ILXCTF.com 2022 IHSA Boys Track & Field Previews - 2A Field Events

By Michael Newman [email protected]

This is part two of the world of opportunity now in the Class 2A field events. No state champions are back to defend. We will se some all-state athletes that will contend for the top prize. It might be the new faces in these six events that could receive the most focus.

Here is a look at the Class 2A field events that will take place in the 2022 season.

Long Jump

Notes – This event is wider than wide open. Bryson Wilson of Marion enters the year as the only all-state athlete back as he finished fourth in the 2A State Finals. Wilson also has the longest returning jump in this class (22-6.75). He is the only athlete with a returning mark over 22-feet.

Teagan Davis of Princeton excelled in a number of field events as a sophomore last season. He is one of 11 athletes back that went past 21-feet. Davis had a 21-9 best and finished 12th in the State Finals. Chase Hanson of Mascoutah has a 21-10.5 best and will have focus on a state title. Vinson Newsom of Marion is also someone to watch for in winning this state.

There are no athletes in the Chicago area that are back that jumped past 21-feet last year. Most of the athletes that we could see in the top five are in schools south of Springfield. Marcus Garrett of Mt. Vernon, Levi Frost of Benton, and Carson Green of Centralia are some of those athletes to keep an eye on.

Triple Jump

Notes – Nicholas Deloach stepped into the spotlight like previous athletes from Cahokia have done in this event. Deloach as a sophomore last spring had a 45-7.25 best and returns with the top returning place with third in the 2A State finals. His junior season could be better than 2021 with a possibility of getting to 48-feet or farther.

Salomon Dessalines of Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin and Kejuan Caradine of Rantoul finished fifth and sixth last year and are the only returning state athletes. DeShawn Parker of St. Laurence jumped 44-7.5 in his sectional and finished 14th in the 3A finals. Lucas Bass of Kaneland is another athlete moving down from Class 3A. Bass finished fourth in his sectional and did not qualify for state. Bass has the fourth returning best mark (43-5.25) heading int this season. He could be among the top three in this event along with Parker.

Justin Taylor of Nazareth Academy, Konnor Bouman of Normal University, Seth Glatz of Morton, and Aiden Coppejans of Geneseo are some of the athletes that you could see finish in the top nine in Charleston at the end of May.

High Jump

Notes – The top six placers from last year’s Class 2A State finals graduated. There are four all-state athletes back including three that tied for ninth. Teegan Davis of Princeton might have his sights on a state title. The junior has the best clearance (6-8) among the athletes returning in this event. None of the other athletes back went past 6-4 outdoors.

Cahokia’s Nicholas Deloach and Jo’vanni Howard lead a pack of nine athletes that went past 6-2 last spring. Some of the athletes to keep an eye on include Jack Novelle of Woodstock, Dylan Bazzell of Prairie Central. Andrew Bland of Sterling, Ben Morgan of Herscher, and Quentrell Harris of Nazareth Academy.

Pole Vault

Notes – Temperatures on the floor of O’Brien Field during the 2A State Finals that Friday afternoon were over 100 degrees. Malaki Schaad of Geneseo persevered and finished second while pushing state champion Colton Naffziger to a 16-3 winning height. Schaad was hot during his junior season going past 15-feet four times including clearing 16-0.25 at state. Schaad’s first meet on January 30 resulted in a 14-0 clearing mark. Good things should be ahead for him this season.

Kyle Hensley of Mt. Zion, Colin Beers of Marion, and Cooper Schaad of Geneseo were all-state last year and will look to push Malaki Schaad for the state title. Brady Monahan of Pontiac, Tanner Koontz of Mt. Vernon, Peyton Craig of Marion, Vander Dransfeldt of Reed-Custer, and Drew Fehr of Prairie Central are some of the athletes to keep an eye on this spring.

Shot Put

Notes – This could be the toughest of the 2A Field Events with six all-state athletes are back to challenge for a state title. JehChys Brown of Centralia leads this group having finished third as a sophomore. Brown also returns with the state leading put of 54-4.75 in this class. David Russell of Illinois Valley Central and Caleb Smith of Salem finished fourth and sixth and could challenge Brown for a state title. Kane Carter of Marion, and Dre Jackson of Dixon finished eighth and ninth and will look again to finish in an all-state position.

Other athletes to keep an eye on in this event include Eli Pflipsen of Kaneland, Kaden Gregory of Pontiac, and Samuel McClain Jr. of East St. Louis-Senior. McClain had a best of 53-3.75 last year but failed to advance out of his sectional finishing fourth. He could be a surprise in the ring this spring and challenge for a state title.

Discus

Notes – Ashton Noble of Roxana leads two other all-state athletes back in this event. Noble had a 160-4.75 best during the season. He did finish third at state. Kane Carter of Marion finished sixth while David Russell of Illinois Valley Central finished ninth in the state finals. Both had throws over 150-feet last year and could challenge for the state title.

JehChys Brown of Centralia had a 158-6 best last spring and will put pressure of Noble. Jackson McWhinney of Montini Catholic, Frank Driscoll of Bartonville Limestone, Pierce Miller of Princeton, and Dre Jackson of Dixon are some of the athletes to watch for big throws in the ring by the time we get to Charleston.