Class AA Boys State Preliminary Report

Cahokia appeared to accomplish its objectives in the preliminary round despite several glitches. The story of the day, and perhaps the year, was Kali Jackson not making the finals in the Triple Jump. Jackson currently is the top triple jumper in the nation. The Comanches still contend for the state championship with 13 qualifiers (3 relays) for Saturday’s finals. E. St. Louis has 9 total qualifiers. York has 8 qualifiers.

4x800-

Heat 1: 1) Glenbard South 7:46.18: 1:56.4, 1:56.0, 1:58.3, 1:55.0; 2) Downers Grove North 7:46.61 [(1) 1:58.5].

Summary: two teams under 7:50 got the state preliminary under way. State meet favorite GBS took the lead from the first exchange and never looked back. Wheaton-Warrenville South scratched a final qualifying berth with a 4^th place finish in 7:51.00.

Heat 2: Jacobs: 7:45.40 [1:54.xx], St. Charles North 7:48.72, Benet Academy 7:48.88.

Summary: Jacobs took the lead for good on the third exchange and by the time the stick got to ace Evan Jager it was a wrap. Five teams made the final here.

Heat 3: East St. Louis 7:49.02, Libertyville 7:50.88, Quincy 7:51.95.

Summary: the Flyers zoomed to the first exchange with a 1:55 leg by Mario McCottrell and never were really threatened despite a strong closing finish by the Libertyville.

4x100-

Key qualifiers: Cahokia 41.92, Thornton 41.92, Springfield Lanphier 42.05; Evanston 42.12.

Summary: Cahokia and Thornton lead the qualifiers for Saturday’s final. Cahokia didn’t assume control of the race until the middle of the third leg. Several bad handoffs nearly cost the Comanches a finals berth. E. St. Louis did not make it out of the preliminary round.

110HH-

Key qualifiers: Artavious Kizer (E. St. Louis) 14.49, Clyde Young (Cahokia) 14.27, Ray Varner (Warren) 14.53, Bernard Fowler (E. St. Louis) 14.62.

Summary: the key qualifiers got through to Saturday’s final. Young powered his way through heat 4 to claim the top preliminary mark.

100-

Key qualifiers: Demarcus Brooks (Springfield Southeast) 10.79 +3.9, Alan Smith (Neuqua Valley) 10.85 +2.3, Darryl Jenkins (Tinley Park) 10.91, Donnie Lesnick (Minooka) 10.93.

Summary: not the fastest of times despite over the limit wind conditions. Still, all of the key qualifiers got into Saturday’s final.

800-

Heat 1: Brian Beaird (Naperville Central) 1:53.95, Scott Cooper (O’Fallon) 1:53.98

Summary: Beaird and Cooper got mired into a kicking battle the last 70+ meters before Beaird out leaned Cooper for the victory.

Heat 2: Isaiah Robbins (Quincy) 1:55.35, Yosef Tewolde (Elgin) 1:55.57, Kris Hinchley (York) 1:55.85.

Summary: Robbins powered his way down the final straight for the win.

Heat 3: Stephen Williams (Marion) 1:54.06, Wes Sheldon (Vernon Hills) 1:55.86.

Summary: Williams quickly got the jump on the field after the first cut in. He clocked his first 400m in 52.8. Williams was clearly way out ahead of the competitors as he approached the homestretch and totally shut it down the last 60m of the race. It was possibly conceivable he could have matched his winning championship time of 1:51.8 (’05) in the prelim.

4x200-

Key team qualifiers: Neuqua Valley 1:28.03, Evanston 1:28.19, Proviso West 1:27.74, Springfield Lanphier 1:27.96, E. St. Louis 1:28.95, Cahokia 1:27.33.

Summary: Cahokia leads a cast of solid competitors for Saturday’s final with a solid time. The Comanches Blitzed through their heat in fine fashion and look to improve even more for the final on Saturday.

400m-

Key qualifiers: Dan Palmer (York) 48.87, Darien Donald (Cahokia) 48.32, Brian LeSeur (Barrington) 48.89, Zach Splan (Neuqua Valley) 49.14, Mikal Rasheed (E. St. Louis) 48.73.

Summary: Donald is a freshman but didn’t show it. He leads a quality field into Saturday’s final. Although there wasn’t extremely fast times, there were solid times across the board.

300H-

Key qualifiers: Ray Varner (Warren) 38.65, Young 38.74, Martavious Hines (Cahokia) 38.49, Tom Zozokos (Dundee-Crown) 38.44, Artavious Kizer (E. St. Louis).

Summary: Varner, Kizer, and Zozokos all won their heat easily. Saturday’s final should be very fast.

1600-

Key qualifiers: Evan Jager (Jacobs) 4:15.01, Eric Dettman (York) 4:15.73, Matt Dettman (York) 4:16.74, Nick Farina (Barrington) 4:17.47, Jon Popejoy (WWS) 4:17.98.

Summary: fast times were flowing here as it took sub 4:19 to make the final. Jager and the Dettmans should duel in the final on Saturday. In heat 3, Palatine’s Steve Finley had set himself up for a solid placing for the final but began struggling just before the third lap. To his credit, he was able to finish the race and then was carted off the field. Also, Jesse Luciano (Willowbrook) and Bruce MacTaggart (Glenbard South) missed qualifying for the final.

200-

Key Qualifiers: Darryl Jenkins (Tinley Park) 21.97, Darren Patterson (Waukegan) 21.68, Donnie Lesnick (Minooka) 21.94.

Summary: Not many fast times run here but a quality for the final was assembled.

4x400-

Key qualifiers: East St. Louis 3:17.33, Jacobs 3:20.75, Cahokia 3:16.95, Evanston 3:17.11, York.

Summary: fast time were abound as ESL turned in the first serious time of the event. Cahokia came into the state final with a very serious time of 3:14.14+. However, Evanston issued a statement that they will be in the final on Saturday. The Wildkits ran step for step with the Comanches in their prelim heat. Expect a very fast time on Saturday.

Long jump key qualifiers: Kali Jackson (Cahokia) 23-7.5, Trae Johnson (Marion) 23-8, Clyde Young (Cahokia) 23-1.75

Summary: Jackson and Young will look to go 1-2 in the final on Saturday. They will have to jump because of the carryover.

Pole Vault key qualifiers: Jake Winder (Plainfield South), Phil Hanson (Pontiac), Adam Hahne (Plainfield Central).

Summary: 16 vaulters cleared the finals entry mark of 14-3. Winder and Hanson will go after battle #2. Hanson set the all time of 17-1 at the Illinois Prep Top Times Indoor championship earlier in the season over Winder.

High Jump key qualifiers: Jared Nuxoll (Effingham), Kali Jackson (Cahokia), Major Clay (Springfield Lanphier), Elias Washington (Grayslake).

Summary: Jackson and 14 others head into Saturday’s final.

Shot Put key qualifiers: Adam Gettis (Lincoln-Way East) 57-11.75, Nick Mitchell (Fremd) 57-8.75, Mike Schallmo (Homewood-Flossmoor).

Summary: expect serious fireworks form Gettis and Mitchell in the final on Saturday.

Triple Jump key qualifiers: Troy Doris (Bolingbrook) 47-10.5, Donald Dismukes (Cahokia).

Summary: the story of the day was Kali Jackson not qualifying. Jackson is the nation’s top jumper. He simply didn’t qualify as he scratched on all three attempts. Jackson had jumped 52-2 earlier in the season and would have been the prohibitive favorite to defend his title. Look for Doris to now lead the field.