By Michael Newman, ILXCTF.com Editor

[email protected]

It could be Deja vous for New Berlin’s Kahlil Wassell this weekend as he tries to lead his team to the 1A championship for the second straight year. Wassell, the defending champion in the 400 Meter Dash, will look for wins in the 100 and 200 Meter Dashes along with helping his team in the 400 Meter Relay.

Here is a look at each of the events that will take place in the 1A meet beginning Thursday morning.

FIELD EVENTS

Pole Vault

A hamstring injury slowed down Curtis Gordon of Vandalia this season. He has vaulted twice this season clearing 15-0 at his conference meet and then 16-0 last week at the Altamont Sectional. Both marks are better than the next best athlete in this field. The defending champion in this event should be the big favorite on Saturday.

Gordon’s teammate Zane Steele could be a surprise in this event possibly finishing in the top five. Cameron Witts of Williamsville is the closest to Gordon having cleared 14-6 his season. He is an athlete to watch in this event. Andrew McWhorter of Teutopolis, Josiah Lemay of Tuscola, and Andrew Glynn of Staunton all have cleared 14-0 his season and will challenge for one of the top spots on the awards’ podium.

High Jump

This event is loaded with nine athletes having cleared 6-6 or higher in this state field. Tristen Tewes of Pleasant Plains and Caleb Vogel of DuQuoin have the best 1A marks in the state both having cleared 6-8.25 in their sectional competitions. Vogel finished sixth in last year’s finals with Tewes placing ninth. Nick Schultz of Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley is the highest placing returnee having finished third. Schultz cleared a personal best 6-8 at his sectional and should challenge for the title.

Nathan Kiger of Palestine cleared 6-7 last week and will challenge for the title. Adam Miller of Pana and Cameron Getz of Macon Meridian both cleared 6-8 in April at the Pana Invitational and should both be factors in this event. Devin Yocum of Bushnell-Prairie City, Brad Byrnes of Serena, and Jace Norman of Illini West have 6-6 seasonal bests and could be among the best on Saturday. Tyson Magee of Toledo Cumberland and Quinn Halversen of Rockford Christian are other athletes to watch for. It took 6-10 to win last year. That height could be surpassed on Saturday to win this state championship event.

Long Jump

Nick Schultz is the defending champion in this event but will be challenged. He only jumped 20-11.5 at his sectional. Jordan Rowell of IC Catholic Prep jumped 22-6 and has the best sectional mark in this event. Jaylon Bester of Althoff Catholic has the best 1A mark in the state jumping 22-7 at the St. Clair County Championships. Connor Artman of Illini West has jumped 22-6.75 this season and will be a threat for the title.

Sophomore Tate Walcott of Colfax-Ridgeview jumped 22-4.5 at his sectional and could be among the best this weekend. Ben Friesen of Chicago Christian and Colton Polhemus of Tremont are the only other athletes in this field having jumped past 22-feet. Tristen Tewes could challenge for a finish in the top five. It could take a 23-foot or better to win this event.

Triple Jump

Nick Schultz could also win this event having the best 1A mark in the state this season (45-2.5). Jared Meents of Clifton Central has the best sectional mark (44-7) in this event and will be one of the athletes to challenge Schultz. Mason Wright of Forreston-Polo (COOP), Michael Hill of Illini Bluffs, and Jaylon Bester all have jumps past 44-feet and have championship potential. Giovanni Hollingsworth of Ogden International and Brayden Roberts of Chicago Christian are also athletes to keep an eye on.

Shot Put

Nick Olson of Flanagan-Cornell shot to the top of the 1A rankings with his 57-10 throw last week at the Bureau Valley Sectional. Olson finished third a year ago and is the top placing returnee. Andy Bird of Hamilton/Warsaw had a 54-11.5 put making him second in the sectional list. He has gone 57-8 this season and will be a threat for the championship. Bird did not make the podium last year with that chip on his shoulder driving him for bigger things.

Jackson Harkness of Elmwood-Brimfield is only a foot behind Olson and Bird throwing 56-3 his season. He could also win this event. Dillon Birch of Shelbyville, Kyle McLuckie of Fulton, Hunter Woodard of Tuscola, and Russell Nelson of Rockford Christian Life are athletes that also could challenge for all-state spots.

