The regular season is over and now boys track and field athletes from around the NewsTribune area and the rest of the state are eyeing a trip to Charleston for the IHSA State Track and Field Meet.
To advance to state, athletes must place in the top two of their event or meet the qualifying standard.
Here’s a look at the sectionals involving area teams:
Class 2A Geneseo Sectional
When: Wednesday
Area teams: La Salle-Peru, Mendota, Princeton
Worth noting: Princeton has multiple throwers who will be in the mix for state berths. Bennett Williams owns the sectional’s top discus toss this season at 50.8 meters. He also has the sixth-best shot put mark at 15.2 meters, which surpasses the qualifying standard of 14.8 meters.
Teammate Payne Miller has the top shot put throw in the sectional at 17.64 meters, while the Tigers’ Ian Morris has the third-best discus mark at 47.37 meters, which bests the qualifying standard of 43.94 meters.
La Salle-Peru’s Michael George has the seventh-best high jump mark of 1.83 meters, which is close to the standard of 1.85 meters.
Teammate Brett Aimone was a state qualifier last year in the 110-meter hurdles, but is injured and unable to compete.
Mendota freshman Sebastian Carlos was an IESA state champion in the 400 last year. He has the eighth-best time in the sectional this spring at 51.74 seconds, which is within striking distance of the qualifying standard of 51.13 seconds.
Class 1A El Paso-Gridley Sectional
When: Wednesday (3:30 p.m. field, 5:30 p.m. running)
Area teams: St. Bede, Hall, Putnam County, Fieldcrest
Worth noting: St. Bede’s Greyson Marincic has run the sectional’s top time in the 300-meter hurdles this spring at 43.08 seconds.
Teammate Tom Makransky has the third-best pole vault height at 3.35 meters. The qualifying standard is 3.7 meters.
Fieldcrest’s Caleb Krischel ranks fifth in the sectional in the 800 at 2:03.16 and sixth in the 1,600 at 4:39.76. The qualifying standards are 2:02.82 and 4:39.8.
The Knights’ Joziah Johnson has the sectional’s fourth-best 100 time at 11.44 seconds, which is just off the qualifying standard of 11.35 seconds.
Class 1A Rockridge Sectional
When: Friday (3 p.m. field, 4 p.m. running)
Area teams: Amboy co-op, Bureau Valley
Worth noting: Bureau Valley senior Elijah House was a state qualifier in the 800 last year and has turned in times that could make him a multi-event qualifier this spring.
House owns then sectional’s top 400 time at 51.32 seconds. He has run the third-best 800 time at 1:57.96, which bests the standard of 2:02.82.
House also is a member of the Storm’s 4×800 relay along with Adrian Gallardo, Maddox Moore and Benjamin Roth, which ranks fifth in the sectional at 8:32.89, which beats the standard of 8:33.28.
The Amboy co-op’s Kyler McNinch and Ian Sundberg don’t rank in the top two of their events but are near the qualifying standards.
McNinch has run a 10:20.56 in the 3,200. The standard is 10:12.64. Sundberg’s top mark of 42.7 meters in the discus is just shy of the standard of 43.05 meters.
Class 1A Wethersfield Sectional
When: Friday (3 p.m. field, 4:15 p.m. running)
Area teams: Henry-Midland
Worth noting: The Mallards’ Connor Keinath was a state-qualifier in the shot put last year.
This spring, his top mark of 13.85 meters is the sectional’s third-best distance. The qualifying standard is 14.6 meters.
Keinath also ranks fifth in the sectional in the discus at 39.06 meters. The standard is 43.05 meters.
