By Michael Newman

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It could come down to two athletes that decide the 2A team championship.

Deion McShane carried Freeport to the co-title with Normal University in last year’s state meet. McShane again will be in four events looking for the points to get the Pretzels back on top of the podium. Seth Groom will be the major contributor for the hopes of Marmion Academy winning a state title. He will also be in four events and will face McShane in two events. The 200 Meter Dash could come down to deciding the state team title.

St. Laurence is in position to win a trophy. It just might be Rich Central led by VanHarvey Vance that could leave Charleston with the 2A state championship.

Here are previews of some of the top teams as well as every event in the 2A meet program.

 

2A Teams to Watch

Freeport

Qualifiers – 9 (8 Individuals, 1 Relay)

Outlook – Freeport shared the 2A title last season. This year they would like to make it a solo act. The Pretzels are in position for that second straight title led by four event qualifier Deion McShane. The senior will be the favorite in the 300 Intermediates along with the 110 Highs. McShane could also get big points in the Long Jump and the 200 Meter Dash.

Freeport will need more points other than from McShane to win. Jaden Johnson is a possibility to pick up points in both the 110 Highs and 300 Intermediates. Collin Heidereich could be a surprise in the Pole Vault and gain additional points.

Aurora Marmion Academy

Qualifiers – 9 (8 Individuals, 1 Relay)

Outlook – The Cadets will be in contention for a trophy but will need points other than from Seth Groom to get to the podium. Groom could be one of the favorites in the High Jump, Long Jump, and Triple Jump. Groom is not ranked on the sectional list in the top nine in the 200 Meter Dash. A good Friday prelim in that race could mean bigger things for his team.

Marmion Academy has one of the top times in the 3200 Meter Relay and could contend for the event title. Michael Ronzone could finish in the top five in the 1600 Meter Run. Sean Galle could also get points in the 3200 Meter Run.

Burbank St. Laurence

Qualifiers – 11 (8 Individuals, 3 Relays)

Outlook – The Chicago Catholic League Co-Champions are in position for a state trophy after getting 11 qualifiers down to Charleston. Alex Saunders will be one of the favorites in the Long Jump. He could also get good points in the Triple Jump. Saunders is also a part of the 400 and 800 Relay teams that could also chase after wins.

Matthew Hamer will need to have a good Friday prelim day in both the 100 and 200 Meter Dash. He could make the finals in both. Colin Dwyer could also be in the mix for the finals in the 400 Meter Dash. Getting their 1600 Meter Relay into the finals would be a bonus. Even with 11 qualifiers for this team, they need a clean prelim day on Friday for greater things to happen on Saturday.

Olympia Fields Rich Central

Qualifiers – 8 (6 Individuals, 2 Relays)

Outlook – There are no room for mistakes on Friday morning for the Olympians. It could set them up for a trophy on Saturday. Defending 400 Meter Dash champion VanHarvey Vance will be one of the big pieces in the Rich Central plan. Vance will be one of the favorites in the 400 Meter Dash as well as the 200 Meter Dash. Sean Tyler could pick up big points in the 100 Meter Dash and have hopes to make the 200 Meter Dash finals.

Their team in the 400 Meter Relay had the fastest sectional time by half a second. Immense thing could happen in that event. Their 800 Meter Relay team is ranked second and could also come away with a win.

Normal University

Qualifiers – 8 (6 Individuals, 2 Relays)

Outlook – The co-defending state champions will need some major points from their distance crew to finish in the top three. Matt Zacharias and Jared Shuckman could score huge points for the Pioneers. Their team in the 3200 Meter Relay. They might not need Shuckman in that race to win back-to back titles, but they will need Zacharias. Shuckman in the open 800 could give U-High additional points. Caleb Diffor and Benji Phillips advancing to the finals of the Triple Jump would be a plus. U-High does also have the potential to pick up points in the 1600 Meter Relay.