Discus

Devin Jones of DuQuoin is the defending state champion in this event and looks to repeat. His best throw of the season is 13-feet beer than the next closest athlete. He threw 169-6 last week making him the top sectional performer heading into this Thursday’s prelims. Ty Kinkelaar of St. Anthony could be Jones’ chief competition having thrown 170-0 this season. Hunter Woodard and Jackson Harkness also have top marks and could challenge for the win. Peyton Taylor of Mt. Pulaski, Trevor Miller of Warrensburg-Latham, and Andy Bird would be other athletes to keep an eye on.

SPRINTS/HURDLES

110 Meter High Hurdles

Bret Dannis is the defending champion but will be competing in 2A this weekend. Curtis Gordon was third a year ago but a hamstring injury prevented him from competing at secionals. AJ Christensen of Forreston-Polo (COOP) has the fastest 1A time this season (14.69) and looks to be the favorite in the event. Trey Miller of Lewistown, who finished second last year, has the fastest sectional time (15.14) with Connor Artman and Christensen within six hundredths of a second of Miller. It will be a close race.

Mike Neeld of Mercer County and Mason Barr of Colfax-Ridgeview are capable of finishing in the top three and should be watched. Dontez Pittman of Madison, Hunter Daws of Forreston-Polo (COOP) and Noah Fulcomer of Rockford Christian are some of the other athletes to keep an eye on.

100 Meter Dash

Easton Bianchi of Sterling Newman jumped on the 1A sprint scene in March with a convincing win in the 60 Meter Dash at the Illinois Top Times Championships. He ran the fastest 1A time at his conference meet (10.52) and has the fastest sectional time (10.78). He should be the favorite in what could be a loaded event. Bianchi finished seventh in last year’s finals.

Kahlil Wassell of New Berlin finished second in 2016 but looked doubtful to compete due to a foot injury. The senior has come on strong outdoors running he second fastest 1A time his year in April as well as 10.95 last week. Jordan Rowell has a 10.92 seasonal best putting him in the conversation for the win. After Bianchi on the sectional list, only six hundredths of a second separates six runners led by Chester’s Demontae Martin. Blake Reifsteck of Bismarck-Henning was all-state last year finishing third and will challenge for the title. Jaylon Bester, Dione and Diondre Lewis of Warrensburg-Latham, Jason Duncan of St. Teresa, and Michael Mays of Leo Catholic will also be factors at this distance.

400 Meter Dash

Kahlil Wassell leads the field with the fastest sectional time (49.75) run last week at the Tuscola Sectional. He would like to defend his title and could. Jordan Rowell finished just 15-hundredths of a second behind Wassell last season. He only ran 52.03 in his sectional race but remains a threat to win. Michael Mays ran 49.84 at the Chicago Catholic League Championships wo weeks ago and could be a surprise in his race. Caleb Logan of Pinckneyville and Joe Lopez of Tuscola have both run under 50-seconds and could also be threats to the title.

Dillard Howard of Toledo Cumberland, Ben Buresh of Kewanee-Wethersfield, and Ben Friesen are all athletes to watch for. We could see a time under 49-seconds to win this event on Saturday.

300 Meter Intermediate Hurdles

AJ Christensen looks to be the favorite in this event having the fastest 1A time in the state (38.73) by almost a second. Hayden Goleman of Elmwood-Brimfield is the highest returnee with his fourth-place finish. Goleman enters this meet with the fastest sectional time (39.67). Mason Barr has run 39.44 and could be a threat to win along with Judd Anderson of Farmington, Mike Neeld, and Riley Baker of St. Joseph-Ogden. Xavier Ross of Timothy Christian ran 39.70 at the beginning of the month. He could be a surprise in the event. Connor Artman, Dontez Pittman, and Watseka’s Hunter Lee are athletes to keep a close eye on.

200 Meter Dash

Just like the 100 earlier in this meet, this event is just as loaded. Easton Bianchi ran 22.02 at his conference meet then 22.64 in windy conditions at his sectional. Blake Reifsteck, Kahlil Wassell, and Michael Mays have the top three sectional times. Any of these four athletes could come away with the state championship in his distance.

Caleb Logan and Xavier Ross could be difference makers in this event as well as Basil Buckner of Rushville-Industry, Pascal Guilavogui of Beardstown, and Tate Walcott. If no headwinds, we could see a time under 22-seconds.

