2023 Illinois National Meets Highlights

 

Hinsdale Central repeats as Nike Outdoor Nationals 4x800m Relay Champions; run US #2 All-time in process

 

By Michael Newman

 

Aden Bandukwala, Michael Skora, Grant Miller, and Dan Watcke ventured out to Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon to repeat as the Nike Outdoor Nationals Champions in the 4x800m Relay. What they had as they left the track Friday evening was another national title, the second fastest prep time in United States History, and memories.

 

Nike Outdoor Nationals Results | Nike Outdoor Nationals Videos

New Balance Nationals Outdoor Results | New Balance Nationals Outdoor Videos

adidas Outdoor Nationals Results

 

Hinsdale Central led through most of the race Friday evening to run 7:29.20 to win the NON title in the relay for the second year in a row. The Red Devils rewrote their Illinois State best that they set last year. Their quartet ran the second fastest time in United States prep history just missing the national record set by Long Beach Poly in this meet in 2011 (7:28.75).

 

“I’m really going to miss running with these guys,” Watcke said after the race. “This means a lot. It is really cool going out on top and finishing it on your home track.”

 

The first leg of the race gave an idea of what would happen in this seven and a half minutes of running. Bandukwala stretched out the pack early with the lead at 400-meters and had the lead at the first exchange with a 1:51.48 split. Vestavia Hills AL was the closest team to Hinsdale as they were more than a second back.

 

Skora pulled away from the Alabama team running a second leg of 1:54.22. Grant Miller ran the third leg of 1:55.22 with Vestavia Hills third runner Max Armstrong running a third leg of 1:52 to give them a slight advantage ahead of Hinsdale Central. Vestavia Hills had their state champion Alex Leath anchoring their quartet. Watcke got the baton in good position as he described afterwards and stayed with Leath for 650 meters of the anchor leg when Watcke decided to win the race.

 

Naperville Central ran a season’s best of 7:42.64 to finish fifth overall while earning All-American honors behind the quartet of Samuel Barnard (1:55.62), Julian Brozek (1:57.47), Luke Noren (1:55.28), and Foster Shelbert (1:54.28).

 

Payton Prep also competed in this event running 8:10.35 to finish 25th overall.

 

There are three national meets taking place this weekend. Here are highlights of how some of the Illinois athletes did in each of those meets.

 

Nike Outdoors Nationals / Eugene OR

Sunday

One of the surprises for Illinois athletes in this meet came in the Girls Championship High Jump. Aubrey Phillips of El Paso-Gridley finished her regular season finishing second in the Class 1A State Meet. She bettered that mark on the final day of competition clearing a personal best of 1.69m (5-6.5o) on her first attempt to finish fifth overall and  earn All-American status. Kiara Wesseh of Newark also competed clearing 1.59m (5-2.50) to tie in 11th place.

 

Brooke Johnston of Lake Zurich led most of the first section in the Girls Championship until the final 150-meters of the race. She ran 4:53.14 to finish second in the sectional. Johnston finished 16th overall in the event

 

Saturday

Rylee Lydon of Prairie Ridge earned All-American honors in the Girls Championship Heptathlon. Lydon was in second-place after the first day of this two day event. Lydon held onto that spot finishing with 5152 points.  JaiCieonna Gero-Holt of Emerald Ridge WA scored 5481 points for the national title. Lydon ran 14.82 in the 100 Meter Hurdles, cleared 1.72 m (5-7.75) in the High Jump, had a 9.88m (32-5) in the Shot Put, and then ran 25.31 to end the first day of competition. Lydon started off the second day by jumping 5.39m (17-8.25) in the Long Jump followed by a 27.66m (90-8) best in the Javelin, and then finished by running 2:12.63 to have the fastest time in the 800 Meter Run.  Kiarra Wesseh of Newark finished eighth overall scoring 4565 points.

 

Javaris Ambrose of Thornton drove home after the IHSA State Meet and flew out to California that night to compete in the Hammer Throw where he threw 220-feet. He entered this meet ranked #3 in the United States. Ambrose threw 222-3 in the fifth round to finish fourth overall and earning All-American honors. The winner of the event, Jake McEachern, is a Canadian athlete and threw 233-0 to claim the win.