Dixon

Qualifiers – 10 (6 Individuals, 4 Relays)

Outlook – The strength for the Dukes is in their relays. Getting all four teams to Saturday’s finals would be a good thing. They could have success in the 3200 Meter Relay and the 1600 Meter Relay. Jared Harrison could finish in the top five in both the 110 Highs and the 300 Intermediates. Brayden Forrest could also score in the 110 High with hopes to make it to the finals in the 300 Intermediates. Josh Dallas could get all-state points in the 400 Meter Dash as well as running the anchor for the 1600 Meter Relay.

Mahomet-Seymour

Qualifiers – 7 (7 Individuals, 0 Relays)

Outlook – Big points in the field events could get the Bulldogs in contention for a state trophy. Callan Whitehouse will be one of the athletes in contention for the title in the Pole Vault. Hunter Hendershot will be in contention for top three finishes in the Shot Out and the Discus.

Mathias Powell ran 9:14.94 at Distance Night in Palatine and could be a difference maker in the 3200 Meter Run. Riley Fortune qualified in the 800 and 1600 Meter Run. He could score points in either of those events. Brandon Bretz is in the 400 Meter Dash and could be in the top four in that race.

Tolono Unity

Qualifiers – 8 (7 Individuals, 1 Relay)

Outlook – The fortunes of the Rockets rise and fall with Steven Migut. The senior will be one of the top finishers in the 110 Highs and could get points in both the 300 Intermediates and the 200 Meter Dash. Dawson Kaiser could surprise some in the 100 Meter Dash. Jonathan Decker will be one of the athletes to watch in the High Jump. Their team in the 400 Meter Relay won in their sectional race. Good handoffs could mean a spot in Saturday’s finals.

Mascoutah

Qualifiers – 7 (3 Individuals, 4 Relays)

Outlook – Their strength in all four of the relays put the Indians in a spot to finish in the top five at the end of the meet. Their team in the 3200 Meter Relay is one of the top 2A squads. Big points could come from that event. Both their 400 and 800 Meter Relays are ranked high and could finish among the top five. Their team in the 1600 Meter Relay is one of the top four sectional team. They could be in position to win that event.

Edward Wilson scoring in the 100 or 200 Meter Dash would be a plus. Matthew McNicol has possibilities for points in the 800 Meter Run.

Marengo

Qualifiers – 8 (7 Individuals, 1 Relay)

Outlook – This is a squad to keep an eye on in 2019. They could make some noise in this state finals. Finnegan Schirmer has emerged as one of the top 2A athletes after his spectacular sectional performances. The sophomore will be one of the favorites in the 110 Highs as well as picking up points in the 100 and 200 Meter Dash. Aaron Shepard cleared 6-7 in last week’s sectional in the High Jump and should be one of the favorites in that event. Blaine Bohart could also pick up bonus points in the 110 Highs.

Geneseo

Qualifiers – 7 (5 Individuals, 2 Relays)

Outlook – The Maple Leafs will rely on Reed Vanderheyden and Nick Swartzendruber to pick up the bulk of their points. Vanderheyden could be among the top five in the 300 Intermediates and could also get points in the 110 High. Swartzendruber has the tough 800 Meter Run/400 Meter Dash double to contend with. He should be one of the favorites in the longer race. The senior could also finish in the top three in the 400. Their 1600 Meter Relay team should make the finals in that event. Blake Duncan could be a surprise in the 1600 Meter Run.

Troy Triad

Qualifiers – 7 (4 Individuals, 3 Relays)

Outlook – The Knights could challenge for a finish in the top five. Jadon Elliot could finish in the top five in the Pole Vault. Johnnie Caswell could be in the mix for points in both the 100 and 200 Meter Dash. Their team could pick up bonus points in the 3200 Meter Relay.

 

FIELD EVENTS

Long Jump

2A Seasonal Best – 23-3 – Jadon Lacy, SR, Marion

2A Sectional Best – 22-11.75 – Alex Saunders, SR, Burbank St. Laurence

Outlook – Jadon Lacy did not make it to state in this event. Nyrell Sullivan of Sterling and Seth Groom of Marmion Academy have both gone past 23-feet and go longer this weekend. Alex Saunders sectional jump puts him in the conversation for state champion in this event.

