By Fred Kroner
Villa Grove totaled five state-qualifiers in the girls’ IESA postseason series in track and field. Three were eighth-graders and two were seventh-graders.
Advancing out of the Central A&M Class 2A Sectional among the eighth-graders were three field-event participants.
Ryan Lillard was second at sectionals in the discus (82 feet, 5 inches), Hayden Thomas was second in the long jump (14 feet, 9 ¾ inches) and Piper Kiser was third in the discus (81 feet, 2 inches).
At state, on Friday (May 13) and Saturday (May 14), Kiser finished in fifth place in the discus (83 feet, 5 inches), Lillard ended ninth in the discus (76 feet, 2 inches) and Thomas wound up in a tie for 14th in the long jump (14 feet, 6 ½ inches).
Kiser was the sectional runner-up – but did not advance – in the shot put (26 feet, 10 inches). Lillard took third in the shot (26 feet, 8 inches) at the sectional.
Thomas ran fifth in the 200 meters (30.85 seconds) at sectionals.
Also scoring points at the sectional for the eighth-graders was the 400-meter relay grouping of Kiser, Eva Piercy, Thomas and Baylee Martin. Their time was 1:00.13.
Moving on to state for the seventh-graders were high jumper Evalice Callison (second at sectional at 4 feet, 6 inches) and long jumper Baylee Martin (fourth at sectional at 14 feet, 3 inches).
Martin placed 25th at state in the long jump (12 feet, 6 ¼ inches). Callison did not place at state in the high jump.
Villa Grove placed at sectional in four other events.
The 400-meter relay foursome of Rebekka Bloom, Cameron McGaughey, Lauren Carter and Callison finished second in 1:00.70.
Callison captured third at sectionals in the 200 meters (32.10 seconds), McGaughey ended fourth in the discus (56 feet, 4 inches) and Carter placed fourth in the long jump (13 feet, 1 ¼ inches).
