Above Photo: Dan Block congratulates AJ Epenesa after the Edwardsville junior threw 205-11 to break Block's old IHSA State Meet Record by three inches (Mike Newmam Photo)

By Michael Newman

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Charleston, Ill --- The controversy that swirled around the track on a windy Friday afternoon at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Stadium took a back seat at the end of the meet when AJ Epenesa (Edwardsville HS) set a new IHSA Boys State Meet record when he threw 205-11 in this second preliminary attempt in the Discus. Epenesa’s throw beat Dan Block’s record of 205-8 that was achieved in 2009 Finals. Block was on hand at the meet to see the throw and congratulated the Edwardsville junior afterwards.

The record just was off of Epenesa personal best of 206-5 that was achieved this April in Edwardsville. What was more impressive was that all of his three throws in the prelims were over 200 feet (201-8, 205-11, 203-6).

Epenesa’s performance was the distraction that was needed in the 3A prelims. Before the start of the meet, it was decided because of “impending” storms, the 3A meet would start on a rolling schedule immediately after the conclusion of the 2A 1600 Meter Relay. At 10:45 just an hour before the 2A prelims were looking to end, the decision was made that the 3A prelims would start on the track at regularly scheduled time (12:55 PM) and then go with a rolling schedule. Some coaches who were rushing to the stadium with their teams found out once they arrived at O’Brien Stadium.

The bigger controversy was the decision to keep five of the six field events indoors in the Lantz Fieldhouse. Despite the disapproval of some of the meet officials, meet management was determined that the field events would stay indoors despite the fact that it did not rain until five minutes after the conclusion of the 1600 Meter Relay. It also meant a back-up in the horizontal jumps as there was only one runway indoors that could be used instead of the two outdoors. The Triple Jump did not end until close to 7:00 nearly three hours after the last event was completed on the track.

East St. Louis-Senior leads all teams with nine qualifiers advancing to Saturday’s finals including all four of their relays. Defending 3A champion Edwardsville is in the hunt with seven qualifiers along with Lakes and Sandburg. Minnoka looked good qualifying six overall including three relays. Neuqua Valley also advanced six to the finals.

Highlights

If it was not Epenesa’s throw that was the highlight of the 3A prelims, then it was the 110 Highs and 100 Meter Dash that took place within 15 minutes of each other. Winds had picked up gusting close to 20 mphs benefitting the athletes who would have that help on their backs. The four hurdles heats were evidence that magical things were to happen. Roland Amarteifio (Evanston Township HS) started off the festivities by running a personal best 14.05 with a +3.3 wind. Timmy Brundidge (Grant HS, Fox Lake) followed that by running 14.11 with the aid of a +3.2 wind. Defending 3A champion William Session (Belleville East HS) made a statement of his own running a personal best 13.88 to win Heat #3 with a +2.6 wind. Travis Anderson (Edwardsville HS) bettered Session’s time in the fourth heat running an electrifying 13.59 that was not wind legal (+3.2). The time was better than AJ Harris’ record by two tenths of a second but will not be recognized due to the winds. It is still one of the best times ever for the event by an Illinois athlete regardless of weather conditions.

The 100 Meter Dash prelims had two electrifying moments. Sophomore Declan Rustay (Hoffman Estates HS) wowed the crowd running 10.46 to win his heat with the help of a monster +5.4 wind. Cary Lockhart (Bloomington HS) was second in that heat (10.53). Josh Eiker (Galesburg HS) was next. He knew that these winds behind his back were going to be a big help. He ripped out of the blocks and pulled away from Tyler Foulks (Rock Island HS) for the win. Eiker’s time (10.34 with a +3.0 m/s wind) is not a meet record because of the wind. It is one of the fastest 100’s ever by an Illinois prep. It is the fastest times at this meet since Wallace Spearman ran a wind-aided 9.95 in the 1981 state meet..

Eiker will be the big favorite in the 200 Meter Dash as well. Eiker ran into a strong headwind but still ran 21.49 to win his heat. Jaurice Thomas (South Elgin HS) is the next closest with his 21.89 time in Heat #1.