Deion McShane of Freeport finished fifth in 2017 and would like a higher finish. Ryan Curington of De La Salle and Tre Rathbun of Streator could also challenge for top five spots. This event could be even bigger as Groom, Saunders, and McShane will be looking for big points for their teams.

Triple Jump

2A Seasonal Best – 47-4.50 – Seth Groom, SR, Aurora Marmion Academy

2A Sectional Best – 46-8.25 – Seth Groom, SR, Aurora Marmion Academy

Outlook – This could be a “sneaky-good” field event. Seth Groom finished second last year and is the highest returning athlete back. Groom also has the best jump outdoors by almost 18 inches. Cahokia’s Andra Ward is the athlete to watch. The junior jumped 47-5 indoors before an injury at Illinois Top Times sidelined him for almost a month. Ward jumped 45-10 last week at Salem and could have a bigger jump in him this weekend. Alex Saunders of St. Laurence jumped 45-0 at the end of April and could also figure in a top five finish.

A’Jonte Lee of Springfield Lanphier jumped 44-10.25 last week and should be among the top five finishers. Cameron Dawson of Pontiac, Damarius Byrd of Thornridge, Dontea Jones of Centralia, and Kalen Murphy of Belvidere are some of the possibilities for top five finishers.

High Jump

2A Seasonal Best – 6-9 – Jaden Lacy, SR, Marion

2A Sectional Best – 6-7 – Aaron Shepard, JR, Marengo

Outlook – The absence of list leader Jaden Lacy opens the door in this event. Aaron Shepard was a surprise clearing 6-7 last week and could be the favorite in this event. Zach Pluff of Freeburg has cleared 6-8 this spring. Austin Rauch of Clinton cleared 6-7 in April and will be a threat for the title.

Seth Groom of Marmion Academy cleared 6-4 at the Chicago Catholic League Meet two weeks ago. He finished second last year in this meet. I would not count him out on Saturday.

Ethan Poston of Metamora has cleared 6-7 this year and finished fifth last spring. He will be one to watch. Karl Wright and A’Jonte Lee of Springfield Lanphier did not advance out of last year’s prelims. Wright has cleared 6-6. Both will be a factor in this competition. Zhamond Lawson of Morgan Park and Jonathan Decker of Tolono Unity could figure in the top nine.

Pole Vault

2A Seasonal Best – 15-9 – Jack Pompe, SR, Dunlap

2A Sectional Best – 15-0 – By Four Athletes

Outlook – Jack Pompe, Eli Badger of Mt. Vernon, Chandlar Ifft of Prairie Central, and Callan Whitehouse of Mahomet-Seymour all cleared 15-0 in sectional meets last week. All will be in the conversation for a state title. Jadon Elliott of Troy Triad cleared 15-0 at a home invitational at the end of April. He will be in the mix. Ifft cleared 15-6 at an Invitational two weeks ago at Mahomet-Seymour and could challenge Pompe. Whitehouse cleared 16-0 at a home indoor meet in March.

Dayton Black of Charleston, Alec Morrissey of Effingham, and Kyle Mulhern of Peoria Notre Dame have all cleared heights over 14-feet and will challenge for all-state spots.

Shot Put

2A Seasonal Best

55-2 - Hunter Hendershot, SO, Mahomet-Seymour

55-2 – Austin Klokkenga, SR, Dunlap

2A Sectional Best – 55-2, Hunter Hendershot, SO, Mahomet-Seymour

Outlook – Hunter Hendershot moved to the top of the leader list with a 55-2 at last week’s sectional meet. Austin Klokkenga had a 54-1.5 put last week and will challenge for the title with the Mahomet sophomore. Frank Scheiderjon of Effingham and Brennan Wilson of Rock Island Alleman both threw 54-4 this season and will be immediate threats to the top.

