Knott finishes second in shot put/discuss, Buss earns state honors in 100-m and 200-m
By FRED KRONER
St. Joseph-Ogden Boys’ Track and Field
Brady Buss and Hayden Knott were two-event state-placers on Thursday (June 17) for St. Joseph-Ogden in the boys’ Class 1A IHSA state track and field meet at Eastern Illinois University, in Charleston.
Their exploits, combined with the medal-winning performances of two relays, helped SJ-O to a fifth-place team finish with 35 points.
The point total was the school’s highest at state since the 2001 team (which also placed fifth) totaled 37 points.
The fifth-place team finish was SJ-O’s best in boys’ track and field since the 2012 squad placed fourth at state with 30 points.
Knott was the runner-up in both of his specialties, the shot put and the discus.
His second-place finish in the shot (54 feet, 7 inches) was the school’s best ever state placement in the event. Knott finished a scant two inches behind the state champion.
Two former Spartans, Kevin Bewley (2000) and Josh Franklin (2001) placed third at state in the shot put.
Knott added a second-place effort in the discus (164 feet, 2 inches). The winner was Salt Fork’s Garrett Taylor (166 feet, 1 inch).
Knott joins Bewley as the only Spartans to earn all-state status in both of the weight events.
“Hayden is a special kid,” SJ-O coach Jason Retz said. “He works his tail off and is very even-keeled and his results come from that.”
Knott, a senior, plans to forego track in college when he enrolls at Parkland College.
“It was fun to watch him,” Retz said. “He had great throws. Consistency is who he is. It’s a credit to the competition for stepping up.”
During the regular season, Knott broke the school record in the shot put (56 feet, 2 ¾ inches). He ended with the second-best toss all-time at SJ-O in the discus (176 feet, 2 inches).
Buss earned all-state laurels for the third time, but the first as an individual. He was on state-placing relays as a freshman and sophomore. COVID-19 took away his chance to compete as a junior.
He was seeded 15th in the 100-meters, but sped to a fifth-place finish in 11.05 seconds.
Buss came back to grab a seventh-place medal in the 200 meters in 22.97.
He joins former Spartans Kevin Hill (2000) and Will Lindsey (2007) as the only athletes from the school to place at state in both sprint races in the same year.
Making Buss’ 100-meter effort more impressive is that he wasn’t assigned to the heat with the fastest state qualifiers.
“You’re racing the clock (out of the second heat),” Retz said. “He got out (of the blocks) well and had someone to chase.
“We thought he could move up (from his seed), but didn’t know it would be that high.”
Buss collected four medals for the day. He ran the anchor leg on the sixth-place 400-meter relay (44.14 seconds) and the third-place 800-meter relay (1:31.16).
“He ran wonderfully in both sprint relays,” Retz said. “By the (open) 200, he was running on tired legs.
“Through 120 meters, he was with the leaders. He used all the gas in his tank.”
Joining Buss on the relays were three underclassmen: Jonathan Poulter, Tyler Burch and Aidan McCorkle.
Retz said the regular season was a time to experiment with various relay combinations.
“We were trying to find four consistent people, then throw them together and see what happens,” Retz said. “It’s fun watching them be successful.”
Buss is the third SJ-O athlete to earn four medals in the same state meet. He joins Joel Marrs (1998) and Kevin Hill (2000) in that elite club.
To earn a medal and gain recognition as an all-stater requires a top-nine finish at the state finals.
In the meet-ending 1,600-meter relay, SJ-O placed 18th in 3:38.22.
Two of the runners (Burch and McCorkle) were competing in their third event of the day. Another runner (Brandon Mattsey) was in his second event.
Mattsey didn’t place in the open 800 meters (13th in 2:01.02), but improved his seed. He was ranked 17th based on sectional times.
“He had a phenomenal year and ran a phenomenal leg on the 4-by-8 (relay),” Retz said. “He, Brady and Hayden led us all year.”
Mattsey will continue his running career at Millikin University, in Decatur.
“He’ll find more and more success the longer he keeps doing this,” Retz said.
SJ-O’s Luke Stegall ran in the 3,200 meters at state and finished 32nd (11:20.26).
“This was a great experience for him,” Retz said. “Being on that stage, you learn a lot and that will help him as a senior.”
The Spartans faced adversity and disappointment in the 3,200-meter relay, an event where the school was seeded 13th. The foursome of Elijah Mock, Carson Maroon, Spencer Wilson and Mattsey ran a time that would have placed them sixth, but they were disqualified for a violation.
“We had three big PRs (in the event),” said Retz, who said there was no recourse for him to pursue.
“It was a judge’s decision and it’s non-protestable,” Retz said.
In the team chase, it was a four-way battle for second place behind Class 2A champion Elgin Harvest Christian (51 points).
Salt Fork took second with 38 points, followed by Cowden-Herrick and Niles Northridge Prep, each with 37 points, and then fifth-place SJ-O with 35 points.
Had the Spartans’ 3,200-meter relay not been disqualified, SJ-O would have ended with 39 points.
Though frustrating, Retz said the season – and the meet – was rewarding.
“To say you’re one of the best teams in the state doesn’t happen all the time,” Retz said. “Top five is nothing to be ashamed of.
“We’ve had a very successful season.”
SJ-O seniors who qualified for state were Buss, Lukas Hutcherson (pole vault), Knott, Mattsey and Logan Wolfersberger (3,200 relay).
The team’s other seniors were Evan Schmitz and Max Shonkwiler.
Villa Grove/Heritage Boys’ Track and Field
Neither of the Blue Devils’ qualifiers in the boys’ Class 1A IHSA state track and field meet earned medals on Thursday (June 17).
Freshman Zach Ruwe, who was seeded 30th in the 800 meters, placed 28th with a time of 2 minutes, 6.70 seconds. He cut more than two seconds off the time he ran at sectionals.
Junior Daelin Price nearly matched his seed (20th) in the shot put. He placed 21st with a heave of 42 feet, 7 inches.
The state meet was held at Eastern Illinois University, in Charleston.
