Photo: Glenbard West started off the weekend by running the state’s fastest time this season in the 3200 Meter Relay (Laura Duffy Photo)

 

By Michael Newman

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By the time this season is over at the end of May, this statement will sound like a broken record:
John Meyer sets new all-time Illinois state record in the Shot Put.

Friday night at the Homewood-Flossmoor Boys ABC Invitational, Meyer improved his personal best in only his third competition of the year. He went two inches further with a 68-6 put. That performance also keeps him on top of the national TFX Leaderboard. He is almost two feet ahead of the rest of the Shot Put athletes in the nation.

The best is still yet to come. You will hear me say that again and again in the next few months.

The first weekend of March is the kickoff for what will be a flurry of indoor meets in the next month across the state leading up to the Illinois Top Times Championships at the end of the month.

Good performances? That would be correct.

Here is a look at some of the highlights from this past weekend. You can also read about the NCC Cardinal HS Girls Classic last Thursday and the Windy City Pole Vault Summit that took place on Saturday.

 

YORK BOYS INVITATIONAL

It is usually the distance events that take control in this meet at the Joe Newton Fieldhouse. The short sprints caught the attention of the capacity crowd Friday night. Cedric Rowzee of Wheaton-Warrenville South went onto the radar of sprint observers in this state with a pair of wins. It was a showdown between the junior and the defending 3A 100 and 200 Meter Champion Declan Rustay of Hoffman Estates. Rowzee led all qualifiers in the prelims of the 55 Meter Dash as he ran 6.55. Rustay cruised through his heat easily winning in 6.64. The two were in adjacent lanes for the finals. Rustay got off to a great start, but Rowzee had the final word catching him in the final ten meters. Rowzee crossed the line in a personal best 6.53 (IL #2) with Rustay was next in 6.60 (IL #5).

Rowzee came back with a convincing win in the 200 Meter Dash (22.97) ahead of St. Charles North’s Peter Willis (23.70). Rustay did some relay work for his team the rest of the meet. He led off Hoffman Estates’ 800 Meter Relay that easily won their section and finished third overall. Rustay ran a strong third leg in the 1600 Meter Relay as Hoffman Estates finished second overall (3:37.31).

Sectional rivals Wheaton-Warrenville South and host York challenged each other for the first of four times this season with the Tigers having the advantage in this meet. South pulled away in the final four events to win the team title with 135 points. York scored 123 points to finish second. Hoffman Estates scored 83.5 points to finish third.

Part of York’s success on this night was their strong showing in the distance events as the Dukes won five of the six events. Their “B” section 3200 Meter Relay squad started that off by running 8:33.34 to win by more than three seconds ahead of Hersey. In the Varsity 3200 Meter Relay, a strong third leg by Tim Stevenson broke the race wide-open for York. The quartet of Jackson Bode, Daniel Klysh, Stevenson, and Mark Morgan ran 8:14.13 (IL #6) to win ahead of Palatine (8:18.13) and Hersey (8:20.32).

The 3200 Meter Run was extremely tactical as the pack led by York’s Sean MacGregor went through the first 1600-meters in 4:56. MacGregor controlled the pace throughout as six runners were close together entering the final lap of the race. Wheaton-Warrenville South’s Scott Maison and Jacob Kluckhohn pushed to the lead with MacGregor close behind. MacGregor had the final say as he took the lead for good in the final 25-meters crossing the line for the win (9:41.65) just ahead of Maison (9:42.03) and Kluckhohn (9:43.45). The top six runners in that race finished within five seconds of each other.

York’s Ethan Kern and Jackson Bode controlled the pace in the 800 Meter Run as the two led the pack through a 61 second first 400-meters. Kern pulled away in the final lap for the win (2:02.90) ahead of Bode (2:03.53) and St. Charles East’s Campbell Koch (2:05.55). Kern and Tim Stevenson controlled the pace for the first 800-meters of the 1600 Meter Run. In the second half of the race, it was first Hersey’s Josh Methner that moved ahead in the lead. The final lap belonged to Wheaton-Warrenville South’s Sean Maison as he pulled ahead for the win (4:27.83). The finish for second was separated by less than three tenths of a second with Nate Cozine of Prospect (4:29.30) edging ahead of Methner (4:29.35) and Kern (4:29.58).

Another York sophomore, Daniel Klysh, made a move in the final 15-meters to win the 600 Meter Run (1:26.64, IL #10) edging St. Charles East’s Mitch Gansemere (1:26.97).

