The aftermath of the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University (Abe Jones photo)
Full written recaps coming by end of Sunday evening; 1A action highlights; 1A recap highlights; 2A recap highlights; 3A recap highlights
- The Illinois Top Times hosted the unofficial indoor state championship in Normal where it was the scene of the most explosive track meet of the season. The two-day and three meet extravaganza produced approximately 360 national elite performances and restored some much needed respect back into Illinois prep track & field.
- 1A Girls/Boys: [Girls] Miranda Marry (Sr., Fisher) won the 200/400m and placed third in the 60m; Cassie Mundekis (Jr., Midwest Central) won the 800m in a breeze 2:17.67; Amelia Glueck (Sr., Tremont) set the classification record in the long jump with a leap of 18-2; Morgan Zacharias (Jr., Reed-Custer) won the pole vault in 12-3.25; [Boys] Brett Charlton (Jr., Eureka) took the 60m in a solid 7.00; Tyler Owen (So., Georgetown-Ridge Farm) won the long jump with a leap of 6-6; Jack Denby (Sr., Carlinville) scaled the pole vault with a height of 16-0 (he later attempted 16-6)
- 2A Girls/Boys: [Girls] Sydney Billingsley (Sr., Normal U High) won the 1600m in 5:06.59; Ebony McClendon (Sr., Chicago Brooks) stole the show in the sprints- 60m (7.45/US#5) and 200m (24.58/IL#1); Maura Beattie (Sr., Woodstock) wins the 3200m easy in 10:49.44; Karina Liz (So., Aurora Central Catholic) completes tough 800/1600m sweep with 2:17.48/58.87 marks; Lindsey Murray (Sr., Harrisburg) takes the state overall lead and meet record in the pole vault with a great 13-0 mark that is US#9; Lena Giger (Sr., Highland) wins the shot put with a solid 47-4; [Boys] Simon Thorpe (Sr., Dixon) blazes to early fast lead in the 1600m and wins going away in 4:20.76; emerging star Josh Eiker (So., Galesburg) wins 60/200m double in 7.01/22.36; JD Lafayette (Sr., Normal U High) paces smart and triumphs home off the last 50m to take 800m crown in a classification record; Logan Zeman (Sr., Lasalle-Peru) wins a jump off against forced retirement (hurt ankle) Alex King (Sr., Massac County) 6-8. Both athletes cleared 6-8
- 3A Girls/Boys: [Girls] Sophomore Skyler Bollinger of Yorkville holds off Lauren VanVlierbergen (Jr., Jacobs) in the 1600m 4:56.09-4:59.68; VanVlierbergen breaks all-time 800m record earlier in the day with crushing 2:11.80 (63.5 first 400); Briyahna Desrosiers (Sr., Chicago N. Lawndale Prep) wins 400/200m (56.35/24.96); Lindsay Graham (So., Glenbard West) scores the Top Times fastest 3200m in 10:44.98 (5:22 first 1600m); Homewood-Flossmoor staves off Bloom Twp in the 4x200 relay 1:43.04-1:43.78; St. Charles East is first team under 4:00 for 4x400 at 3:59.61 (the Saints were short-handed two legs); tiny Antoinette Broughton (Jr., Homewood-Flossmoor) blazed 7.68 to easily win the 60m. She had initially won the 200m in 24.94 but was disqualified for stepping on the lane excessively; Janile Rogers (Sr., Minooka) destroys all-time record in the long jump with a US#4 19-10.75 (best ever indoors for Illinois prep); Banki Oginni (Sr., Hoffman Estates) creeps up on the 50-foot mark in the shot put with a US#5 48-0 effort; Hannah Swift (Jr., Pekin) wins PV with 12-8.5 mark; Jordan Duncan (St. Charles East) scores IL#1 time in the 200 (22.16); Cole Henderson (Sr., Pekin) gets mojo back with cruise control 60m win in 6.85. He was thought to have ran 6.80 in the prelim. He also copped the LJ title with 23-1.5 mark; Marcus Jegede (Sr., Lake Park) cruises in TJ with 48-1.5; Yorkville runs great 4x800 in 7:58.14; Minooka wins 4x400 with 3:25.49; Thornton wins very reckless 4x200 in 1:31.64; Terry McGee (Sr., North Lawndale) prevails over Cory Hertz (Lakes) in the 400m 50.11-50.12; Patrick Perrier (Sr., O'Fallon) had easy time in the 3200m with a time of 9:13.22 (4:32 at 1600m)