Photo: There could be more in store for Freeport’s Deion McShane including his IHSA State Meet Record in the 300 Hurdles (Laura Duffy Photo)

By Michael Newman

[email protected]

It is usually the sprints that take center stage at the IHSA State Track & Field Championships. In 2018 in Class 2A, it will be the two hurdle events that will be in the spotlight.

That happens when you have the top two athletes in the discipline competing against each other. It started at last year’s state gathering when 1A champion Bret Dannis of Peru St. Bede had his school move into 2A. There awaited Deion McShane of Freeport. The year before, McShane had won the 300 Hurdles as a sophomore.

It was a draw last year. Dannis ran 13.93 to win the 110 Meter High Hurdles as McShane ran 14.22 to finish second. The tables turned in the 300 Meter Hurdles as McShane shocked the capacity crowd at O’Brien Stadium by setting a new IHSA Meet Record (36.53). Dannis was a second back as the runner-up.

The two athletes will push each other to some unbelievable times in this campaign. It is hard to imagine one standing solo in the spotlight.

There is nothing wrong with the 2A sprints. They will be almost as strong especially with the addition of East St. Louis-Senior into the 2A classification. The Flyers look extremely strong and deep in the sprint events and should be the favorite to win the 2A team championship. But, state championships are not won on paper.

Here is a look at each of the five individual events that will take place in this discipline. We will also preview the three sprint relays.

100 METER DASH

Top Returnees

Notes – The top three athletes in this event have graduated including last year’s winner Roderick McMiller. That does not mean that there will be a drop off in this event to decide who the fastest is in 2A. As we start this 2018 season, 14 runners are back that ran 11-seconds or faster. The runner with the fastest returning time is Jarrell Anderson of East St. Louis-Senior who had a seasonal best of 10.73. Anderson did qualify for state last year but did not make the finals. The scenario could be different this spring for this senior.

The talent behind him is impressive. Brett Schenck of Princeton, Romell Clark of Dunbar, and Nyrell Sullivan of Sterling took the fourth through sixth places in last year’s final. We will have to wait and see who will step up in this event. We could get a kind of idea by the time we get to the Illinois Top Times Championships at the end of March. Ronald Reed of Decatur MacArthur was on fire last indoor season including winning the ITT 2A 60 Meter Dash. He did run 10.85 during the regular season but missed making the state finals by one spot. He improved his time down to 10.80 at the AAU Junior Olympics in July. We will see if last year’s state experience takes him to the next level.

200 METER DASH

Top Returnees

Notes – Three athletes are back that ran under 22-seconds last year. Deion McShane finished second in last year’s finals and is the only runner returning from that race. It could be an event that East St. Louis-Senior could have a stranglehold on. Jarrel Anderson ran 21.76 last season and Anthony Bartley had a seasonal best of 21.81. Bartley did make it to the 3A State Meet but did not make it to the finals. Anderson did not. The two teammates could get some big points for their team.

The next seven runners coming back are all within two tenths of a second of each other. We had talked about Seth Groom of Marmion Academy in our field event preview. He has a good chance to finish among the top five at the end of May. Bret Dannis is known for his hurdling skills. He could place high in this event. Gavin Jaime of Providence Catholic qualified in all three sprint events in 3A last year. The drop of classification for his school could mean important things for this senior.

Marcus Coleman of St. Rita, Darreon West of Cahokia, and VanHarvey Vance of Rich Central are also in the mix towards the front. Any of these runners could find a spot in the finals perhaps finishing in the top five places.

400 METER DASH

Top Returnees

Notes – This event should be great this season. It might take under 48-seconds to win in the state finals. East St. Louis-Senior should make their presence known again in this event. Three of the top five returning at this distance are all from this school led by 3A second-place finisher Deante Anderson. Sophomores Willie Johnson and Marcus Lampley will battle for the other spot for the team.

Why I think the winning final time will be under 48 is because defending 2A champion VanHarvey Vance returns. Vance won the title last year by more than a second. He will have more pressure with Anderson around. Hence, the sub-48 second possibility.

Gavin Jaime finished sixth in last year’s 3A finals and will also be a threat in the front. Brandon Bretz of Mahomet-Seymour finished third in 2A while Nick Schwarzendruber of Geneseo finished seventh. Both will strive for top five finishes.