Hoffman Estates’ PJ Rodriguez was the meet’s other double winner besides Rowzee. Rodriguez won both hurdle races. His time of 7.98 (IL #6) was good enough to win the 55-High’s ahead of Wheaton-Warrenville South’s Joe Zubak (8.22). Rodriguez was also in charge in winning the 55-lows (7.61) once again of Zubak (7.82).

Wheaton-Warrenville South and York traded wins in the other two varsity relays. York had the lead early as they held off South to win the 800 Meter Relay (IL #8). Wheaton-Warrenville South was in control for most of the 1600 Meter Relay winning in 3:34.24.

 

HOMEWOOD-FLOSSMOOR A-B-C BOYS INVITATIONAL

Besides Meyer’s 68-6 throw in the Shot Put, there was some great performances in this meet. Homewood-Flossmoor’s Joshua Bridges continues to impress as he ran some quick times in winning two events on Friday night. Bridges equaled his seasonal best of 6.88 to win the 60 Meter Dash ahead of Crete-Monee’s Jamal Sofo (7.08). Sofo has the state’s fastest time in the 55 Meter Dash (6.48). Bridges established a new personal best in the 200 Meter Dash (22.21, IL #4) with the win ahead of Huntley’s Dubem Anikamadu (22.82). Safo also picked up a win in the 400 Meter Dash (51.32). Crete-Monee’s Victor Cameron won the 60 Meter Hurdles (8.36, IL #6) outdistancing Fremd’s Ben Konopka (8.54).

EJ Burress of Homewood-Flossmoor had the best field event performance other than Meyer’s throw jumping a personal best 22-8.75 (IL #4) in winning the Long Jump.

Alec Hill of Hinsdale Central dropped his track personal best in the 3200 Meter run by 26-seconds as he won the event running 9:37.22 (IL #9).

The relay times will drop even lower at Monday’s DGS Mustang Relays. Homewood-Flossmoor ran the state’s fourth fastest time (8:13.98) in winning the 3200 Meter Relay just ahead of Hinsdale Central (8:14.07, IL #6). Huntley ran 1:33.56 (IL #7) in winning the 800 Meter Relay.

 

CHARGER CLASSIC @ UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS ARMORY

Callan Whitehouse of Mahomet-Seymour had a great day in the Pole Vault as he cleared a personal best of 15-6. That only gave him second-place in the event. That was because Zachery Bradford of Bloomington was in the event. Bradford started his competition at 16-6 clearing that on his first attempt as well as 17-0. He set a new meet record when he cleared 17-4 on his third and final attempt.

Danville ran the state’s fastest time in the 3200 Meter Relay as they won the event (8:06.36) ahead of Plainfield North (8:13.53, IL #2). The 1600 Meter Relay also produced some fast times as Bloom Township ran 3:30.32 (IL #3) finishing ahead of Mahomet-Seymour (3:33.94) and Danville (3:34.46). Bloom also took home top honors in the 800 Meter Relay (1:33.03, IL #2) finishing more than a second ahead of Belleville West (1:34.76).

Marcellus Moore of Plainfield North was the meet’s only double winner in the Class A events. Moore easily won the 60 Meter Dash (7.02) ahead of Geneva’s Andrew Olenek (7.19). Moore margin of victory in the 200 Meter Dash was even more convincing as he ran 22.01 to win by over a second ahead of Plainfield South’s Reese Kocanda (23.42).

Mahomet-Seymour’s Mathias Powell has his sites set on a state championship this spring after finishing fourth last year in the 2A 3200 Meter Run. He ran the state’s second fastest time (9:18.97) in winning the race by 15 seconds ahead of 1A 3200 Meter Run state champion Logan Hall of Arthur-Lovington (9:33.79, IL #8).

Three runners were under two minutes in the 800 Meter Run led by the win from Danville’s Phillip Hall. The senior had earlier run on his team’s 3200 Meter Relay. He came back to run 1:57.98 (IL #3) to finish ahead of Glenbrook North’s Kyle Foley (1:59.09, IL #8) and Edwardsville’s Franky Romano (1:59.38).