Cody VonAlven of Springfield Lanphier, Gage Wells of Herrin, and Harley Russell of Mt. Zion all have throws of 53-5 or better and will challenge for top five spots. Jack Currie of Carterville and Austin Kasap of Metamora are other athletes to watch for in this competition.

Discus

2A Seasonal Best – 184-5 – Jordan Hawkins, SR, Roxana

2A Sectional Best – 181-10 – Jordan Hawkins, SR, Roxana

Outlook – Harley Russell of Mt. Zion and Jordan Hawkins will face off in what should be a great event in Charleston. Both were all-state last year with Hawkins placing fourth, Russell fifth. That is the same order the two have been on the leaderboard. Russell has a season’s best of 180-10. It would not surprise me if the winning throw goes past 190-feet.

Trey Wideman of Sycamore and Hunter Hendershot of Mahomet-Seymour both have throws over 170-feet this season and could also challenge for the state title. Josh Schmid of Marion, Clay Alewelt of Rochester, and Jackson Ivers of Waterloo are some of the other athletes to watch.

 

TRACK EVENTS

4x800 Meter Relay

2A Seasonal Best – 7:56.45 – Normal University

2A Sectional Best – 7:57.02 – Mascoutah

Outlook – Four teams have run under eight-minutes led by Normal University and their 7:56.45 run at Triad at the end of April. The Pioneers ran 8:03.45 in their sectional race but that was without standouts Jared Shuckman and Matt Zacharias part of that quartet. Both running on Saturday could give U-High a definitive edge. Mascoutah, Waterloo, and Marion were all under eight last week and could be in the hunt for the win.

St. Francis was a surprise at 8:00.84 ahead of Marmion Academy last week at Genoa-Kingston and could run faster this weekend. Marmion Academy does have the talent to go under eight and possibly win. Dunlap, Eureka, Sycamore, Dixon, and Burlington Central are some of the squads that will challenge for top nine all-state spots.

4x100 Meter Relay

2A Seasonal Best – 42.08 – Olympia Fields Rich Central

2A Sectional Best – 42.08 – Olympia Fields Rich Central

Outlook – Rich Central, the 2017 champions, look like the team to beat again after running a 2A leading 42.08 at the Thornridge Sectional. Marian Catholic, who finished second behind Rich Central at that meet running 42.58, could again be chasing the Olympians. The next five teams are within six hundredths of a second of each other led by Mascoutah with a season’s best 42.77. Morgan Park, St. Laurence, Thornridge, and Manual Academy all have the talent to challenge Rich Central for the title. Montini Catholic, Tolono Unity, and Dixon are among the teams that will be challenging for an all-state finish.

3200 Meter Run

2A Seasonal Best – 9:14.96 – Mathias Powell, JR, Mahomet-Seymour

2A Sectional Best – 9:27.85 – Jacob Gebhardt, SR, Sterling

Outlook – With temperatures close to 90 degrees on Saturday, this could become a tactical race that could fall into the hands of sectional list leader Jacob Gebhardt. The senior has good leg speed at the end of a race. It could be a deciding factor if the pace goes out slow. Spencer Smith of Rock Island Alleman likes to push the pace early. He could factor into the race. Smith is one of three 2A runners to go under 9:20 this spring with Charlie Parrish of Freeburg and Mathias Powell. Any of these four runners could leave Charleston with the state title.

Illiana Christian’s Austin Ohm, Dawson Smith of Rock Falls, and Stephen Poorten of Sycamore all have times of 9:35 or faster and could be difference makers in the front. Adam Gilbreath-Glaub of Metamora and Sean Galle of Marmion Academy are some of the others to keep an eye on.