DISTANCE EVENTS

3200 Meter Run

The 1A IHSA AD (After Davis) race on the big blue oval pits three runners that have run under 9:20 his season. Logan Hall of Arthur-Lovington and Wyatt McIntyre of Athens have raced twice this season with Hall winning both. The last race at Palatine had Hall running 9:11.06 just 26-hundredths of a second ahead of McIntyre. It could be just as close on Saturday. Tanner Chada of Hinckley-Big Rock ran 9:16.69 in the Palatine race and will also challenge for the win.

After these three runners, there is a drop-off of 30-seconds between these three athletes and he rest of the pack led by Shelbyville’s Tyler Pasley. Jackson Stewart of St. Teresa is capable of leading the pack with Pasley. John McNabola of Francis Parker, Trey Houmes of Hoopeston Area, and Wyatt Wolfersberger of St. Joseph-Ogden will also challenge for all-state positions. Jon Davis ran 9:05.23 two years ago to set the 1A record. Hall, McIntyre, and Chada have the capability of pushing each other close to that mark.

800 Meter Run

Joseph Stone of Newton and Riley Wells of Rockford Christian pushed each other at Illinois Top Times in March with Wells winning that race. The two look to be the favorites in Saturday’s finals. Wells as a freshman last year finished 1600 Meter Run and led Rockford Christian to the state title in the 3200 Meter Relay. He does have the experience to win this race. Stone does have the fastest 1A time this season (1:56.61).

Cole Westmoreland of Seneca has run 1:57.65, Jason Landon of Carlinville has run 1:58.12, and Ian Hussung of Oregon has run 1:58.42 this spring. All could be factors in his event. Jacob Bryan of Illini West, Shane Yamco of Riverton, and Nate Durbin of Macon Meridian all have the talent to take home the win.

1600 Meter Run

Chris Ahlers of Sterling Newman has the fastest 1A time this season (4:18.57) and will be the athlete to watch in this event. Logan Hall will be doubling back from the 3200 Meter Run. He has run 4:20.23 and perhaps could be Ahlers’ top competition. There is a gap of seven seconds between Hall’s top sectional time and Tyler Pasley who ran 4:27.03 in his sectional race.

There are several wild-cards in this race that could push for the win if the finals’ race strategy becomes a sit and kick affair. Jackson Stewart, Wyatt McIntyre, and Tanner Chada will all be coming back from the 3200 but could challenge for the win. Ethan Morrow of Mercer County, Jacob Bryan, Justin Phillips of St. Joseph-Ogden, and Eli Ten Eyck of Pittsfield would be runners to keep a close eye on.

RELAY EVENTS

4x800 Meter Relay

Illini West (8:14.99) and Sterling Newman (8:18.39) have the top two 1A sectional times and could be the favorites in this event. Rockford Christian should have Riley Wells anchoring. He anchored the Royal Lions to the state win a year ago and could do it again. Elmwood-Brimfield, Mercer County, Deer Creek-Mackinaw, and Tremont are some of the teams that could challenge for an all-state spot.

4x100 Meter Relay

This could be a wide-open relay with ten schools running 44-seconds or faster in sectionals. Rushville-Industry leads the pack with a 43.30 sectional leading time. Warrensburg-Latham led by Dionte and Diondre Lewis, Bismarck-Henning who will have Blake Reifstech anchoring, St. Teresa led by Jason Duncan, and Madison all have the athletes to contend for the title. New Berlin won the title last year led by Kahlil Wassell’s anchor. Will lightning strike twice for the Pretzels this weekend? IC Catholic Prep, with Jordan Rowell anchoring, could be the surprise relay team.  Pana and Sherrard could also be surprise relay teams.

4x200 Meter Relay

This is another wide-open relay with Colfax-Ridgeview entering this meet with the top relay time (1:30.79). Madison and Kankakee McNamara also ran under 1:31 last week and should challenge Ridgeview. Pana and Rushville-Industry could come away with the win along with Rockford Christian, Mercer County, Sherrard, and Liberty challenging.

4x400 Meter Relay

This race could decide the 1A state title on Saturday. Rockford Christian had the top quartet indoors. They lead all sectional qualifiers running 3:26.79 last week at Oregon. Pleasant Plains ran 3:26.65 in April and could challenge for the win. Litchfield, Pana, Tuscola, and Toledo Cumberland are all within two seconds of each other and could also be factors in his race. Illini West could surprise in this final.