By Fred Kroner
The Heritage seventh-grade boys’ track and field team placed second in the Class 1A IESA sectional meet on Saturday (May 8) at Catlin.
Team honors went to Danville Schlarman Academy with 148 points. Heritage was next with 70 points. Philo St. Thomas was third with 52 points.
Destin Nickle was a standout for the Hawks, winning two events and ending second in two others.
Nickle was first in the 100 meters (13.41 seconds) and the long jump (14 feet). He was the runner-up in the 110-meter hurdles (19.97 seconds) and the shot put (32 feet, ½ inch).
Teammate Rylan White was second in the discus (94 feet, 8 inches) and another Hawk, Clark Roland, ended in second in the long jump (13 feet, 10 inches).
White took fourth in the shot put (27 feet, 9 ¼ inches) and ninth in the 200 meters (32.63 seconds).
Roland had top places in two other individual events. He was fourth in the 200 meters (29.30 seconds) and fifth in the 100 meters (14.26 seconds).
Heritage’s Anthony Happ was also a double placer. He ended sixth in the discus (68 feet, 4 inches) and seventh in the 1,600 meters (6:35.32).
The Hawks’ other individual placers were Clayton Thomas (sixth in the 800 meters, 3:00.06) and Eli Denmark-Collins (10th in the 1,600 meters, 6:46.25).
Heritage’s 400-meter relay took third. Luke Miller, Roland, White and Thomas teamed up for a clocking of 1:01.84.
In the boys’ IESA eighth-grade sectional meet, Heritage had placers in five events and captured fourth place in the team race with 35 points.
Champaign Holy Cross was the winner with 123 points. Urbana University High was second with 79 points. Prairieview Ogden was third with 55 points and Heritage (35 points) was next.
Heritage’s Robert Holloman was a four-event placer, including a championship performance in the discus. His winning toss was 105 feet, 6 inches.
Holloman was second in the shot put (32 feet, 8 ½ inches), fifth in the 800 meters (2:38,42) and fifth in the 1,600 meters (5:37.52).
Hunter Montgomery posted a pair of third-place finishes: 800 meters (2:33.21) and 1,600 meters (5:18.12).
The Hawks’ other top-10 performers were Colten Thompson (sixth in the 400 meters, 1:27.05) and Keean Akers (10th in the shot put, 22 feet, 5 ¾ inches).