 

HONONEGAH GIRLS INVITATIONAL @ ROCKFORD AUBURN

The story of the meet was the four wins from West Aurora’s Dajour Miles in helping her team to win the team title. Miles’ three invitational wins had so much to do with Lakes Community’s Taylor Tilmon. The two pushed each other in all three races. Miles had the edge in the 60 Meter Dash as she ran 7.72 for the win ahead of Tilmon’s 7.82 time (IL #10 tie). The two matched up again in the 400 Meter Dash. It was Miles again as she ran 56.04 to win by more than two seconds ahead of Tilmon (58.99). The two were the only athletes that finished under 60 seconds in this event. Miles third win of the day was when she ran 24.82 to win the 200 Meter Dash with Tilmon again second (25.38, IL #7). Miles ended her day by anchoring West Aurora’s 1600 Meter Relay to a win (4:08.65, IL #6) three seconds ahead of Belvidere North (4:11.31).

West Aurora could be one of the teams to watch in 3A this spring. One of the reasons why is because of the addition of Victoria Spagnola. The freshman younger sister of former state champion Emma Spagnola had a good day in her second high school meet. She started by winning the Long Jump (17-1). She went to the track and finished second in the 60 Meter Hurdles (9.38) just four hundredth of a second behind race winner Chloe Fare of Machesney Park Harlem (9.34). Spagnola also picked up a win in the seldomly run 200 Meter Hurdles (30.12) finishing ahead of Fare (30.31).

Madison Marasco of Schaumburg had the performance of the meet in winning the 800 Meter Run. Her time of 2:14.57 (IL #2) was ten seconds ahead of second-place Kayla McGuire of Belvidere North (2:24.32) and Brooke Delahanty of Rosary (2:24.98). Marasco also ran on Schaumburg’s 3200 Meter Relay squad that finished 12^th in the event. She also ran on their Distance Medley that ran 12:47.25 for the win by 35 seconds ahead of host Hononegah.

It was close at the end of the 1600 Meter Run as Lakes Community freshman Brooke Stromsland ran 5:11.92 for the win by more than a second ahead of Kaneland’s Rachel Richtman (5:13.20).

 

PROVISO WEST GIRLS INVITATIONAL

It was an “off-day” for Glenbard West’s Katelynne Hart on Saturday after running three races at North Central College Thursday night. (Hart ran 44.41 for 300-meters and led off Glenbard West’s 1600 Meter Relay). She did get to watch one of her chief “rivals” turn in a spectacular run in the 1600 Meter Run. Evanston Township’s Enyaeva Michelin was by herself the entire race as she broke five-minutes by running 4:59.10 (IL #2). She won by 33-seconds ahead of Glenbard West’s Chloe Connolly.

Katie Hohe of Glenbard West had run 2:21 and 5:08 two days before. She looked great in running 10:58.96 (IL #2) in winning the 3200 Meter Run just nine seconds ahead of DeKalb’s Katherine Olsen (11:06.38, IL #5).

DeKalb’s Brimonet Buggs was a double winner in the sprints. She started by running 7.30 (IL #3) to win the 55 Meter Dash finishing ahead of Proviso West’s Tanayea Kimbrough (7.36, IL #6). Buggs came back to run 25.93 to win the 200 Meter Dash. Imani Carothers of Brooks College Prep ran a state leading 8.09 to win the 55 Meter Hurdles by more than a half a second ahead of Lane Tech’s Natasha Bernett (8.68, IL #4). Carothers also won the Long Jump by two-feet with a 18-6 effort for the win.

Proviso West put up two impressive wins in the relays. Their quartet in the 800 Meter Relay ran 1:45.43 to win by more than three seconds ahead of Brooks College Prep (1:48.82). The Lady Panthers came back to win the 1600 Meter Relay (4:06.27, IL #2) to win by five seconds ahead of DeKalb.

 

BLOOMINGTON LADY RAIDER INVITATIONAL @ SHIRK CENTER

It was Springfield Southeast’s Serena Bolden that had the top performances in this meet. She won the Triple Jump with the best mark in the state so far this season (40-8.75). That performance puts her sixth nationally. She then stepped onto the track to win the 60 Meter Dash (7.78, IL #9) by almost two tenths of a second ahead of Homewood-Flossmoor’s Olivia Oliver (7.95). Bolden was also a part of the Lady Spartans’ two winning relays. Their 800 Meter Relay quartet ran 1:48.62 to win the event ahead of St. Joseph-Ogden (1:50.20). They dominated the 1600 Meter Relay running 4:09.45 (IL #7) to win by seven seconds ahead of Rock Island (4:16.10).

