Briyanna Desrosiers (left) takes round 1 of many Britt vs. Bri battles
Firestorm down in Arkansas
If you were a fire chief down in Fayetteville, Arkansas you would have every right to charge this group as a bunch of arsonists from the state of Illinois.
Here is a sample of the damage they caused:
Girls-
• Briyanna Desrosiers (Sr., Chicago North Lawndale Prep) starts morning off with US#1 400m prelim 55.04- she took back national lead in the process. In between the 400m final, she barely took a pause to run the prelims of the 200m (she produced top mark- 24.70) and anchor her high school mates in the 4x200m relay that was 16m down and out from the chase pack. With a hearty and frenzy crowd behind her she made up the ground, and blazed to a section 2 win in 1:43.77. Desrosiers returned later in the evening to polish off the competition in the 400m final in 56.22.
Boys-
• Cahokia sophomore sensation Ja’Mari Ward literally kicked off his season with two outstanding performances in the jumps. In his first competition of the morning, he placed second in the long jump with a fleeting 23-1.25- good for US#4. He battled the winner Brandon Workman, a senior from Rogers, Arkansas through each jump. Workman edged Ward out with a 23-1.50…. Ward got back into the pit and won the triple jump in 49-0.75- good for US#2. According to head coach Leroy Millsap, Ward’s series of jumps went 47-6, 48-2, and 49-0.75. It appears as though Ward is in championship season form in the middle of January.
As for the meet in its totality, it was billed as the final countdown to the start of the Illinois high school season that officially begins on January 20.
Girls action-
The main event was supposed to be the first of many seasonal battles between Brittny Ellis (Jr., Gurnee Warren) and Desrosiers. Ellis did not attend the Texas A&M High School Invitational last weekend because of prior commitments. But this time she would have to face the competition head on if she wanted to prove victorious. The defending state champion breezed in her prelim heat 56.62. Ellis would finally meet up with her latest challenger Desrosiers who has been on fire this season. The outcome was over quickly for Ellis when Desrosiers got out of her blocks like a rocket and hit the first 200m in an unofficial 24.9. Danyel White, a sophomore on the young and gifted Cedar Hill TX squad, moved with Desrosiers and stayed glued with her as they settled into the swift pace. Desrosiers eventually hung on to win in 56.22-56.23. Ellis was able to grab the consolation prize third in 56.86. Round one goes to Desrosiers…
It seems like the young lady to watch from the Lincoln-Way East/Illinois Elite camp is senior Megan Marias. Coach Angelo Brown has raved about this young lady since the end of last season. “Megan is someone that you all will be hearing about,” he said during last May’s state team championship melee. Marias has proved true on early investment returns as she placed third in the 60m and ninth in the 200m, running 7.71 and 25.65 respectively.
The star of the Lincoln-Way East express train is senior Alexis Hyshaw. Hyshaw rebounded well after not making the 200m final to place second in the 60m (7.67). Hyshaw is progressing nicely and showing strength in returning later to anchor her club’s 4x200m relay win in 1:41.68.
The best of the rest:
Emma Spagnola (Sr., Aurora West) placed second her heat of the 60H prelims with a time of 8.75. She returned in the final and improved to 8.64 for second place. Junior Jayla Stewart of Homewood-Flossmoor took fourth place in 8.97.
Janile Rogers (Sr., Minooka) recorded a new indoor personal best in the long jump when she leaped a US#20 18-4.25. She placed second ahead of Maya Neal (Jr., Naperville Neuqua Valley) who copped a respectable fourth (17-9.5).
The 400m field was littered with Illinois runners. Miranda Marry (Sr., Fisher) took seventh in 58.98 (57.82 prelim); Jasmine Berry (Sr., Belleville West finished 10th in 1:00.35 (57.90p); Spagnola (58.31) and Rogers (59.41) cracked the one-minute mark.
Ja'Mari Ward is US#2 in TJ
Boys action-
Jeremiah Watson (Sr., Chicago Urban Prep) earned his way into the 400m final with a solid 50.79 prelim run. In the final, Watson finished fifth in 50.55. The southside speed demon also made the 200m final but scratched the event.
Chicago North Lawndale Prep senior Imani Payton made the 60HH with a quality 8.40. He pulled out of the final to concentrate on other events such as running a leg on his team’s second place 4x200m relay that blazed 1:32.08. Fellow North Lawndale Prep senior speedster Terry McGee made his presence known. McGee smoked the track in his 200m prelim (22.39). McGee was a little fatigue from competing in the 4x2r, but was still able to place sixth overall in 22.74.
Devin Ingram (Sr., Minooka) qualified and competed in the 60m and 200m prelims (7.07/22.55). Ingram returned several hours later to motor in 7.04 to place fourth. Watch out for him during the outdoor season as he puts his name in the 100m and 200m championship hat. Ingram’s teammate Shabari Bailey (Sr., Minooka) took fourth in the 60HH running 8.43.
William Session (So., Belleville East) is a name that you are going to read about heavy for the next several years. He is an emerging talent in the hurdles for sure. But to those who are wondering about the lineage he is the son of former E. St. Louis Senior legend hurdler Rodney Session. The elder Session single handily won the 1996 state championship for Eastside. If memory serves me correctly, it was on a hot day in late May that Session won both hurdle races and anchored the 4x1 and 4x2 relays to nail biting victories. Each time that he would cross the finish line it was a very boastful point into the crowd and yelling out loud how great he was. Let’s see if the youngster Session develops the same swagger that his papa had. Anyway, William enjoyed a wonderful time in Fayetteville placing sixth in the 60HH final, running 8.51.
The Comanches of Cahokia ended the meet on a sound note after experiencing several horrifying exchanges in the 4x200m relay that resulted in two disqualifications (A & B teams). The 4x400m relay placed second in 3:26.40. The team of Ja'Mari Ward, Tyron Lyons, Chris McGee, and Jalon Monigan clocked splits of 50.2, 51.2, 51.5, 52.9.