By FRED KRONER
The Spartans were the dominant team in the Wednesday (June 9) Class 1A boys’ track and field sectional meet in St. Joseph.
SJ-O amassed 147 points to claim the sectional crown. The second- and third-place teams combined to score 147 points. Salt Fork (90 points) was second, followed by Urbana Uni High (57 points).
The Spartans had the winner in seven events and the runner-up in four other events.
The top two placers in each event qualified for the Class 1A boys’ state track and field meet, which will be held on Thursday (June 17) at Eastern Illinois University, in Charleston.
Seniors Brady Buss and Hayden Knott were each two-event winners for the Spartans.
Buss was the meet’s top sprinter. His winning time in the 100 meters was 11.30 seconds. In the 200 meters, he was clocked in 22.57 seconds.
Knott remained unbeaten in each of his specialties for the season. He won the shot put with a toss of 54 feet, 3 inches.
He unfurled a toss of 160 feet, 9 inches to win the discus.
The other three SJ-O wins came in relays.
The Spartans’ foursome of Jonathan Poulter, Tyler Burch, Aidan McCorkle and Buss swept to victory in the 800-meter relay in 1:30.52.
The SJ-O 1,600-meter relay featured Ethan Vanliew, Brandon Mattsey, Burch and McCorkle. Their collective time was 3:32.26.
The triumphant 3,200-meter relay consisted of Elijah Mock, Carson Maroon, Logan Wolfersberger and Mattsey. They were timed in 8:36.77.
The Spartans’ 400-meter relay took second to secure its berth at state. Poulter, Burch, McCorkle and Buss teamed up for a time of 43.83 seconds.
Other SJ-O state-qualifiers were Mattsey in the 800 meters (second in 2:01.90), junior Luke Stegall in the 3,200 meters (second in 10:43.73) and senior Lukas Hutcherson in the pole vault (second at 8 feet, 6 inches). Mattsey is a senior.
The Spartans had at least one top-seven placer in 17 of the 18 events contested at the sectional.
Other squad members who excelled in field events were McCorkle (fourth in long jump at 18 feet 7 inches, Brock Trimble in the discus (fourth at 134 feet, 1 inch), Max Shonkwiler (fifth in shot put at 43 feet), Trimble in the triple jump (sixth at 36 feet, 6 inches), Hutcherson in the triple jump (10th at 33 feet, 3 inches) and Drew Thurman (11th in the long jump at 16 feet).
Brayden Clampitt and Hutcherson were placers in both hurdles races. Clampitt took fourth in the 110-meter event (18.89 seconds) and was also fourth in the 300-meter hurdles (45.62 seconds).
Hutcherson was sixth in the 110 hurdles (20.14 seconds) and seventh in the 300 hurdles (48.22 seconds).
Eight other SJ-O runners secured top-10 finishes.
In the 800 meters, Spencer Wilson was third (2:10.25).
In the 1,600 meters, Mabry was third (4:40.93) and Maroon was sixth (4:53.24).
In the 3,200 meters, Ethan Blackburn was fourth (11:18.43).
Burch was fourth in the 100 meters (11.60 seconds) and Poulter was fourth in the 200 meters (23.39 seconds).
In the 400 meters, Wolfersberger was seventh (56.65 seconds) and Spartan teammate Isiah Mock was ninth (58.10 seconds).
SJ-O’s sectional team title was its first in five years in boys’ track and field, but 19th overall. At state, the school will seek its first top-four placement as a team since the 2000 team captured the state title.
