By Michael Newman

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Here is a glimpse of what happened at each of the 1A Boys Sectional Meets that took place on May 22-23, 2014 throughout Illinois

 

THURSDAY

 

Carlinville Sectional

Highlights

• New Berlin and host Carlinville shared the sectional team title with 65 points. Madison was a close third with 62 points.

 

• Andre McGill (Madison HS) was a double winner in the sprints. He captured the 100 Meter Dash (11.02), then came back to capture the 200 Meter Dash (22.53). McGill was also a part of his team’s winning 800 Meter Relay (1:32.73) and second place 400 Meter Relay (44.14).

 

• Dean Crook (Gillespie HS) swept both hurdle races. He won the 110 Meter High Hurdles (14.94) and the 300 Intermediate Hurdles (40.03). Marcus Sitko (Staunton HS) qualified in three events. He finished second in the 100 Meter Dash behind McHill. Sitko won the Long Jump (22-1) and finished second in the Triple Jump behind the 43-4 2/4 winning jump by Darrian Crawford (Madison HS).

 

• On the last time on him home pit, Jack Denby (Carlinville HS) won the sectional championship in the Pole Vault. He cleared 16-0 for the win. Cody Leonard (Carrollton) had a standout performance in the High Jump. He captured the sectional title with a 6-7 clearance.

 

Fairfield Sectional

Highlights

• Anna Jonesboro won the sectional team championship. They scored 155 points, 54 more than host Fairfield. Anna Jonesboro qualified 12 overall for next weekend’s state meet.

 

• Defending 1A 800 champion Michael Brown (Carmi-White County HS) had little trouble in winning two events. He easily won the 800 Meter Run (2:01.18) by close to 17 seconds. Brown came back to win the 1600 Meter Run (4:37.48) ahead of sectional 3200 Meter Run champion Corbin Kakac (Fairfield) by 10 seconds.

 

• Nick Matthews (Cisne HS) was the standout athlete of this sectional. He won the Shot Put (51-0) by only four feet ahead of Steve Wells (Anna-Jonesboro HS). Matthews came back to win the Discus (149.0). He also won the 110 Meter Hurdles (15.29).

 

Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley Sectional

Highlights

• Paxton-Buckley-Loda qualified 10 individuals and 3 relays to Charleston in winning the sectional team title in an overwhelming fashion. PBL scored 138 points with Clifton Central 50 points behind in second place.

 

• Vaughn Gentzler and Tyler Rubarts are two of the reasons why PBL could be a title contender in Charleston. Rubarts captured both the Long Jump (22-0.50) and Triple Jump titles (43-1 ½). Rubarts finished second in the 110 Meter High Hurdles only seven hundredths of a second behind teammate Gentzler (15.21 – 15.28). Gentzler came back to win the 300 Intermediate Hurdles (39.99).

 

• Derek Wegman (Tri-Valley HS, Downs) will be the favorite at state in the High Jump. He cleared 6-9 to win the event Thursday evening.

FRIDAY

 

Erie-Prophetstown Sectional

Highlights

• 2013 1A Team champion Sterling Newman took another step back to Charleston to defend their state title. Newman qualified 9 overall in winning the sectional title with 101 points. Erie-Prophetstown was next with 80 points.

 

• Brady Rude (Newman Catholic HS, Sterling) won three events to help his team win the sectional title. The sophomore captured both the 100 (11.42) and the 200 (22.57) as well as the Long Jump (21-0 ½). Rude was also a part of Newman’s winning 800 Meter Relay (1:31.79) just ahead of Erie Prophetstown (1:31.78).

 

Farmington Sectional

Highlights

• Elmwood’s 2^nd place finish in the 1600 Meter Relay was enough to give them the team championship with 76 points. They were only three points ahead of second place Kewanee Wethersfield. Elmwood qualified four to next week’s state meet.

 

• Michael Cook (Wethersfield HS, Kewanee) qualified in the 800 and 1600 similar to what he did a year ago. Third place in last fall’s 1A xc championship, Cook won the 800 Meter Run (1:58.82) and the 1600 Meter Run (4:29.83). He will be a runner to watch in both of those events.

 

• Michael Randall (Knoxville HS) could help his team finish high next weekend in Charleston. Randall won the 100 Meter Dash (10.84) as well as helping his team win the 800 Meter Relay (1:30.49) and to finish third in the 400 Meter Relay behind race winner Sherrard.

Lewistown Sectional

Highlights

• Pleasant Plains captured the sectional title with 103 points. The Redbirds were seventeen points ahead of Eureka. Both schools will factor in the 1A team championship. Pleasant Plains qualified seven individuals and one relays to next week’s state meet.

 

• Eureka qualified only six overall but those six could score some big points. Brett Charlton captured both the 100 (11.26) and 200 (22.30). Charlton will also be a part on two relays. The Hornets won the 400 (43.42), 800 (1:30.81), and 1600 Meter Relay (3:28.12).

 

• In what could have been a preview for the state finals, Ben Montgomery (Athens HS) won the 400 Meter Dash (49.81) ahead of Morgan Flynn (Williamsville HS). Montgomery earlier in the meet won the Triple Jump (45-4 ½). Matt McCoy (Lewistown HS) qualified for state winning two events. He won the Pole Vault (14-0) then stepped to the track to win the 300 Intermediate Hurdles (40.76).

