GENESEO – All season, the Princeton boys track and field team has dominated in the throws with its talent and depth.
Even in the ultra-competitive Class 2A Geneseo Sectional on Wednesday, that shone through for the Tigers.
Princeton had four throwers – two in the discus and two in the shot put – qualify for the state meet out of a sectional that is sending six discus throwers and nine shot put competitors to Charleston.
“I would say it’s a pretty impressive feat,” Princeton junior Bennett Williams said about the Tigers advancing four different throwers to state. “Especially because two of our guys are sophomores and the other two are juniors, so we still have a year or two left. With this year at state, I think we can place pretty well with most of our guys.
“I would say the coaching [is a big reason Princeton has success in the throws]. We have respectable coaches, they know what they’re talking about, and our guys are very coachable. We listen well and it allows us to get to work at practice.”
Williams won the discus with a personal-record toss of 52.79 meters, while sophomore teammate Ian Morris placed third with a PR of 47.69 meters.
“It feels really good,” Williams said about the title. “I’m really excited for state. I’m hoping to PR again.
“I was just really relaxed and able to stay smooth to the front of the ring, and then with my finish I kept it pretty level and got it up good enough.”
La Salle-Peru sophomore Richie Santiago entered the sectional seeded 16th, but got into the finals and launched a personal-best 43.97 meters on his final throw to place sixth and narrowly beat the state-qualifying standard of 43.94.
“I’m very excited,” Santiago said. “I thought it was going to be close, but I ended up coming through in the end, so I’m proud of that.
“I tried to stay focused and calm down. That was the issue in the beginning, I was getting a little nervous. But at the end, I calmed my nerves, focused and got it.”
In the shot put, Princeton’s Payne Miller placed third at 16.31 meters, while Ottawa’s Michael Mills (15.26 meters), Sandwich’s Daniel Reedy (14.86 meters) and Princeton’s Cade Odell (14.8 meters) also met the standard of 14.8 meters.
“I haven’t qualified for state in middle school or high school, and I’ve been throwing forever, so it feels awesome,” Reedy said. “For all nine of us to qualify, it’s crazy. My coach said it best, ‘Steel sharpens steel.’ I think everybody was just brining their ‘A’ game today.”
In other field events, Morris senior Broc Grogan won the long jump with a PR of 7.09 meters, and Plano junior Waleed Johnson claimed the triple jump crown at 13.04 meters.
“This feels amazing because this is what I’ve been working toward all year,” Johnson said. “The key to my performance was being able to make sure I was on my mark, and from there I had to get my phases right, get in that pit, make sure I was putting my hand out and doing everything fundamentally correct.”
On the track, Streator senior Aneefy Ford ran to state berths in two individual events and anchored a relay to state, while teammate Kody Danko won the 800-meter title.
Ford won the 100 in 11.01 seconds, placed second in the 200 in a personal-best 22.27 seconds, and ran with Quentin Goforth, Isaiah Brown and Collin Jeffries to finish fourth in the 4×200 relay in a state-qualifying time of 1:30.71.
“It feels pretty good,” Ford said. “I was going for four. We’ve really been working on those relays, but we got a little anxious in the 4×100. Things happen.”
Danko, who was unable to run in the sectional last year after contracting COVID, won the 800 in 1:56.22.
“I wasn’t able to run last year in sectional, so it’s great to come back and get first,” Danko said. “I got first at sectional as a sophomore. It feels great to come out here and do it again.
“It was a good race. I’ve been fatigued and my legs have been sore. That was kind of a problem today. My legs were sore, but everything else, like my endurance, is good. I just have to get my legs back.”
Morris senior Noah Smith advanced in both hurdles events, winning the 300 hurdles in a PR of 40.29 seconds after earlier narrowly grabbing the second spot in the 110 hurdles in 15.68 seconds, just ahead of Kewanee’s Jaiden Little (15.74 seconds).
“I definitely could have done a little better [in the 300s],” Smith said. “My hip has been hurting the past few days. The last four [hurdles], I used my non-dominant leg and just kind of went for it, hoping speed would take me along.
“In the 110s, I just barely caught the guy in front of me. I had no form on the last two. I thought he beat me. I was about to start crying, but all my teammates rushed over [and told me I made it]. I said I wasn’t going to believe it until I heard it. When they said it on the announcements, I was pretty happy.”
Ottawa sophomore Weston Averkamp will join Smith in the 300 hurdles after placing third in a state-qualifying time of 40.93 seconds.
“It’s a miracle I’m here,” Averkamp said. “I’m a sophomore. Freshman year was the first year I ever hurdled. I did not know I was going to be here. I was expecting maybe 42 this year, and it just went really well.”
Sandwich junior Max Cryer placed second in the 1,600 in a personal-best 4:28.89, while Morris senior Kaden Welch ran a PR of 4:31.27 to advance as well.
Plano senior Thomas Harding ran a PR of 50.78 seconds to place second and earn a state berth in the 400.
The Sandwich foursome of Dayton Beatty, Luis Baez, Wyatt Miller and Simeion Harris won the sectional title in the 4×400 in 3:25.77. Miller also advanced in the 800 by placing second in 1:58.27.