110 High Hurdles

2A Seasonal Best – 14.11 – Deion McShane, SR, Freeport

2A Sectional Best – 14.11 – Deion McShane, SR, Freeport

Outlook – The big loss in this event was that defending champion Bret Dannis did not qualify for state from the LaSalle-Peru Sectional due to a hamstring injury. Still, we could see a winning time under 14 seconds in Saturday’s finals. Deion McShane ran 14.1 to edge Marengo’s Finnigan Schirmer by one hundredth of a second at Richmond-Burton. Solomon Wilson-Smith of Tinley Park has run a 14.14 season’s best in his conference meet two weeks ago. Common sense tells us that these three will push each other to what could be unbelievable times.

In any other year, times under 14.5 could get you the 2A title. Niko Neal of Harrisburg and Steven Migut of Tolono Unity have gone under that this spring. Both could be at the front with flawless races. Adell Hinson of Tinley Park, Jaden Jackson of Freeport, and Jared Harrison of Dixon should also be watched in this event.

100 Meter Dash

2A Seasonal Best – 10.57 – Nyrell Sullivan, SR, Sterling

2A Sectional Best – 10.68 – Ronald Reed, SR, Decatur MacArthur

Outlook – It could be a tight final with less than a tenth of a second possibly between the first four runners. Ronald Reed ran 10.68 last week and has been consistently around that time most of the spring. He could be the runner to beat in the finals. Nyrell Sullivan ran 10.57 at his conference meet but ran 11.04 last week. He is still a runner I would keep an eye on. Rich Central’s Sean Tyler (10.70) and VanHarvey Vance (10.76) went 1-2 in a loaded sectional race at Thornridge. I would not count them out either.

Finnigan Schirmer of Marengo, Dawson Kaiser of Tolono Unity, Matthew Patrick of Centralia, Carson Rantanen of Staunton, and Nic Davy of Morris all have seasonal bests under 10.85 and will challenge for top five finishes.

800 Meter Run

2A Seasonal Best – 1:55.33 – Nick Oakley, SR, Charleston

2A Sectional Best – 1:55.33 – Nick Oakley, SR, Charleston

Outlook – This event will be missing three-time all-state athlete Josh Cable. The senior is still recovering from injuries that he sustained in a house fire at the beginning of the month. Nick Oakley could be the runner to beat in this event. Oakley looked strong in winning Illinois Top Times in March. He is also one of two 2A runners that has run faster than 1:56. Jared Shuckman of Normal University is entered in this event as well as the 1600 Meter Run. He could also run in the 3200 Meter Relay. Shuckman has a 1:55.89 best that could challenge Oakley in the front.

Austin Knight of Carterville and Hayden Kimberly of Salem went 1-2 at the Salem Sectional with Knight running 1:56.36. He could be the surprise up front in this race. Nick Swartzendruber of Geneseo has sub-50 speed in the 400 that could cause problems for some at the end of this race. Mitchell Kremer of Mattoon, Riley Fortune of Mahomet-Seymour, and Matthew McNichol of Mascoutah could be some of the other runner to keep an eye on.

4x200 Meter Relay

2A Seasonal Best – 1:28.62 – East St. Louis-Senior

2A Sectional Best – 1:29.37 – Peoria Manual Academy

Outlook – St. Laurence has the fastest “non-East St. Louis” 2A season best of 1:28.89 at the end of April. They are the only 2A squad in this meet that have run under 1:29. Manual Academy and Mascoutah, and Marian Catholic have gone under 1:29.5 this season in this event and will all be tough. Rich Central, that ran a 1:29.85 seasonal best last week, will also be in the top five finishing conversation. Herscher, Prairie Central, and St. Rita will be teams also challenge for a top spot.

400 Meter Dash

2A Seasonal Best – 48.75 – VanHarvey Vance, SR, Olympia Fields Rich Central

2A Sectional Best – 48.97 – VanHarvey Vance, SR, Olympia Fields Rich Central

Outlook – VanHarvey Vance is the defending champion at this distance and could be tough to beat this weekend. The senior is the only runner in this field who has run under 49 seconds multiple times. Nick Swartzendruber is the closest to Vance having run 49.21. He also qualified in the 800 Meter Run. If Swartzendruber just concentrates on this event, he could challenge Vance for the title.