 

Akili Parekh of Latin School ended his high school in a big way in the Boys Emerging Elites 2 Mile Run. Parekh was among the leaders in the first mile of the race before taking the lead with two laps left. Parekh ended up running 9:21.67 to finish fourth overall.

 

Reese Garland of Oak-Park River Forest competed in the Girls Championship Shot Put but did not advance to the finals. Garland had a 39-8 mark in her first of three preliminary attempts.

 

The second event of this meet for Brooke Sawatzky of Naperville Central ended her season on a high note in the Girls Championship Triple Jump. Sawatzky jumped 11.43m (37-6) in the third round to advance to the finals. She did not improve on that mark in the final three jumps but earned All-American honors by finishing sixth.

 

After Naperville Central finished fifth Friday evening in the 4x800m Relay, some of those athletes came back to compete in the 800 Meter Run. Samuel Barnard finished fourth overall in the Emerging Elite finals with a personal best of 1:55.19. Teammate Foster Shelbert ran on the Championship level where he ran 2:03.10.

 

Bella Domier of Grayslake Central ran 2:13.98 to win the fourth section of the Girls Emerging Elites 800 Meter Run. Domier finished eighth overall. Catherine Hany of Hersey ran 2:17.70, finishing 26th overall. Emma Berres of Naperville North ran a season’s best of 2:20.34 to finish 13th in the fourth of five sections.

 

Friday

Javaris Ambrose of Thornton had a best of 17.89m (58-8.25) to finish tenth overall in the Boys Championship Shot Put. His best attempt came in the second attempt of the preliminary round. He missed qualifying for the final by over four inches.

 

Brooke Sawatzky of Naperville Central jumped a wind-aided 5.29m (17-4.25, +2.1 m/s) to finish sixth overall in the Girls Emerging Elites Long Jump. Sawatzky jumped the same distance in the third round this time with a wind legal 0.0 m/s. Three of her five legal attempts were over 17-feet.

 

Reese Garland started this meet competing in the Girls Championships Discus. Garland made the finals by throwing 43.80 (143-8) in the prelims. She ended up finishing eighth overall in the finals.

 

The quartet of Thomas Christian, Aiden Castette, Jahri McClendon, and Matthew Russette ran 1:30.83 to lead DePaul College Prep to a tenth overall finish in the Boys Championship 4x200m Relay.

 

Ranaisha Howard-Dunigan of Limestone competed in the Girls Emerging Elites 100 Meter Dash. The junior ran 12.54 to finish seventh in the second heat and 42nd overall.

 

Thursday

Maverick Ohle of Naperville Central threw 172-11 (52.72m) to finish 13th overall in the Boys  Championship Discus but did not make the finals. His best throw came in his first attempt. He fouled in his remaining two attempts.

 

New Balance Nationals Outdoor / Philadelphia PA

Sunday

Patrick Hilby of Aurora Central Catholic continued the momentum that has pushed him to some fantastic races at state and now in the post-season. Hilby finished fourth in the Boys Championship 800 Meter Run earning All-American honors. The pace was fast with the top two times in the nation coming from the final section of the event. Hilby pushed the pace from the start with Andrew Regnier of Waunakee WI and Tinoda Matsatsa of St. Andrew’s Episcopal MD pushing the field through an opening 51.85 first 400-meters. Hilby was within a second of the leaders throughout the race but could never get by the two seniors. Matsatsa ran a nation leading 1:47.61 for the win. Regnier ran an US #2 1:47.95 to finish second. Keshawn Garcia of Edinburg North TX, the Texas 6A State Champion, ran a personal best of 1:48.22 to finish third. Hilby’s time of 1:48.87 just missed his personal best by less than tenth of a second. Caleb Levy of Warren Township ran in the sixth section of the event. The finish was close with the first six finishers within half a second of each other. Levy ran 1:51.64 to finish sixth in that section, 22nd overall.

 

It was not the type of race that Allison Ince of Normal Community had expected after a long 2023 season. Ince earned All-American honors in the Girls Championship 800 Meter Run finishing sixth overall. Sophia Gorriaran of Moses Brown RI took command of the race early running 61 seconds for the lap. Ince was more than a second behind the lead pack but seemed to be out of it. Gorriaran pulled away in the final 200-meters to run 2:04.59 for the national title. Ince held on to run 2:06.42 for her place. She now has 10 of the top 11 performances All-Time for an Illinois Girls runner at this distance. Elana Rybak of Father McGivney ran in the event timed in 2:12.26 to finish fourth overall in the third section.

