St. Joseph boys’ track and field wins IESA Class 3A sectional championship

By Fred Kroner

The St. Joseph boys’ eighth-grade track and field team won an IESA Class 3A sectional championship on Saturday (May 15) at Maroa-Forsyth.

The Panthers scored points in all 14 events and amassed 121 points. Meet runner-up Monticello had 72 points and third-place Clinton totaled 52 points.

St. Joseph had champions in four individual events and one relay.

Holden Brazelton was the 800-meter winner (2 minutes, 14.86 seconds) and Braxton Vanderlogt won the 200-meter dash (25.68 seconds).

In field events, Charles Schmitz prevailed in the pole vault (9 feet, 3 inches) and Carter Turner tied for first place in the high jump (5 feet).

The Panthers’ other first-place entry was the 400-meter relay. Teaming up for a time of 49.62 seconds were James Barron, Mason Guido, Kyler Swanson and Carter Turner.

In nine of the 11 individual events, St. Joseph had two top 10 finishers, including a 1-2 sweep in the 200 meters, Trailing Vanderlogt was Guido (25.78 seconds). In the pole vault, Jackson Walsh tied for second after clearing 6 feet, 9 inches.

The school’s other individual runners-up were: Carson Sarnecki (discus, 108 feet, 2 inches), Brazelton (1,600 meters, 5:08.02) and Barron (400 meters, 57.72 seconds).

Vanderlogt was third in the 100 meters (13.01 seconds), Carson Sharp was fourth in the 110-meter hurdles (19..52 seconds), Jackson Ennis was fourth in the discus (105 feet, 3 inches) and Tanner Siems tied for fourth in the high jump (4 feet, 8 inches).

The Panthers’ other individual sectional leaders were: Harrison Griebat (fifth in the 800 meters, 2:28.18), Jack Fisher (seventh in the 1,600 meters, 5:49.01), Swanson (seventh in the 400 meters, 1:02.25), Ennis (sixth in the shot put, 33 feet. 4 inches), Sarnecki (seventh in the shot put, 32 feet, 10 inches), Swanson (eighth in the long jump, 14 feet, 6 ½ inches) and Barron (ninth in the long jump, 14 feet, 5 inches).

Two other St. Joseph relays were among the sectional pacesetters. The 1,600-meter foursome ran second with a time of 4 minutes, 6.54 seconds. Barron, Brazelton, Guido and Swanson were the listed runners.

In the 800-meter relay, the Panthers placed fifth behind a unit of  Schmitz, Will Besson, Logan Patton and Sharp. Their cumulative time was 2:06.74.

St. Joseph’s seventh-grade boys’ track and field team ended in fourth place in the 10-school field.

Tolono Unity scored 72 points to claim the team crown. Runner-up Tri-Valley had 64 points and was followed by Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley (61 points) and St. Joseph (57 points).

The Panthers had two meet champions.

In the discus, sixth-grader Cameron Wagner had a toss of 103 feet, 11 inches, which was 14 feet, 9 inches ahead of the runner-up.

In the 1,600 meters, Lance Retz was first with a time of 5 minutes, 10.90 seconds. His margin of victory was .49.

Waylon Jones took seventh in the 1,600 meters (5:50.33) and Will Franklin was fifth in the discus (81 feet).

Both Wagner and Retz placed in a second individual event.

Wagner was third in the shot put (29 feet, 8 inches). Retz was third in the 800 meters (2:38.21).

St. Joseph produced two sectional placers in the pole vault. Landon Smith was fourth (6 feet, 9 inches) and Quinn Stahl was fifth (5 feet, 9 inches).

Other Panther leaders were Zach Harper (third in long jump, 14 feet, 5 inches), Finn Miller (fourth in 800 meters, 2:41.81) and Wyatt Wertz (sixth in 400 meters, 1:06.06).

Two of the school’s relays secured top 10 finishes.

The 1,600-meter foursome included Lucas Smith, Harper, Retz and Wertz. They ran third in 4:34.08.

The 400-meter unit of Stahl, Nick Harris, Luke Tranel and Thomas Ware was ninth in 1:05.01.