By Michael Newman

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Here are the ILXCTF Illinois Boys Athletes of the Year in the three classifications in the Sprint/Hurdles Events. Congratulations to all the athletes that were recognized for these honors.

3A Boys

It was not a hard decision in this category. Plainfield North’s Marcellus Moore put up performances worthy of a senior athlete. The thing is that he just finished his sophomore season with two more years to watch him run some fast times.

Moore set a state record when he ran 10.31 to win the 3A state championship at 100-meters. He came back to run 21.30 in the finals to win the 200 Meter Dash. The week before at the Plainfield South Sectional, Moore ran 20.88, the second fastest time in Illinois State history, at that distance. It is only a matter of time before Moore captures that record. He also pushed Plainfield North to a third-place team finish by anchoring the 400 and 800 Meter Relays to state championships.

Recognition also goes out to Rock Island’s Courtney Lindsey. The senior pushed Moore in both the sectional and state races finishing second in both the 100 and 200 Meter Dash.

Congratulations to Marcellus Moore, a sophomore at Plainfield North High School in Plainfield, as the 2018 ILXCTF Illinois 3A Boys Sprint/Hurdles Athlete of the Year.

2A Boys

It was a tough choice in this classification since there was not one dominating athlete in this category.

Ronald Reed of Decatur MacArthur came back from some personal issues to capture the 2A Boys State Championship in the 100 Meter Dash just seven hundredths of a second ahead of Sterling’s Nyrel Sullivan. Rich Central’s VanHarvey Vance bounced back after finishing eighth at 100-meters and second at 400-meters to win the state championship at 200-meters.

Stephen Migut of Tolono Unity also had a good state meet. He finished second in the 110 High Hurdles behind a great 13.98 run by Tinley Park’s Solomon Wilson-Smith. Migut came back to win the state championship in the 300 Hurdles.

Vance’s performances at state were good. The time by Wilson-Smith was great but he did not make it to the finals in the 300 Hurdles. There was not a blemish in Migut’s state meet and his performances during the season. That gave him the edge.

Congratulations to Steven Migut, a senior at Unity High School in Tolono, as the 2018 ILXCTF Illinois 2A Boys Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Year.

1A Boys

It’s tough to win a state championship. It is tougher to repeat a state championship in the same event. How about winning back-to-back state titles in two events? That is what Sterling Newman Catholic’s Easton Bianchi accomplished.

The senior struggles through the early part of the outdoor season with injuries. When the spotlight was turned on for the state meet, Bianchi was ready. He ran 10.60 to win the 100 Meter Dash by almost three tenths of a second. Bianchi came back to run 21.73 to win the 200 Meter Dash with Colfax-Ridgeview’s Mason Barr a distant second (22.41). Those performances locked Bianchi for this honor for the second straight year.

Hats off also go to AJ Christensen of Forreston who had a good senior season winning state championships in the 110 Highs and the 300 Intermediates.

Congratulations to Easton Bianchi, a senior at Newman Central Catholic High School in Sterling, as the 2018 ILXCTF 1A Boys Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Year.