Don’t you dare think for a minute that after two outstanding weekends in row, that we are headed for a downfall. Yes, it is true from a national perspective the indoor season is over. But in Illinois, there is still work to do for many teams and individuals. The lead up will be the Illinois Top Times Meet the following weekend at Illinois Wesleyan University. In many aspects, this weekend could be termed “Last Chance Weekend.” The high powered Gene Armer Invitational will be the top co-ed invitational on the weekend docket.
Gene Armer Invitational-
Location: University of Illinois Armory Track and Floor
Key teams: Boys- Chicago Heights Bloom, Chicago Lane Tech, Chicago North Lawndale Prep, Crete-Monee, Jacksonville.
Girls- Belleville West, Edwardsville, Frankfort Lincoln-Way East, Moweaqua A&M, Springfield Southeast.
The Boys Go First In This Affair
This meet is a unique affair in that the boys will compete before the girls. That’s right the girls will have the last say in this meet. In addition, the traditional running event order has been shifted. The 3200m and 4x800r will start the finals off before moving to the 400m. The remaining meet order will go 800, 200, 60HH, 60, 4x200r, 1600, 4x400r.
Bloom took home top honors last year on the strength of a well rounded squad led by Kaleb Williams. Williams has graduated leaving the Trojans less stout to repeat. Will emerging teams like North Lawndale Prep up to the challenge with talented individuals Terry McGee (Sr.) and Imani Payton (Jr.) leading the charge? Is Crete-Monee ready to re-emerge as a force?
Leverenz vs. Beck Part Deux Will Highlight Distance Affair
Johnny Leverenz (Jr., Danville) and Caleb Beck (Sr., Oswego) will meet for the third time this season on the Armory track. Beck won the 3200m but took third in the 1600m against Leverenz who won. Both runners will only compete in the 1600. However, there will be some notables added to the mix. Shawn Milhauser (Sr., Pontiac) has emerged this season as a possible spoiler turning in a 4:26.56- good for IL #12.
The 3200m meet record of 9:40.88 set by Zach Johnson of St. Charles North could fall. Marc Maton (Sr., Glenwood-Chatham) is in position to break the five year-old mark. He ran 9:35.22 in his only contest a month ago. Last year’s champion Marcelo Burbano (Sr., Chicago Lane Tech) is back to defend his crown. Burbano will be competing in his first 16-lapper of the season.
Sprint Action Won't Disappear Either
Julian Hylton (Jr., Frankfort Lincoln-Way North) is the defending champion in the 55m dash. But he will have to defend his short title at the new 60m event. He will be making his Fully Automatic Timing (FAT) debut this season. If the speedster is to make his trip to Champaign another success, he is going to have to defeat 2A stud Reggie Bratton (Sr., Jacksonville). Bratton is the defending 100m champ and tough as nails in the short stuff.
The 200m champion will have to qualify in a prelim round slated for the morning session. James Jackson (Sr., Jacksonville) is the top returner after placing fourth here a year ago. But he is hardly a heavy favorite with a field of top talent awaiting him. Tyler Whittler (Sr., Crete-Monee), Micah Frazier (Sr., Chicago Heights Bloom), Brent Albertson (Sr., Flanagan), and Hylton will all fight for the one-lap crown. It should be a dandy!
For those of you who do not know Deshawn Jordan (Sr., Chicago Lawndale Prep) you are about to get a large sample size of him in the 400m. Jordan has quietly put up some quality numbers this winter in the 55m and 200m. However, his best event is the two-lapper in which he has a lifetime best of 49.44. He should be the odds on favorite but Quinten Nash (Jr., Crete-Monee) could make it interesting.
Ginger vs. Coulon Could Be Billed As Master v. Pupil Schooling
Tyler Ginger (Sr., Stanford-Olympia) has a bright future ahead of him in the pole vault as he will take his talent to the United States Air Force Academy upon graduation. In the meantime, he is going to have to deal with a freshman sensation known as Adam Coulon of Downs (Tri-Valley). Coulon had torn the youth ranks to shreds before entering high school. He reportedly has a personal best of 15-0 while in the 8th grade. So far in his brief high school career, he has cleared 14-7. The matchup between Ginger and Coulon could be epic.