In a showdown of two of the top Girls’ athletes in the Shot Put, it was Bloomington’s Ellie Weltha who won the event (43-5.75) ahead of Thornwood’s Jasmine Mitchell (41-0). Olivia Oliver, who finished second in the 60 Meter Dash, was victorious in the 400 Meter Dash (1:00.96) and the Long Jump (17-4.50). Keep an eye on Windsor Roberts of Tri-Valley. The freshman cleared 12-0 (IL #2) to win the Pole Vault. She could be a factor in 1A this spring.

 

JACKSONVILLE INVITATIONAL @ ILLINOIS COLLEGE

One of the most underrated meets of the week took place in Central Illinois at Jacksonville’s Illinois College. There were some top performances in this two-day meet. The 1A meet on Saturday might have received the most attention.

CLASS 2A/3A (FRIDAY NIGHT)

In her final year of high school competition, Springfield’s Ozzy Erewele looks like she wants to be a difference maker in the events she is in. She did so in this meet. Erewele was dominant in the 60 Meter Dash running 7.59 (IL #3) to win ahead of Granite City’s Toni Rush (7.85). Erewele’s time is only one hundredth behind the state lead in the event held by Danville’s Ameia Wilson and St. Edward’s Bella Uscilla. It was the same story in the 200 Meter Dash. Erewele ran an indoor personal best of 25.07 (IL #7) finishing ahead of Rush by more than a second (26.15).

Dunlap won the 2A Girls team championship last spring and appear again to repeat that feat. The Eagles won two of the three relays on the Girls side of the meet with a win in the 1600 Meter Relay (4:14.49) and the 3200 Meter Relay (9:52.12). They won that race by 45 seconds.

They also had some 1-2 finishes on the track. They took the top two places in the 60 Meter Hurdles with Sarah Georgieff winning (9.53) ahead of teammate Brittany Rainey (9.67). Georgieff also won the 400 Meter Dash (1:01.18). It was a close 1600 Meter Run as Campbell Petersen led a 1-2 Dunlap sweep in the event as she ran 5:12.62 to finish ahead of teammate Franny Verville (5:19.26) and Staunton’s Lydia Roller (5:20.85). Earlier in the meet, Roller ran 2:25.96 to win the 800 Meter Run. Dunlap’s Aanise Sajna was a double winner jumping 17-9.75 to win the Long Jump and 34-6 to win the Triple Jump.

Rochester’s Josh Cable started his season on a high and close note. Cable ran 1:59.36 (IL #9) to win the Boys 800 Meter Run with Alton’s Cassius Havis six tenths of a second back (1:59.96). It was another close race in the 1600 Meter Run as Freeburg’s Charlie Parrish, who finished fourth at 800-meters, ran 4:33.79 for the win less than a second ahead of Cable (4:34.64).

CLASS 1A (SATURDAY)

The Boys 1600 Meter Run might have been the best race in the state from this past weekend. Jacob Bryan of Illini West used a 59 second final 400-meters to win the race (4:23.92, IL #5) ahead of Pittsfield’s Eli Ten Eyck (4:24.04, IL #6) and Athens’ Wyatt McEntyre (4:29.47). Illini West’s Connor Artman was a part of four wins in this meet. He went over 23-feet again in the Long Jump winning with a 23-4.25 effort. Artman was also tough on the track running 8.42 in the finals of the 60 Meter Hurdles. He was dominant also in the 60 Meter Dash as he ran 7.02 for the win ahead of Illini Bluffs’ Michael Hill (7.32). Hill also won the Triple Jump by three feet with a 42-5 indoor personal best. Artman and Bryan were also part of Illini West’s winning 1600 Meter Relay (3:35.39).

Andrew Bird of Warsaw continues to improve in the Shot Put. His 56-1 mark (#4) won by less than a foot ahead of Jackson Sheckler of Illini Bluffs (55-2, IL #8). Defending 1A State Champion Cameron Witts of Williamsville is on his game. He cleared 15-0 (IL #4) to win the Pole Vault.

Janiya Collins of Madison was a double winner in the Girls Meet. She was in command in the 60 Meter Dash as she ran 7.98 to win the 60 Meter Dash ahead of Faith Wyman of Trenton-Wesclin (8.21). Collins and DaeLin Switzer of St. Teresa both cleared 5-2 in the High Jump. Collins won the event on fewer misses. Katelyn Robbins of Liberty won the 1600 Meter Run (5:23.13) ahead of a tough field including second-place finisher Anna Heffren of Lewistown (5:28.43) and Caroline Jachino of Pleasant Plains (5:29.87).

