4x200m Relay; Morrison, Tuscola advance seven to lead to Saturday’s finals.

By Michael Newman

Charleston, Ill – Morrison already had the final heat won when Zach Mulder handed the baton to Brady Anderson. It was a race against the clock for Morrison. “We wanted to get the meet record before we left Charleston,” Levi Mulder said afterwards. “I’m glad we did it today.”

Anderson crossed the line and immediately turned to the clock. He looked in shock as he saw the time of 1:26.87 demolishing the meet record set in 2012 by Tuscola of 1:27.93.

The relay set Morrison up to challenge for the Class 1A State team title on Saturday advancing seven to the finals. Tuscola also qualified seven to advance to the finals. Rockford Christian, Bloomington Central Catholic, and Elmwood advanced six. Winnebago, Lena-Winslow, Ridgeview, Shelbyville, and Sullivan all advanced five to Saturday.

It shows that Championship Saturday will be wide open coming down to the final events.

Conditions were close to perfect on this Thursday preliminary day at O’Brien Field with temperatures near 70 with overcast skies. Drizzle hit in mid afternoon but did not efeect the competition.

Morrison had the top time in the prelims of the 4x100 Meter Relay with a 42.41 in the final heat. Lena-Winslow (42.91) and Ridgeview (42.98), Morrison’s record-breaking time in the 4x200 Meter Relay is two seconds ahead of the rest of the field led by Tuscola (1:28.78) and Ridgeview (1:29.36).

Alec Schlichting of Lena-Winslow led all qualifiers in the 100 Meter Dash as the junior ran 10.71 to lead all qualifiers. Morrison’s Levi Milder (10.72) and Brady Anderson (10.86) along with Ridgeview’s Zane Hoffman (10.95) were the other heat winners.

Brian E. Smith II of North Shore-Country had a big day qualifying in all three sprint events. Smith II had the fastest time in the 400 Meter Dash running a huge personal best of 48.12 to lead all qualifiers. Evan Landers-Kristensen of Gibson City-Melvin Sibley (49.05) and Evan Smith of IC Catholic Prep (49.07) were the closest runners to the North Shore senior. Smith also qualified in the 100 (6th) and the 200 (7th). IC Prep’s Smith had the fastest qualifying time in the 200 Meter Dash (21.60) ahead of Milder (21.64), Anderson (21.83), and Schlichting (21.90).

Mason Booker of Sullivan led all qualifiers in the 110 Meter Hurdles timed at 14.78 winning his heat. He was the only runner under 15-seconds. Trae Bricker of Peoria Christian ran a personal best of 40.21 to lead all qualifiers in the 300 Meter Hurdles. Booker ran 40.43 to win his heat and is second heading to the finals.

All three team favorites advanced out of the 4x800 Meter Relay setting up for a great final Saturday morning. Rockford Christian ran 8:05.73 to lead all qualifiers to the finals. The Royal Lions did not have their top 800 runner Evan White in their quartet but will be in the lineup on Saturday. Winnebago (8:05.93) and Pleasant Plains (8:09.85) were the other heat winners. Northridge Prep, Bloomington Central Catholic, and Auburn will be watched for Saturday with times under 8:11. Elmwood was the ninth qualifier for the finals but did not have Darwin Herman in their lineup. Herman later in the meet qualified in the 800 Meter Run and 1600 Meter Run.

Corie Green of Delavan ran 1:56.78 to be the top qualifier in the 800 Meter Run. Herman (1:56.74) and Evan White of Rockford Christian (1:58.46) were the other heat winners. Chaz Oberkfell of Gillespie along with Johnathan Iacobazzi of Sullivan and Nicolai Martino of Winnebago) were the heat winners in the 1600 Meter Run.

The closest of the three races was the opening heat. Oberkfell snuck by Adin Gillers of Rochelle Zell in the final 20-meters to capture the heat win in 2:20.77. Gillers was next in 4:20.96, a personal best. Gillers did qualify for the finals but will not be on the line when the gun goes off like last year’s meet. Rochelle Zell is a Jewish High School in Deerfield that follows their beliefs that will not allow to a part of any competitive meets on a Saturday which is a day devoted to rest and spiritual enrichment. Gillers did have a great high school career and will attend John Hopkins in the fall. There will be only 11 runners in the 1A 1600 Meter Run finals.

Ridgeview led all qualifiers in the 4x400 Meter Relay running 3:24.37 in the first heat. Pleasant Plains (3:25.12) and Fithian Oakwood (3:26.50) had the next fastest times.

Isaiah Whitaker anchored Bloomington Central Catholic to one of the nine final spots in the 4x400 Meter Relay on Saturday. He was also one of 11 athletes advancing in the Pole Vault where he will go after his third straight state title.

Will Nohren of Shelbyville is one of 17 athletes to advance to the High Jump clearing 6-0. Nohren has a season’s best of 6-10.75 leading the state. Nohren also jumped 22-10 to lead all qualifiers in the Long Jump ahead of Logan Thompson of Althoff Catholic (22-9.75) and Ben Roedl of Altamont (22-1.50). Roedl qualified for the finals in the High Jump and the Triple Jump where he jumped a season’s best of 45-10.50 to have the lead after the three preliminary jumps. He has a two-foot lead ahead of the rest of the competition.

Graham Meister of Dwight leads after the prelims in the Shot Put with a 58-5.25 lead. Josh Coulby of Maryville Christian is close (57-7.50) in second. Sawyer Woodard of Tuscola, who stands in third in the Shot Put, threw 170-7 to take the lead in the Discus ahead of Maddux Stine of Salt Fork (165-4) and Meister (162-3).