Shot Putter Brendan Duncan Can Not Be Denied
Brendan Duncan (Sr., Waterloo) is one of the nation’s best throwers as his 59-6.25 US#16 mark proves. The Stanford University commit will not have to use much of his wit to outdistance anyone in the field. The near foe sits nearly seven feet in back of him. Duncan’s main task will probably be to eclipse the 60-foot mark.
Girls, Girls, Girls
It is a seldom occurrence when all three class defending state champion teams meet in a regular season competition. Well, for the first time in perhaps ages it is going to happen inside the Armory with Edwardsville-3A, Springfield Southeast-2A, and Moweaqua Central A&M-1A. There will only be one individual entry per team so the sample size will be small. As well, the debate of who has the top indoor squad will be fodder for debate.
Lincoln Way East In The Building
Frankfort Lincoln-Way East is the team on the horizon that everyone better be concerned with. The Lady Griffins trekked out to New York City last weekend for the New Balance Indoor Nationals to make a new for themselves… and came back home heros. Aaliyah Brown (Sr.) put her team on her back competing in three finals as “The Brown Franchise.” However, Lincoln-Way East is more than just Brown. “Alexis Hyshaw and company will be leading the LWE Griffins this week. I [am] challenging her to put the team on her back this weekend. We will see what she is made of this weekend,” said Coach Angelo Brown.
Hyshaw, a junior star in the making, will be running the 60m, 200m, and 4x200m. Aaliyah will sit and mentor the team- only available as a back up in the 4x2 and 4x4 relays. Freshman emerging stars Asia Brown and Alexis Pierre-Antoine will fill out the jumping and hurdle ranks. All in all it will be a time for the Griffins to show its depth and strength. It will also be an opportunity to hush up the pundits who seem to think LWE is a team full of imported talent. Hopefully, after Saturday those behind doors will have nothing to say.
Emmonie Henderson Time
Emmonnie Henderson (Sr., Edwardsville) will be the featured athlete here now that the “The Brown Franchise” is idle. Henderson is a basketball star in her other career… but the University of Louisville commit is a shot putter during the indoor season. The US#3 ranked Henderson has been on a tear since the pre-mature end of her hoops season; she has nabbed 47-0 and 48-9 herculean efforts in two successful competitions. The latter effort is an all-time best for an Illinois girl. The first 50-foot mark since 2011 could occur here. If nothing else the 11 year old meet record is toast. Several other girls including Lena Giger (Jr., Highland) and Claire Nolan (Sr., Taylorville) have an opportunity to roll past Ashley Minner’s (Jacksonville) mark of 44-2.5.
Sprint Action Expected To Be Heavy
The unusual one athlete per event for schools will not deter the intense depth of forthcoming performances. Aside from Lincoln-Way East there will be some other top notch talent in the field house. Springfield Southeast’s Charday Crawford is a supreme talent who made a big name for herself in last year’s state championship by winning the 100, 200, and 4x200 relay. If Crawford can overcome a reportedly sore groin that plagued her last weekend at the Proviso East Invite, she will be a contender in the 60 and 200. Freshman standout Kayla Hylton (Franfort Lincoln-Way North) will try and match her older brother Julian in the medal count. The young Hylton will get re-aquianted with her summer club mates from Lincoln-Way East (Brown sisters, Pierre-Antoine, Hyshaw). Alexis Jimson-Miller (Sr., Danville) will be the favorite in the 400m and among the top of the heap of the 55HH.
Good Relays Will Aid The Lean Distance Arena
The 4x200 and 4x400 will be loaded. Lincoln-Way East will not feature its state leading corps, but the Griffins should be good enough to win both. In the 4x2, Danville will be a tough foe after clocking a swift 1:45.89 on a very slow Purdue University track last week. Springfield Southeast will be equally as fast with a healthy Charday Crawford.
In the 4x400, Danville will unveil a solid 4:05.86 mark that’s good for IL#4. The Lady Vikings will certainly pursue the favored Lincoln-Way East quartet. Several teams have entered suspicious times that may have prevented more worthy teams from getting into the “championship” heat. Let’s see what Belleville West and Kankakee can put up on Saturday.
More Coverage
- 2013 Gene Armer Invitational Meet Page (Results/coverage following meet)
- Meet Program
- Entry List