400m Dash -
2019 State Champion: Willie Johnson (Sr., East St. Louis Sr.), 47.65
Key Athletes: Johnson, Marcus Lampley (Sr., East St Louis Sr.), Jerry Harper (Sr., Rantoul), Jesse Casas (Sr., Lasalle-Peru), Melcon Dejesus (Jr., Kewanee), Logan Sullivan (Sr., Murphysboro), Aden Sears (Jr., Eureka), Clayton Cramsey (Sr., Effingham), Micah Senior (Jr., Eureka), Jeremiah Hamilton (Jr., Urbana)
Breakdown: This event may return the most experience of any event in the state, regardless of classification, as eight of last year's nine all-staters return.
Led by the state's top two returners, reigning champion Willie Johnson and runner-up teammate Marcus Lampley, another eighteen-point strike here could be a gutshot to other teams' title hopes. Johnson's eyes are not only set on a repeat but becoming an elite performer on the national level. To do so, he needs to be under 47 seconds- something that has not been done in Illinois since 2015.
Lampley gets to battle his teammate at practices, so he may know his weakness, but will he reverse the hierarchy this year? After running a personal best 48.17 and possessing the second-fastest time in the state, nothing is guaranteed.
Jerry Harper returns with the fourth-fastest time in the "quarter-mile." Harper took his best shot at the Flyers duo on his way to the bronze medal and a big personal best at state, this year his final year he looks to hit another gear. If the training goes well along with a bulldog mentality, we could see some major fireworks this spring.
Aden Sears cracked the 50-second barrier twice in his career. He, along with fellow all-state sprinters Melcon DeJesus and Jesse Casas, know that they need to up the ante in this field this year. Stick around when this race is up in Charleston.