1A Distance Previews by Ray Lewis (raymond.j.lewis
Just like every other Illinois state meet, there is going to be plenty to see, with record breaking performances, close finishes and the best high school athletes in our great state looking to have their names etched in history forever. But if you are planning on coming to Charleston this coming weekend, make sure to stop by and watch Jon Davis (Sr., Fithian Oakwood) run.
During his four years at the IHSA level, we have seen Jon Davis tear apart his division's competition and even beat the best runners that 2A and 3A had to offer. On behalf of Illinois, he has front run in all of the biggest national meets, and his 13:59 state championship at Detweiller in 2015 was a crowning jewel for one of the most successful Illinois distance men ever. As we prepare now for the end of the 2016 State Championship, we also keep a close eye on Davis, making his curtain call and writing the finale for his illustrious high school career. Enjoy watching this young man run while you can.
Yet more so than any other year, the most compelling story of 1A distance has not been just Davis but rather the incredible middle distance performances all across the state throughout this spring season. Watch especially the 800 and the 1600, where talent runs deep and a legitimate challenger to Davis' favorite status seeks the chance to win a looming showdown over four laps on Saturday.
3200-
The 1A 3200 may be one of the easiest events to predict this weekend: if you want a clear display of Jon Davis, watch this race. Davis sports Illinois' best 3200 time, 8:51.17 (also #10 in the country) in a showdown with NXN champ Casey Clinger from Utah. The closest that the rest of 1A has come to that is El Paso-Gridley's Hunter Cobbley, who dropped a 9:14.27 in a third place finish at Palatine's new Distance Night. Aside from Cobbley, no other runner entered in the 3200 final has come within 40 seconds on Davis' new best time. With a 1600 showdown on the horizon, we may see Davis elect to conserve energy in this race (after all, he already holds the 1A state record in 9:05.23, and Don Sage's 8:42 appears untouchable right now).
After Davis, there is a logjam of runners seeking all-state spots in this race. Keep an eye especially on Cobbley as he runs to reclaim the magic of his Palatine Distance Night performance, and Tyler Johnson (Sr., Pleasant Plains) who is last year's runner-up and the second fastest qualifier in this race (9:33.24). Each of these runners will be doubling but will also have their sights set on Davis. Youngsters Logan Hall (9:40.40, So., Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond) and Wyatt McIntyre (9:41.90, So., Athens [Coop]) may be the future of this championship event but are strong candidates for podium finishes in the present. Also look for Shelbyville's Marcus Skinner (Sr.) to aim for his third straight top 10 finish in the 3200.
After these guys at the front, 23 other athletes are separated by less than 20 seconds based on sectional times. Because of this parity, do not be surprised if more than one runner from the first heat slide into the all-state conversation, especially since weather may prove to be a nuisance on Saturday.
1600-
Jon Davis owns the state's fastest 1600 time as well, an emphatic 4:05.81 run completely on his own (for perspective: he won by 50 seconds). If nothing else, this race is a statement reaffirming Davis' strong favorite status, because this year has also been punctuated by the rise of middle distance star Cory Landon, who owns a 4:16.07, 1:56.51, and a 4:20 indoor time. Davis will be returning from a 3200 race and Landon likely will be returning from an 800 final much sooner, but the talent of both runners suggests this will be a solid match-up. They have run head to head this year, and Davis finished three places and a couple of seconds ahead of Landon in the 1600 at Palatine's Distance Night (PDN). Landon certainly will not want to allow that much space to Davis, who has taken races out very quickly throughout the course of the spring.
A handful of sub-4:30 runners behind these two guys look to make up the all-state pack. Justin Phillips (Sr., St. Joseph-Ogden) is the second qualifier behind Davis, and also ran in the PDN 1600 (4:26.24). The 1A #3 time belongs to Marcus Skinner (Sr., Shelbyville), a second place finish at Monticello (4:26.1). The aforementioned Tyler Johnson and Hunter Cobbley will also attempt the double and have run 4:30 or lower, and have a shot at scoring for their schools in two different events. Much like the 3200, a logjam in the qualifying times means many all-state contending runners may not even make the final: 24 runners are separated by just 8 seconds. Fascinating to see will also be Landon and Davis' strategies in the preliminary heats-don't expect either runner to play all of their cards the day before their showdown.
800-
The parity at the top of the pack is fully at play in the 1A 800 field. The state leader in the 800, Jon Davis, is not entered in the 800 so there will be no triple this year. Instead, not just Cory Landon but sophomore Jason Landon as well are two of the favorites, and sit at the top of the qualifying times from sectional week with 1:58.13 (Jason) and 1:58.16 (Cory). They may not have the chance to finish 1-2 in Charleston if David Plunkett has anything to say about it, however. Plunkett's 1A #2 1:55.41 from the Sangamon Country meet brought his personal best down by almost 3 full seconds, and he will certainly want it all after finishing 5th in this race in 2015.
Parity, of course, has been the recurring theme for 1A Distance races, so get this: Ryan Skowronski, Joseph Stone, Keaton Helm, Ross McCormick, Michael Bennett, Cole Westmoreland, Gabe Lyons, Chris Ahlers and Drake Baker have qualifying times separated by just .91 seconds (all in the 1:59.xx range)! Of that group, Baker (1:58.25) and Stone (1:57.63) have the fastest season best's but the positional tactics of a VERY CROWDED 800 race will be essential to determining the 800 All-State field. The 800 talent in 1A is deeper than it has been in a while so we suggest keeping a close eye on this final on Saturday.