By Michael Newman

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Here are some of the highlights from last week’s 1A Boys Sectional Meets.

Chester

Nashville qualified 14 (12 individuals, 2 Relays) in winning this sectional with 158 points. Brandon Schnitker led the way winning both the 800 Meter Run (2:03.99) and the 400 Meter Dash (51.62). Schnitker also was part of Nashville’s winning 3200 Meter Relay (8:27.85) and 1600 Meter Relay (3:35.42).

Leo Catholic

Wednesday afternoon at Hanson Stadium, Leo Catholic won the sectional title with 120 points ahead of Hope Academy. The Lions qualified 11 (7 Individuals, 4 Relays) to this Thursday’s 1A prelims. FW Parker’s John McNabola will be a factor in Charleston in the distance events. McNabola ran 9:27.93 to win the 3200 Meter Run by more than a minute. McNabola came back to run 4:24.18 to win the 1600 Meter Run. Leo’s Dorian Woods won both the 100 Meter Dash (11.26) and the Long Jump (20-6). Leo Catholic’s 400 Meter Relay could make the podium on Saturday after winning 43.25 in this sectional race just ahead of Hope Academy (43.28).

DuQuoin

Pinckneyville started this sectional meet off by running 8:24.10 to win the 3200 Meter Relay. Grant Batteau was part of that relay. He came back to run 2:00.58 to win the 800 Meter Run. His teammate Garrett Johnson also came back from that relay to run 4:40.66 to win the 1600 Meter Run.

DuQuoin won the team title with 107 points ahead of Pinckneyville (99 points) and Vienna (89 points).

Erie-Prophetstown

One of the teams to watch could be Sterling Newman. The Comets scored 100 points to win the sectional crown ahead of Morrison and Amboy who each scored 64 points. Newman qualified eight led by two individual wins from Eastin Bianchi. The defending champion in the 100 and 200 advancing again in both of those events running 11.17 to win the 100 Meter Dash and 22.74 to win the 200 Meter Dash.

Spencer Mauch also got a win for Newman Catholic by running 4:37.13 to win the 1600 Meter Run. The best field event performance came from Erie-Prophetstown’s Kyle Kruhtoff. The junior cleared 15-6 to win the Pole Vault.

Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley

Colfax Ridgeview put themselves in position for a trophy at the state meet scoring 104 points in winning the sectional title. The Mustangs advanced 10 (7 Individuals, 3 Relays) to the state meet. Their success will come down to two athletes. Mason Barr qualified in three events winning the 110 Highs (14.93) and the 300 Intermediates (39.53). Barr also qualified in the 200 Meter Dash finishing second. His teammate Tate Walcott will be just as important for the Mustangs. Walcott won the Long Jump (23-5.75) and the 200 Meter Dash (22.57). Walcott also finished second in the 100 Meter Dash won by Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley’s Jonathan Muller (11.14).

Knoxville

Elmwood-Brimfield scored 96 points for the sectional title qualifying 8 (7 Individuals, 1 Relays) to the state meet. Elmwood’s Trevor Dunkel qualified in two events winning the 3200 Meter Run (9:55.48) ahead of teammate Luke Hoffmann (9:57.76) and the 1600 Meter Run (4:35.80). Elmwood’s team advanced in the 3200 Meter Relay winning the sectional race (8:17.74).

Farmington’s Judd Anderson qualified in both hurdle races winning the 110 Highs (15.12) and the 300 Intermediates (39.36).

Litchfield

Madison dominated in the team competition winning the sectional title with 141 points. Carlinville was the next closest team in the standings (108 points). Madison could be a team to keep an eye on at state as they qualified 15 (13 individuals, 2 relays).

Eric Griffin of Madison won both the 100 Meter Dash (11.17) and the 200 Meter Dash (22.92). Madison teammates Kendall Kennedy and Dontez Pittman traded off wins in the hurdles. Kennedy ran 15.35 in the 110 Highs finishing ahead of Pittman (15.62). The order changed in the 300 Intermediates with Pittman (39.68) ahead of Kennedy (41.68).

Riverton’s Shane Yamco was a double winner running 1:58.28 to win the 800 Meter Run and 4:30.36 to win the 1600 Meter Run. Alphonso Rice of Madison had a huge 22-6 jump to win the Long Jump. Carlinville’s Daniel Card won both the Shot Put (48-2) and the Discus (141-5).

Newton

Palestine’s Negus Bogard picked up wins in all three of the distance races. Bogard ran 10:04.13 to win the 3200 Meter Run followed by running 1:59.97 to win the 800 Meter Run. He completed the triple by winning the 1600 Meter Run (4:39.81).

Robinson won the sectional title (82 points) qualifying five to the state meet led by their team in the 3200 Meter Relay running 8:19.84 for the win ahead of Marshall (8:22.97). Kyle Carver of Casey-Westfield won both the 110 Highs (14.48) and the 300 Intermediates (40.60). Nate Brown of Altamont was king of the ring winning the Shot Put (50-0) and the Discus (159-10).