 

UNIVERSITY HS INVITATIONAL @ ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY

Cahokia’s Andra Ward was a double winner in the horizontal jumps. He achieved two personal indoor bests with a 21-2.5 to win the Long Jump. Ward came back to jump a state leading 47-2 to win the Triple Jump ahead of Springfield’s Tyrone Treadwell (45-4).

Riley Wells of Rockford Christian continues to be tough to beat this indoor season. This included his 4:26.95 that he ran in the 1600 Meter Run for the win ahead of Matthew Blanco of Oswego East (4:27.05) and Blake Jones of Lincoln (4:31.32). Keep an eye on Riverton’s Shane Yamco who ran 2:00.16 to win the 800 Meter Run by two seconds in front of Matthew Marchbanks of Payton Prep (2:02.02).

Ameia Wilson of Danville won three events in the Girls side of this meet. Wilson jumped 17-9 to win the Long Jump by more than a foot. The story was the same in the sprints for Wilson. She ran 7.62 in the prelims and 7.64 in the finals for the win ahead of Homewood-Flossmoor’s Jacqueline Bassey (7.82). Wilson also ran 25.08 to win the 200 Meter Dash by more than a second ahead of Kenwood Academy’s Zakiya Johnson (26.17).

Delanie Dykes of Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley was a double winner running 1:00.34 to win the 400 Meter Dash and 2:30.37 to win the 800 Meter Run. The 1600 Meter Run was highly competitive as Shanice Garbutt of Danville ran 5:22.47 to win the 1600 Meter Run finishing ahead of 1A State XC Champion Emma Argo of Eureka (5:33.64).

Bolingbrook’s Kayla Walters picked up two wins in this meet. The junior ran 8.94 to win the 60 Meter Hurdles by eight hundredths of a second ahead of Homewood-Flossmoor’s Kaylah McCall (9.02). Walters also jumped 36-11 to win the Triple Jump.

 

SIU INVITATIONAL

This two-day meet started with the Girls meet on Friday evening. LaQwasia Stepney had a good evening competing for her new school Belleville West. The transfer from Cahokia was all-state in 2A in three events last spring. In her first indoor meet, Stepney ran 9.14 to win the 60 Meter Hurdles to win by just two hundredths of a second ahead of Monticello’s Emelia Ness (9.16). Stepney also jumped 16-10.5 to win the Long Jump.

Aliyah Welter of Monticello cleared a state leading 12-6 for the first of two times this weekend to win the Pole Vault. Lucy Rulon-Lux of St. Thomas More cleared 5-7 (IL #2) to win the High Jump. One of the closest finishes on the track was the 1600 Meter Run. Edwardsville’s Abby Korak ran 5:12.97 to win just three hundredths of a second ahead of Fran Hendrickson from St. Thomas More.

The Boys meet on Saturday produced some good performances. East St. Louis-Senior’s Raymond Mix won both horizontal jumps events. Mix jumped 45-1.5 (IL #3) to win the Triple Jump. He came back to jump 21-0 to win the Long Jump. East St. Louis-Senior did destroy the field in the 1600 Meter Relay running 3:28.67 to win by 14 seconds. Their luck was not so good as they were disqualified in the 800 Meter Relay. Mascoutah ran 1:34.65 to win the event.

Niko Neal of Harrisburg ran 8.23 (IL #4) to win the 60 Meter Hurdles as East St. Louis-Senior’s James Young ran 8.51 to finish second. In a close 1600 Meter Run where four runners finished within three seconds, Michael Rutkowski of Marion ran 4:29.45 to win ahead of Ryan Skowronski of Shelbyville (4:30.56).

 

COACH DIDOMENICO INVITATIONAL @ BATAVIA

Clayton Hannula of Kaneland had the top field event performance in this meet. The senior achieved a personal best of 59-5 (IL #2) to win the Shot Put with Elijah Green of Batavia finishing second (55-4, IL #7).

Brandon Adams of Minooka picked up two individual wins running 50.52 to win the 400 Meter Dash and 22.95 to win the 200 Meter Dash. Minooka also ran 3:34.24 without Adams to win the 1600 Meter Relay.

2A State Cross-Country Champion Matt Richtman of Kaneland won the 3200 Meter Run by 13 seconds with a 9:37.56 time. Brett Haffner of Hinsdale South won the 1600 Meter Run (4:27.49) finishing three seconds ahead of Batavia’s Adam Kennedy (4:30.59).