Above: Tanner Chada ends his high school career with a state championship in the 1600 Meter Run (Laura Duffy photo)

By Michael Newman

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Charleston --- It was not one individual for Illini West that carried the team alone to the 1A state championship Saturday afternoon at Eastern Illinois University. Two wins at the beginning of the meet helped the Chargers win the 1A team title with 61 points.

Before the first action on the track, Illini West had their first win in the field events. Connor Artman was in second entering the finals of the Long Jump. Artman jumped a personal best 23-5 to overtake Jordan Rowell of IC Catholic Prep to win the event. Rowell did not compete due to an injury that he suffered on Thursday’s prelims.

There first appearance on the track was the 3200 Meter Relay. Illini West was towards the front most of the race until their anchor Jacob Bryan received the baton. Bryan pulled away from Tremont and Mercer County to give another 10 points to Illini West with an 8:03.91 win. Mercer County (8:11.31) edged Tremont (8:11.59) for second-place.

Bryan was busy just like he was on Thursday during the prelims. The junior finished third in the 800 Meter Run achieving a personal best (1:54.69). He came back to finish fourth in the 1600 Meter Run (4:23.58) with another personal best. He came back to run the third leg in the 1600 Meter Relay in which they finished second overall.

Connor Artman was also busy after his win in the Long Jump. He finished third in the 110-Meter-High Hurdles, fourth in the 300 Meter Intermediate Hurdles as well a part of the 1600 Meter Relay. Jace Norman was the other scorer for the Chargers as he finished third in the High Jump clearing 6-6.

Colfax-Ridgeview was the surprise of the 1A meet as they finished second with 34 points. Mason Barr carried the load for his team finishing fourth in the 110-Meter-High Hurdles. Barr teamed up with Tate Walcott, Ryan Benton, and Kale Grunloh to win the 800 Meter Relay (1:28.90) ahead of Rockford Christian. The sophomore then came from behind to win the 300 Meter Intermediate Hurdles (38.32) ahead of Forreston’s AJ Christensen (39.10). Walcott also helped with his fourth-place finish in the 200 Meter Dash. Jacob Donaldson added two points with his eighth-place finish in the Triple Jump.

Forreston finished third behind an impressive win by Mason Wright in the Triple Jump. The senior jumped a personal best of 47-0 to win by more than a foot ahead of Illini Bluffs’ Michael Hill (45-7). AJ Christensen helped with a pair of second place finishes in the 110 High Hurdles and the 300 Meter Hurdles. Brady Webb also picked up points with his fifth-place finish in the Long Jump

Meet Highlights

Easton Bianchi of Sterling Newman Catholic did not believe when he entered high school that he would become a state champion. He did start thinking about it at the beginning of this season. Those dreams became true when he won two state championships in the sprints.

“At the beginning of high school, I did not think I would be here,” Bianchi said. This is a dream come true.”

He did not get off to his best start in the 100 Meter Dash. He did pull even with Kahlil Wassell at 70-meters and pulled away for the state title (10.86) ahead of Wassell’s 10.93. The margin was bigger in the 200 Meter Dash as Bianchi had the race as he came out of the turn running 21.78 ahead of Wassell’s 22.15.

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The distance races produced three different winners. Logan Hall of Arthur-Lovington waited until the final lap to make his move on Hinckley-Big Rock’s Tanner Chada. Hall pulled away with his first state title (9:13.74) ahead of Chada (9:16.78).

“It was a little bit warm but I can’t complain,” said Hall. “I’m a state champion.”

The roles changed in the 1600 Meter Run. Chada, who is not known for a strong finish, showed one in his final high school race. He pulled away in the final lap holding off Pittsfield Eli Ten Eyck to win his first state championship (4:18.35) ahead of Van Eyck (4:19.01) and Hall (4:19.46). Chada crossed the finish line in disbelief that he had won the race.

“I really don’t know what to say,” a stunned Chada said afterwards. “With 500-meters to go, I knew I had to go. It’s been such a long journey in the last two and a half years with two surgeries and a pin in my leg. I can’t explain the feeling I have right now.”

Riley Wells of Rockford Christian is known for his ferocious finishing kick but it did not look like it would happen in the 800 Meter Run as he got too far behind in the first lap. Brandon Schnitker of Nashville and Jacob Bryan had opened-up a 15-meter lead on Wells with 300-meters to go. Wells started to shorten the gap as he entered the curve. By the time he hit the grandstand straight, he was even with Schnitker. The two ran side-by-side until Wells finally had the edge in the final 10-meters. Wells ran close to a four second personal best crossing the line in 1:52.84 less than a second ahead of Schnitker (1:53.53) and Bryan (1:54.69).

“I was mentally prepared for the race to go out fast like that. I’m not the best of going out fast,” Wells said. “I just tried to hold onto that front pack and outkick them at the end.”

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The sprint relays produce some fast times and high-wire finishes. Rushville-Industry’s David Buckner pulled away from the pack during the anchor leg to pick up the championship for his school. Rushville-Industry (43.28) just edged St. Teresa (43.58) and Mercer County (43.59) for the win.

Riley Wells, who had earlier won the 800 Meter Run, anchored Rockford Christian to the state championship (3:22.41) ahead of Illini West that less than a second (3:22.85).

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Sophomore Cameron Witts of Williamsville cleared 14-9 to win the Pole Vault state title ahead of defending champion Curtis Gordon of Vandalia who cleared 14-6. A loaded High Jump field narrowed down to three athletes that cleared 6-6 or higher in the finals. Palestine’s Nathan Kiger’s 6-7 clearance won him the state championship ahead of DuQuoin’s Caleb Vogel and Illini West’s Jace Norman who both cleared 6-6.

The order did not change in the Shot Put finals but the distances did as Nick Olson of Flanagan-Cornell threw 55-9 to win the state championship. Andy Bird of Hamilton/Warsaw was only three inches back throwing 55-6 to finish second.

Less than two-feet separated the top three in the Discus as Ty Kinkelaar ended his high school career winning the state championship with a 164-6 throw. Duquoin’s Devin Jones (163-7) and Elmwood’s Justin Harkness (162-2) finished second and third.

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Trey Miller of Lewistown pulled away in the final three hurdles to win the 110-Meter-High Hurdles (14.80) ahead of Forreston’s AJ Christensen (14.94).

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New Berlin finished in a four-way tie with St. Teresa, Rockford Christian, and Sterling Newman with 28 points. All the Pretzels points were due to a strong day by Kahlil Wassell. He anchored his team to a sixth-place finish in the 400 Meter Relay. Wassell was on his own after that he finished second in the 100, 200, and 400 Meter Dash.

“We lost all those seniors last year in the 4x1,” Wassell said. “I really have to complement the guys on the team this year. They really have put in the work.”