 

• Caleb Imig (Tremont HS) was a double winner in the distances. He won the 3200 Meter Run (9:46.57) by five seconds ahead of Forest Anderson (Deer Creek Mackinaw HS). Imig came back in the 1600 to win outkicking Tyler Johnson (Pleasant Plains HS) by less than a second (4:26.64 – 4:27.19).

 

Lisle Sectional (at Benedictine University)

Highlights

• Perennial 1A track power Leo Catholic showed that they could contend for a trophy by qualifying 9 overall to Charleston in winning this sectional. Leo’s 105 points was 41 points ahead of Chicago Christian. Leo’s 4x1 relay won the 400 Meter Relay (43.35) showing they could be towards the front next weekend. Terron Bell was a double winner in the Shot Put (51-5) and the Discus (140-6).

 

• There were many great performances at this meet from athletes that could be winning at Charleston. Sylvester Pydych (St. Benedict HS, Chicago) jumped a season’s best of 22-5 to win the Long Jump. Kuterry Singleton (Holy Trinity HS) dipped under 50 in winning the 400 Meter Dash (49.89). Freshman Jordan Rowell (Immaculate Catholic Prep, Elmhurst) won the 100 Meter Dash (11.05) and then a sizzling performance in the 200 Meter Dash (22.07) to win the event.

 

Newton Sectional

Highlights

• Robinson scored 117 points to win the sectional title. Teutoplis was next with 91 points.

 

• Tye Sutherland (Cumberland HS, Toledo) ran the fastest 1A time winning the 800 Meter Run (1:55.52) ahead of Andrew Gardewine (St. Anthony HS, Effingham). Riley Smith (Casey-Westfield HS) won the Pole Vault (15-6) leading six athletes to state that cleared 13-0 or better.

 

Oregon Sectional

Highlights

Byron qualified 11 to win the sectional title with 120 points. Host Oregon finished second with 80 points.

 

Chris Walker (North Boone HS, Poplar Grove) was a triple winner in the Long Jump (21-5 ½), Triple Jump (45-2), and the High Jump (6-1). Ashton Rutherford (Oregon HS) thrilled his home crown setting a new school record in winning the Pole Vault (14-7). Rutherford came back to win the 300 Intermediate Hurdles (42.38).

 

Rushville Sectional

Highlights

• Host Rushville-Industry easily won their own sectional scoring 104 ½ points. They qualified 8 overall to Charleston. Brady Crane won two events to lead his team. He won the 110 High Hurdles (15.25) and the 300 Intermediate Hurdles (41.08).

 

• Jacob Sholl (Illini West HS, Carthage) qualified in two individual events winning the 100 Meter Dash (11.17) and the 200 Meter Dash (22.51). Logan Ross (North Greene HS, White Hall) will be one of the favorites in the High Jump. He cleared 6-5 for the win. Blzae Murfin (Illini West HS, Carthage) will be one to watch in the Discus. He won Friday with a 162-10 throw.

 

Seneca Sectional

Highlights

• Aurora Christian will try to duplicate what the girls program did this past weekend at the state meet when they won the team championship. The boys’ squad qualified eleven to Charleston scoring 118 points to win the sectional championship ahead of a surprising Mooseheart team.

 

• Aurora Christian was led by two athletes with double wins. Jonah Walker won the Shot Put (47-1) and the Discus (160-8). Johnathan Harrell won the 400 Meter Dash (50.47) and the 200 Meter Dash (22.88).

 

• Wal Khat (Mooseheart HS) has flown under the radar this spring, but could be a runner to watch in the distances. He won the 800 Meter Run (2:00.70) and the 1600 (4:37.60).

 

 

Shelbyville Sectional

Highlights

• Tuscola won the sectional team title by only one point ahead of host Shelbyville. Both teams will head to Charleston with visions of a championship in their heads. Tuscola qualified 8 individuals to EIU. Shelbyville qualified 5 individuals and all four relays.

 

• The one athlete to watch at state in the sprints could be Broc Smith (Tuscola HS). He turned in some spectacular times in winning the 100 (10.82) and 200 (21.92). Corey Kersey (Neoga HS) won the Triple Jump with a 1A best 47-0 ¼. Kersey also won the Long Jump (21-6 ½).

Sparta Sectional

Highlights

• Sparta scored 115 points to win their own sectional. They qualified nine to state next week. The top performance of the meet was that of Mitchell Hooten (Red Bud HS) winning the Discus (155-7).

 

Tolono Unity Sectional

Highlights

• St. Joseph-Ogden qualified seven to next week’s state meet winning the team championship with 108 points. Tolono Unity was next with 80 points.

 

• Distance races ran wild in this meet. Jon Davis (Oakwood HS, Fithian) won two great races against Nick Hess (St. Thomas More HS, Champaign). Davis used a strong finish to win the 3200 Meter Run (9:22.62) just ahead of Hess (9:24.26). The same scenario held true in the 1600. It was Davis and his kick that gave him the edge winning the event (4:29.00) again ahead of Hess (4:30.62). Andrew Warnes (Unity HS, Tolono) won the 800 Meter Run (1:57.57) just a half second ahead of Sam Powers (St. Thomas More HS, Champaign).