Thomas anchored South Elgin to the win in the first heat of the 400 Meter Relay. They have the fastest time heading to the finals as they ran 41.64 for the win ahead of Huntley (41.91) and Edwardsville (41.98). East St. Louis-Senior also advanced to the finals winning Heat #3 (41.79). Rock Island ran 41.80 to win Heat #3 just ahead of Minooka (41.97).

Minooka ran with substitute Colin Marchino in their leadoff leg. It did not matter as they ran the fastest prelim time (1:26.67) in finishing ahead of Plainfield North (1:27.62) and Niles North (1:27.66). East St. Louis-Senior had the next fastest time as they won Heat #3 (1:27.31). Huntley and Neuqua Valley won their heats with identical times (1:27.37). Huntley’s win in Heat #1 was by only four hundredths of a second ahead of Rock Island (1:27.41).

The 1600 Meter Relay will be a close on Saturday as eight of the top nine times were all within less than two seconds of each other. East St. Louis-Senior had the fastest time (3:17.80) to win Heat #4 by more than a second head of Lakes (3:18.77), Lyons Township (3:19.45), and Hinsdale South (3:21.54).  Grant ran 3:17.92 to edge Evanston by three hundredths of a second to win Heat #1. Neuqua Valley had an easy time in Heat #2 running 3:17.94 to win by more than four seconds. Minooka won Heat #3 (3:18.66) ahead of Bloom Township.

The 400 Meter Dash was a cause for excitement from Octavian Wells (Grant HS, Fox Lake). Wells ran 47.07 out of Lane 8 to win the first heat. His toughest competition will come from Brad Garron (Evanston Township HS) who ran 47.72 to win the final heat of the event.

The distance races in 3A provided their usual excitement. Oak Park-River Forest ran the fastest prelim time in winning Heat #3 of the 3200 Meter Run. Six teams advanced from this heat led by the Huskies’ 7:45.66. Lyons Township finished second (7:50.72) just ahead of Sandburg (7:50.95). Max Denning passed Hinsdale South’s Brian Jordan in the final 100 meters to give York the win in Heat #1 (7:47.73) just ahead of South (7:48.08). Prospect’s Karson LeComte pulled away from the pack in the final leg to give the Knights the win in Heat #2 (7:48.57) over five seconds ahead of Granite City.

Chris Torpy (Sandburg HS, Orland Park) had the fastest time in the 800 as he ran 1:52.77 to win Heat #3 ahead of O’Fallon’s Chris Conrad (1:53.02) and Maine East’s Torrain Haughton (1:53.18). Connor McCue (West Aurora HS) won Heat #2 (1:53.85) ahead of Springfield’s Heath Warren (1:54.46). John Partee (Plainfield South HS) was the other heat winner as he ran 1:56.33 for the win just thirteen hundredths of a second ahead of Robert Kuhlmann (Lakes HS, Lake Villa).

Jack Aho (Grayslake Central HS) pulled away from Irwin Loud (Oak Park-River Forest HS) to win Heat #1 (4:14.90) ahead of Loud (4:15.49). Soren Knudsen (Minooka HS) edged Sean Torpy (Sandburg HS, Orland Park) just before the line to win Heat #2 (4:16.74) just eight hundredths of a second ahead of Torpy.

Cameron Ruiz (Lakes HS) has the lead in the Long Jump with a 23-2 mark. Ruiz is second in the Triple Jump (47-10 ¾) just behind leader Davion Cross (West Aurora HS) who had a 47-11 ¼) jump. Cross’ teammate Chris Walker is in third (47-9).

We talked about AJ Epenesa’s success in the Discus. He also improved his personal best by two feet (60-4 ½) as he is in second behind John Meyer (Lockport HS) who has a 61-2 put. Twelve athletes advanced to the finals of the High Jump all clearing 6-4. It will be full in the Pole Vault as eighteen athletes advanced to the finals all clearing 14-3.