ILXCTF.com 2022 IHSA Boys Track & Field Previews - 3A Sprints/Hurdles

By Michael Newman [email protected]

It was a fantastic junior season for Tyler Colwell of Minooka as he stormed into the spotlight in the Class 3A Sprints. He was one of the reasons why Minooka left Charleston with a second-place trophy. Colwell was a big help in his team’s relay quartets. He finished second in the 200 Meter Dash. He was disqualified in the 100 Meer Dash due to a false start. Do you think Colwell entering his senior season will be driven to do some great things?

Brandon Battle has graduated and now doing some great things at the University of Arkansas. There is no one athlete that will dominate all three sprint events. The sprints in this classification are loaded with some fast talent ready to break loose.

The same can be said in the two hurdles as Gabe Czako of Lockport and Jalen Johnson of Metea Valley will be the class of both of those hurdle races.

Here is a look at the three sprint events and the two hurdle events that will take place in Class 3A this spring.

100 Meter Dash

Notes – There four athletes that return that were all-state in the shortest race of the state meet program. That does not include Tyler Colwell of Minooka who false started in the final section of the event. Colwell does return with the fastest time of 10.48 which is over two tenths of a second ahead of the rest of the field.

Reece Young of Wheaton-Warrenville South is the highest returning finisher from the state finals with a fifth-place finish and a 10.69 best time. Will Stewart of Fremd, Jonathan Mayhand of Oak Forest, and Malachi Wren of Belleville East finished seventh through ninth and will be among the sprinters in the mix for an al-state finish. Jettason Rose of Quincy and Darren Anderson of Minooka both had times under 10.81 and will remain threats to the top of the podium.

There are 18 runners back all with times under 11 seconds. In this short event, anything could happen. Athletes that I would keep an eye on include Brian Stanton of Plainfield South, Jamir Harris of Waubonsie Valley, Andrew Garton of Yorkville, Taofiq Shogbuyi of Romeoville, and Joshua Duncan of St. Charles North.

400 Meter Dash

Notes – There is not a Brandon Battle like runner in this event. Battle ran the second fastest 400 ever by an Illinois High School runner (46.48). There is Max Mitchell of Neuqua Valley who could be the athlete to take the title in this one lap race. Mitchell did not have his best race at state finishing ninth. He did run 48.81 at Minooka in May giving himself the fastest time coming back by close to two tenths of a second. Mitchell has already run 49.7 to start the year.

There are three other all-state athletes back besides Mitchell. Evan Gronewold of Huntley surprised some by finishing second last year. Austin Cabanban of Loyola Academy and Jonah Fallon of Batavia finished fourth and fifth. Both return with times under 49.5.

Daniel Lacy of Champaign Centennial and Konrad Sacha of South Elgin both ran under 50 seconds last spring. Both athletes should be threats for the top of the podium. Other athletes that I would keep an eye on include Matthew Bailey of Moline, Jacob Hohmann of Batavia, Owen O’Shea of Plainfield South, and Ryan Kuczynski of Vernon Hills.

200 Meter Dash

Notes – Tyler Colwell of Minooka was the closest to state champion Brandon Battle as he ran 21.97 in the final section compared to Battle’s 21.65. Colwell enters the season with the fastest returning time of 21.61 seconds.

Three athletes are back that are all-state. Reece Young of Wheaton-Warrenville South did not run under 22 seconds all season. He did run 22.24 to finish third. His best last year was 22.16. Four other athletes ran under 22 seconds including Max Mitchell of Neuqua Valley and Jettason Rose of Quincy who were all-state. Joshua Duncan of St. Charles North and Daniel Lacy of Champaign Centennial both were under 22 seconds. Both would like chances to finish in the top nine.

Other sprinters I would watch for in the event this season include Jamir Harris of Waubonsie Valley, Charlie Nolan of Normal West, Marquez Gray of Rockford East, Jailen Duffie of Warren Township, and DeMarrea Davis of DeKalb.

110-Meter-High Hurdles

Notes – This event will be tough especially in the front with Gabe Czako of Lockport and Jalen Johnson of Metea Valley who finished second and third leading the way. Czako ran a personal best of 14.10 in last year’s final behind the 14.01 winning time from Kalil Johnson. Jalen Johnson ran 14.50 in that race. He had a season’s best of 14.42. Both could push each other to times under 14-seconds this May.

Saiheed Jah of Moline and Michael Campbell of Rolling Meadows were both all-state and had times under 15 seconds. They are the duo that will lead the pack that will chaise after Czako and Johnson. Five other athletes return that have times under 15.3 that include Sam Burns of Niles West, Danny Lang of Wheaton North, Sebastian Cheeks of Evanston, Collin Forrest of Minooka, and Bryce Tuchner of Prospect.

300-Meter-Intermediate Hurdles

Notes – The story is similar to the shorter hurdle races with Gabe Czako of Lockport and Jalen Johnson of Metea Valley the top athletes returning. This event should be closer with five all-state athletes all within a second of each other. Czako at 38.42 and Johnson at 38.57 ran personal bests in finishing second and third.

Nathan Shapiro of Glenbrook South also achieved a personal best in running 39.17 to finish fourth. Shapiro ran four times under 40-seconds and could surprise in this event. Jamarion Stubbs of Elgin Larkin and Saiheed Jah of Moline also were all-state and had best times under 40-seconds.

Some athletes that I would keep an eye on this season include Tyler Vizgirda of Lyons Township, Ian Kelley of Oak Park-River Forest, Daylan Berger of Wheeling, Michael Campbell of Rolling Meadows, and Lake Park’s Aidan Killmer and Myles Towbridge.