Davon Bolden of Thornridge has a seasonal best of 48.90 and could be a threat in the front. Gavin Jaime of Providence Catholic has run under 50-seconds and might be a threat in the front. Colin Dwyer of St. Laurence, Joshua White of Springfield Southeast, Josh Dallas of Dixon, and Ethan Hodel of Metamora could also challenge in the front. Freshman Melcon DeJesus of Kewanee has run 50.40 and could be a surprise in this event.

300 Intermediate Hurdles

2A Seasonal Best – 37.13 – Deion McShane, SR, Freeport

2A Sectional Best – 37.66 – Deion McShane, SR, Freeport

Outlook – Deion McShane looks for his third straight 2A title in this event. Last year was memorable as he set a new IHSA State Meet record in running 36.53. Could he go under that time on Saturday? McShane’s seasonal best is a second ahead of the next closest athlete in this meet.

Reed Vanderheyden of Geneseo and Steven Migut of Tolono Unity are under 38.2 and will challenge for the second-place spot. Niko Neal of Harrisburg and Jared Harrison of Dixon could also be in the mix for a top three finish. Lanard Harris of Cahokia, Cameron Hope of Morgan Park, and Solomon Wilson-Smith of Tinley Park are some of the other athletes to watch for.

1600 Meter Run

2A Seasonal Best – 4:17.69 – Jared Shuckman, SR, Normal University

2A Sectional Best – 4:21.29 – Matt Zacharais, SR, Normal University

Outlook – We might see another 800/1600 double in this meet. Carterville’s Austin Knight has been running great towards the end of the season. The 1:56/4:22 double in last week’s sectional meet demonstrates that he could repeat what Jake Gillum did a year ago. The expected hot weather could make it tougher to perform distance doubles. Jared Shuckman is scheduled to double back from the 800 Meter Run. His teammate Matt Zacharias has the top sectional time in this event and could be doubling back from the 3200 Meter Relay.

It could be Marion’s Michael Rutkowski that is the surprise. He will be coming back from the 3200 Meter Relay. His 4:22.65 sectional time was convincing. Michael Ronzone of Marmion Academy, Nick Oakley of Charleston, Spencer Smith of Rock Island Alleman, and Charlie Parrish of Freeburg all could be coming back from doubles but will be tough. Daniel Chen from Illinois Math & Science Academy could challenge for the win after earning all-state honors last spring with an eighth-place finish.

200 Meter Dash

2A Seasonal Best – 21.59 – VanHarvey Vance, SR, Olympia Fields Rich Central

2A Sectional Best – 21.59 – VanHarvey Vance, SR, Olympia Fields Rich Central

Outlook – We could see a sprint triple if VanHarvey Vance can pick up a win in the first two sprint races. Vance ran a 21.59 in winning his sectional last week. He could be the favorite in what could be a great field.

Five other runners have gone under 22-seconds this year led by Justin Houston of Brooks College Prep. Finnigan Schirmer of Marengo edged Deion McShane by hundredths of seconds in their sectional race. Both could be challenging for top spots. McShane finished second in this race a year ago. Kolby Pruitt of Perspectives/IIT Math & Science along with Joshua Smith of Marian Catholic have the speed to get into the top three. Ryan Curington of De La Salle, Ronald Reed of Decatur MacArthur, and Darreon West of Cahokia will also contend for top five finishing places.

4x400 Meter Relay

2A Seasonal Best – 3:21.49 – East St. Louis-Senior

2A Sectional Best – 3:23.03 – Eureka

Outlook – This race could be up for grabs especially without perennial power East St. Louis-Senior not in this meet. Six teams are within a second of each other with seasonal bests ranging from 3:23.02 for Eureka to 3:24.02 for Geneseo. Providence Catholic, Burlington Central, Dixon, and Burlington Central are all in this group all capable of running under 3:20. Mascoutah, Normal University along with LaSalle-Peru are also capable of winning this race.