Photo: Marmion Academy’s Seth Groom has a good chance to win three field events this May in Charleston (Laura Duffy Photo)

By Michael Newman

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Marmion Academy’s Seth Groom accomplished a triple in the field events at last year’s state met by finishing second in the Long Jump, Triple Jump, and High Jump. In 2018, he would like to take one step higher on the state meet podium.

Groom is not a lock to complete this task, but I would not doubt that he could do it. His mental preparation showed last year going back and forth from the High Jump and the Triple Jump indoors at the Illinois Top Times Championships last March. In that meet, he won all three of those events. He scored 24 of his team’s 26 points as Marmion finished in a tie for ninth overall. One place higher (x3) could move the Cadets into trophy contention. They can count on Groom for that.

Tyler Carrell of Urbana won the Pole Vault last year in Charleston. He is the only state champion of the six field event disciplines that is back. Opportunity is there in the five other events for fresh faces to step to the top of the podium at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Stadium.

Here is a look at each of the six 2A Field events for the 2018 season.

LONG JUMP

Top Returnees

Notes – Four athletes that picked up all-state medals are back in this event led by Seth Groom’s second-place finish. Groom had a seasonal best of 22-10 that could go longer this spring. There are quality athletes behind this Marmion jumper. Jaden Lacy of Marion (fourth-place) and Nyrell Sullivan of Sterling (eighth-place) both went past 22-7 last season. They could be in the 23-feet atmosphere with Groom.

Deion McShane of Freeport showed his quality placing all-state four times in last year’s state meet including fifth in this discipline. He improved by more than a foot from the year before jumping 22-4 at state to finish fifth. I would not overlook him. JJ Calvin of Kankakee made last year’s finals and could be among the top five this season. Brendan Meng of Freeburg, Vantress Herron of Hillcrest, and Leondre Pollard of Thornridge all went past 22-feet last year. They are some of the athletes that I would keep an eye on.

East St. Louis-Senior’s move down to 2A this spring will move some quality athletes into events across the 2A board. One that could be a factor in this event is Alphonso Rice. As a sophomore last season, Rice jumped 23-0 (wind-aided?) at last year’s Alton Frosh/Soph Invitational. He did not jump any further than 20-4.25 the rest of the outdoor season. He is an athlete that I would keep an eye on. The potential is there to unleash a big jump.

TRIPLE JUMP

Top Returnees

Notes – It could come down to Cahokia’s Andra Ward and Marmion Academy’s Seth Groom challenging for the title in this event. Groom finished second, Ward third in the 2017 finals. Ward enters this season with the leading returning best 47-1 while Groom jumped 46-4. Let’s see how far they can go in this campaign. Belvidere’s Kalen Murray jumped 44-7 to finish seventh last year. He is the only other all-state athlete in this event returning.

East St. Louis-Senior will have athletes evident on this event. Raymond Mix jumped 45-9.5 in his conference meet. He did not make it to state finishing eighth in his sectional meet. He could push Ward and Groom for the win. Elijah Felton jumped 43-11 as a sophomore last season and is the sixth returnee on 2A. I would also keep an eye on him.

We could see some newcomers jump into the top five like Freeburg’s Brendan Meng, Donte Jones of Centralia, and Levi Williams of Tolono Unity. Ward and Groom will be the athletes to watch. Any of several athletes could jump their way into the top five.

HIGH JUMP

Top Returnees

Notes – Seth Groom, Ethan Poston, and Karl Wright of Springfield Lanphier lead this event heading into this season all clearing 6-8 last season. Groom finished second at state while Poston placed fifth. Wright and his teammate A’Jonte Lee, who cleared 6-7 last year, did not make the finals. That experience could propel the two to higher places in 2018. These are the only four athletes that return that cleared 6-5 or better outdoors last season.

Jonathan Decker and Levi Williams of Tolono Unity as well as Zhamond Lawson of Decatur MacArthur all tied for eighth in last year’s finals. Maurice Corbett of Kankakee, Edgar Jones of East St. Louis-Senior, and Saul Serna of Kewanee were the only other athletes back that cleared 6-4 outdoors. They are some of the athletes that I would keep an eye on.

POLE VAULT

Top Returnees

Notes – The future in the Pole Vault in this state could be Tyler Carrel. The sophomore from Urbana won the state championship last season clearing 15-10. We could see him establishing some higher personal bests as the season progresses. We said the same thing about Luke Winder when he set the state record a couple of years ago but look at what Zachery Bradford is doing now. We could be saying the same thing about Carrel in a couple of years.

This could be a tough event in 2A as five other athletes that earned all-state honors return. The one athlete, however, to keep an eye on is Callan Whitehouse of Mahomet-Seymour. His junior season was slowed down by a hand injury. He was forced to miss most of the season. He did come back in the middle of May to clear a personal best of 15-0 at a meet at his school. Whitehouse did make it to state but did not clear a height in the finals. Those experiences could put him in a higher position by the end of the year.

The all-state athletes coming back include Jadon Elliott of Troy Triad, Jack Pompe of Dunlap, Kyle Kruthoff of Erie-Prophetstown, Alec Morrissey of Effingham, and Dayton Black of Charleston. A couple of these athletes could surpass the 15-foot by the end of the season.

SHOT PUT

Top Returnees

Notes – Three-time champion Sam Sikon has graduated. This will be an interesting event to follow since only two athletes that finished in the top are back. Austin Klokkenga of Dunlap had a 53-4.75 throw that leads all 2A athletes heading into this season. The senior finished sixth in the state finals. The one athlete that we should keep an eye on is Mahomet-Seymour’s Hunter Hendershot. He threw 52-11 as a freshman last year while finishing seventh at state. He could be the future of this event in 2A for the next three years.

This event is wide-open. Austin Kasap of Metamora made the finals last year and could be among the top five. Harley Russell of Mt. Zion, Darreon Perkins of Cahokia, Zach Matson of Prairie Central, and Tyler Sudduth of Rich South had seasonal bests past 50-feet last season. One of these athletes could challenge for the state title. Cody Von Alven of Springfield Lanphier, Derek Brown of Eureka, and John Currie of Carterville are some of the athletes to also watch for.

DISCUS

Top Returnees

Notes – There is more established talent in this event compared to the Shot Put. Five all-state athletes are back led by last year’s fourth-place finisher Jordan Hawkins. The senior had a seasonal best of 178-7. Harley Russell, who finished fifth at state, had a seasonal best of 172-9 and is the only other athlete besides Hawkins that returns with a 160-foot or better best. Nathan Harman of Monticello, Hunter Hendershot, and Tyler Sudduth all made the state podium last season. They will look for a higher place in 2018.

Trey Wideman of Sycamore threw 159-6 last season and could be one of the athletes to watch for. Jackson Ivers of Waterloo and Clay Alewelt of Rochester are some of the other athletes to also keep a watch for.