 

Paul Migas of Lakes Community made it back to the All-American podium for the second season in a row finishing third with a personal best clearance of 5.00m (16-4.75). Cody Johnston of Hobart IN cleared 16-0 and 16-4 on his first attempt. The future University of Illinois student athlete cleared 5.10m (16-8.75) to win the event. Wyatt Stewart of Madison Central KY cleared the same height as Migas and finished second on fewer misses. Isaiah Whitaker of Bloomington Central Catholic, in his first outdoor national high school meet had an adventurous time taking 11 overall attempts over four heights including clearing on his third attempt at 15-3 and 16-0.75. That clearance height gave him seventh overall missing the top six by one place. Cooper Schaad of Geneseo cleared 15-3 to finish 11th overall.

 

Alex Sohn of Normal Community had a best of 18.65m to advance him to the finals in the Boys Championship Shot Put. Sohn held that place in his final three attempts to finish sixth earning again All-American honors.

 

Owen Horeni of Yorkville led the pack through a fast first lap of 55.82 in the final section of the Freshman 800 Meter Run. Horeni ran 1:56.44 to finish third overall.

 

A number of Illinois runners competed in the Boys Rising Stars 1 Mile Run. Nicholas Strayer of Lyons Township led most of the fourth section before being passed in the final lap by Eric Scull from Hun School of Princeton NJ. Scully went on to run 4:15.09 to win the overall title. Strayer ran 4:16.29 to finish second in his section, third overall. It was close to a two second personal best. Will Kozlowski of Lane Tech doubled back from the 2 Mile Run on Friday to run 4:23.19. Evan Horgan of Belvidere North was just behind running 4:25.00.

 

Strayer came back three hours later in the Rising Stars 800 Meter Run. The junior led for the first 600-meters of the opening section before fading to third on the curve. He fought back in the final 100-meters crossing the line first in a 1:55.78 for his second personal best of the day. Strayer finished 19th overall in the event.

 

James Ammenhauser of Neuqua Valley followed up All-American honors the day before in the Triple Jump with a personal best in the Boys Championship Long Jump. Ammenhauser jumped a wind-aided personal best of 7.24m (23-9, +2.4 m/s) to finish eighth overall. Dedrick Richardson Jr. of Lincoln-Way East did not make the finals of the event. He still jumped 23-0.75 to finish sixteenth overall in the event.  Brody Squires of Waubonsie Valley did not make the finals of the event. He did jump 22-1.75 finishing 28th overall. 

 

Saturday

Nick Pennington of Neuqua Valley ended his season on a high note after failing to qualify for the IHSA State Meet. Pennington cleared a personal best of 15-5 to finish fourth overall in the Boys Rising Stars Pole Vault.

 

The second race of the meet came in the Girls Championship 1 Mile Run for Scout Storms of Barrington where she finished with  5:06.36 time.

 

Friday

James Ammenhauser of Neuqua Valley ended his high school career on a very high note. His first jump of 14.31m (46-11.5) put him in the lead after the first of three flights in the Boys Championship Triple Jump. Ammenhauser finished fifth overall earning All-American honors. All four of his six fair jumps were over 46-feet. He was seeded second to last heading into this competition.

 

Scout Storms of Barrington was one of the athletes that was affected by an over three hour rain delay changing up the schedule. She ended up racing close to 11PM EDT in the Girls Championship 2 Mile Run. The first two sections of the event (Storms was originally in the second section) were combined into one. The sophomore ran 10:44.98 to finish 12 out of 24 runners in her section. Storms finished 22nd overall.

 

Julie Piot of Naperville North early in the day in the Girls Rising Stars 2 Mile Run. The sophomore ran 10:54.98 to finish fourth in the second section and ninth overall in the event.

 

Will Kozlowski of Lane Tech started off his meet by running 9:23.00 to finish seventh in his section of the Boys Rising Stars 2 Mile Run. Kozlowski finished 16th overall.