110 METER HIGH HURDLES

Top Returnees

Notes – Both hurdle events are loaded heading into this season. Let’s start with the shorter of the two where six of the top seven placing athletes all are back. Bret Dannis dropped his time under 14-seconds last year running 13.93. We could see a time under 13.7 from this talented senior. Deion McShane dropped his personal best down from 14.45 to 14.22 last year finishing second. A time under 14-seconds is possible for him. Will that be close enough to Dannis?

Steven Migut of Tolono Unity, Solomon Wilson-Walls of Tinley Park, and Reed Vanderheyden of Geneseo all had times within four hundredths of a second of each other with Migut’s time the fastest (14.32). All three could challenge for one of the top spots this season.

Niko Neal of Harrisburg finished fifth in the finals. Finn Schirmer of Marengo is the only other runner under 15 seconds. Both could challenge for all-state top nine finishes.

Also watch for Da’Veyun Towers of Cahokia, Colton Pischke of Geneseo, and Stuart Adkinson of Marion as some of the athletes to watch to challenge for a spot in the state finals.

300 METER HURDLES

Top Returnees

Notes – We did think that Deion McShane could run under 37 seconds in the finals at last year’s state finals. It shocked those in attendance that he would run in the mid-36’s. The 36.53 time was a shocker. It would not be shocking if he lowers his IHSA State Record. His form is good, not great over hurdles. He does have the speed to drop it a little lower. Perhaps dropping near 36.2 seconds. Maybe under 36-seconds. He showed it is possible with his race last year.

This is another loaded event with eight of last year’s finalists back. Why McShane’s time could drop even lower is that Bret Dannis and Reed Vanderheyden, who finished second and third last year, were under 38-seconds and two of the fastest in the state regardless of classification. They could get close to 37-seconds.

Steven Migut, Niko Neal, Solomon-Wilson-Walls, Niko Neal, McKimmon Englehardt of Aurora Central Catholic, and Jared Harrison of Dixon were all-state last year and under 39.3 with their seasonal bests. Finn Schirmer and Stuart Adkinson were under 40-seconds. A chance at the state finals could be within their reach.

4x100 METER RELAY

2017 Top Times

Notes – East St. Louis-Senior should be the team to beat in this event. They return three from the team that finished third in the 3A finals led by Deonte and Jarrell Anderson. Rich Central could be the Flyers chief competition. They return all their quartet that ran 42.16 to win the 2A state title.

Montini, who finished second last year, return three from that team but will need to replace anchor Mitch West. Mascoutah made the finals last year with two freshmen in their lineup. Three return from that squad with hopes of finishing higher than seventh.

Cahokia just missed making the finals last year but did run 42.14 during the season. Two return for the Comanches. Peru St. Bede, with Bret Dannis in their lineup, and Urbana have good groups returning that could be in the mix of making the finals.

4x200 METER RELAY

2017 Top Times

Notes – It should be East St. Louis-Senior and Rich Central challenging again for the title in this event. Rich Central is the 2A defending champion in this relay and return all their runners led by anchor Sean Tyler. East St. Louis-Senior just missed winning the 3A title by seven hundredths of a second. They have two runners back from that team. Their time from last year was more than a second ahead that of Rich Central.

Cahokia has a strong history of successfully passing a baton around the track in Charleston. Darreon West and Elijah Rice, both juniors, lead this young team. They will be ready when the time is right. This could be a wide-open event behind these three teams. Sterling finished fifth in 2017 and return three. Springfield Lanphier and Montini are some of the teams to also watch.

4x400 METER RELAY

2017 Top Times

Notes – Hard to bet against East St. Louis-Senior in this relay. They won the 3A title in this event with two of their group coming back. They do have 4 runners in the top returning 13 runners at 400-meters. Deonte Anderson and Willie Johnson should be the nucleus of this team that ran 3:14.76 in last year’s finals.

Will any team get within five seconds of the Flyers in this relay? It is wide-open right now with Burlington Central, who return their entire third-place quartet, the team that has the best chance of getting close. Cahokia ran 3:19.70 during last season. They are a perennial favorite in this relay. All four runners that ran for the Comanches in last year’s prelims have graduated. It will be interesting to see who steps up for this group.

Geneseo and Thornridge, who took the top two places last year, return two runners from their teams. Rantoul finished seventh in last year’s finals and could be the surprise in this event. They return three led by sophomore Jerry Harper. Morgan Park and Metamora have good squads back that could make a run for a top five finish.