Oregon

Two of the top 1A teams in the state faced off in this sectional that we could see on top of the podium at the end of Saturday. Rockford Christian scored 123 points for the sectional win ahead of Forreston (114-points). The Royal Lions qualified 15 (11 Individuals, 4 Relays) while Forreston qualified 11 (9 Individuals, 2 Relays) to state this weekend.

One of the bigger surprises in this race was in the 800 Meter Run as Ian Hussung of Oregon ran 2:01.05 to edge defending state champion Riley Wells of Rockford Christian (2:01.58) for the win. Hussung also won the 1600 Meter Run (4:32.24) ahead of Rockford Christian’s Brett Brunner (4:33.37). Wells came back to anchor Rockford Christian to the win in the 1600 Meter Relay (3:26.55) ahead of Forreston (3:28.76).

AJ Christensen will be a key for Forreston in the relays as well as the two individual events that he qualified in. Christensen ran 14.87 to win the 110 Highs and 38.72 to win the 300 Intermediates. Brady Webb of Forreston jumped 21—11.50 to win the Long Jump.

Rushville-Industry

Pleasant Plains scored 128.33 points to win the sectional title ahead of Rushville-Industry (95 points) and Illini West (81 points). Pleasant Plains qualified 10 to Thursday prelims. The question is if Illini West can get on the awards podium Saturday afternoon on the strength of Connor Artman and Jacob Bryan?

Illini West qualified eight individuals led by Connor Artman and his four events. Artman won four events in this meet starting with a 22-11 jump to win the Long Jump and 43-6 effort to win the Triple Jump. Artman was perfect in the hurdles winning the 110 Highs (14.83) and the 300 Intermediates (39.37). Jacob Bryan ran 2:01.75 to win the 800 Meter Run. Bryan finished second behind Rushville-Industry’s Charly Tshibuabia in the 400 Meter Dash (50.70). Tshibuabia also qualified in the 100 Meter Dash and won the 200 Meter Dash (22.34).

Andy Bird of Warsaw threw 55-6 to win the Shot Put. Bird had a 158—3 throw to finish second in the Discus behind Pleasant Plains’ Chase Schmitt and his 160-7 winning throw.

Seneca

Westmont won the team title on Friday in this sectional with 81 points ahead of Seneca (74 points) and Walther Christian (67 points). Westmont was made by the triple win from Kyle Casper. The senior jumped 42-5.50 in the Triple Jump for the win. Casper swept both hurdle races running 14.96 in the 110 Highs and 39.93 to win the 300 Intermediates.

Walther Christian’s Charles Stamps Jr. won both the 100 Meter Dash (11.07) and the 200 Meter Dash (22.92). Seneca’s Christopher Collet won both the 3200 Meter Run (9:51.08) and the 1600 Meter Run (4:36.86).

Shelbyville

It was a win for host Shelbyville in this sectional scoring 92 points for the sectional title ahead of Tuscola (81 points) and Arthur-Lovington (73 points). Hunter Woodward of Tuscola was the meet’s double winner as he won both the Shot Put (58-6.50) and the Discus (146-2). Jadon Nuzzo of Sullivan led seven athletes qualifying in the Pole Vault with his 14-9 winning clearance.

Logan Hall of Arthur-Lovington ran a solo 9:29.60 to win the 3200 Meter Run. Hall came back to run a quick 4:16.81 to win the 1600 Meter Run. Ryan Skowronski of Shelbyville, who finished second behind Hall in the 1600, earlier ran 2:00.20 to win the 800 Meter Run.

Shelbyville’s Turner Pullen was in front in both hurdle races winning the 110 Highs (15.42) and the 300 Intermediates (41.41).

St. Joseph-Ogden

Salt Fork could be a surprise in the team standings this weekend in Charleston. The Storm scored 109 points to win the sectional title as they qualified 11 (8 Individuals, 3 Relays) to the state meet. Warrensburg-Latham’s Diondre Lewis will be one of the favorites in the state sprints. Lewis ran 11.02 to win the 100 Meter Dash and finished second in the 200 Meter Dash behind Salt Fork’s Max Branigan.

Salt Fork’s Payton Taylor won the Shot Put (47-0) and the Discus (141-9). Riley Baker of St. Joseph-Ogden ran 38.87 to win the 300 Intermediates ahead of Salt Fork’s Caine Wilson (39.60). Baker’s teammate Braden Pridemore ran 4:32.55 to win the 1600 Meter Run. Jorden Tedford of Warrensburg-Latham won both the High Jump (6-1) and the Triple Jump (41-8).

Tremont

It was the host Tremont that won the sectional title (87 points) ahead of El Paso-Gridley (75 points) and Williamsville (71 points). 1A State Cross Country champion Wyatt McIntyre won two distance races in this sectional. McIntyre ran 9:40.04 to win the 3200 Meter Run and came back to run 4:30.20 to win the 1600 Meter Run ahead of his brother Noah (4:37.63). Williamsville ran 8:15.90 to win the 3200 Meter Relay ahead of Tremont (8:20.51). Illini Bluffs’ Jackson Sheckler tuned up for state with a 58-2.5 mark to win the Shot Put. His teammate Michael Hill was a double winner in the Long Jump (21-1) and the Triple Jump (43-4.75).