By Fred Kroner
St. Joseph-Ogden athletes registered runner-up finishes in two individual events on Friday (April 27) in the Spartan Classic boys’ track and field meet.
In addition to varsity events, there were some events where freshmen-sophomore results counted in the team standings.
SJ-O’s Spencer Wilson was second in the varsity 800 meters (personal-best 2 minutes, 3.83 seconds). In the frosh-soph 200 meters, Tim Blackburn-Kelley was the runner-up in a personal-best 23.46 seconds.
The Spartans placed third in the 28-school event. Mount Zion edged Mahomet-Seymour, 114-109, for team supremacy. SJ-O was third with 61 points.
SJ-O’s Garret Siems wound up third in the high jump (5 feet, 9 inches) and the Spartans’ 800-meter relay also placed third (1:32.67). The relay runners were Tyler Burch, Colin Wayland, Wilson and Jackson Greer.
Four SJ-O athletes secured fourth-place finishes in varsity events as did one relay and one entry in the frosh-soph division.
Carson Maroon accounted for a pair of fourth-place finishes, in the 1,600 meters (personal-best 4:33.28) and the 3,200 meters (personal-best 9:39.30).
Charlie Schmitz was fourth in the pole vault (12 feet) and teammate Logan Smith was fourth in the 300-meter hurdles (43.00 seconds).
The SJ-O 400-meter relay also took fourth in 43.83 seconds. Handling the baton were Burch, Wayland, Smith and Greer.
In the frosh-soph division, Grant Smith ran fourth in the 100 meters (personal-best 12.15), just ahead of teammate Blackburn-Kelley (12.18), who was fifth.
Other varsity athletes among the top 10 in individual events were Brock Trimble (fifth in the discus at 149 feet, 10 inches and ninth in the triple jump at a personal-best 39 feet, 1 inch), Blackburn-Kelley (fifth in the triple jump at a personal-best 40 feet, 4 inches) and Burch (eighth in the 100 meters in 11.69 seconds).
In the frosh-soph division, Lance Retz ended sixth in the 1,600 meters (personal-best 4:52.26).
Other top relays for SJ-O were the 1,600-meter foursome and the 3,200-meter grouping in the varsity division and the 400-meter unit in the frosh-soph division.
The varsity 1,600-meter squad featured Logan Smith, Wilson, Wayland and Greer. Their combined time was 3:32.69 and they took fifth.
Sharing the baton on the varsity 3,200-meter relay were Aden Armstrong, Holden Jones, Joe Griebat and Mason Guido. They stopped the clock in 9:08.29) and wound up in eighth place.
SJ-O’s frosh-soph 400-meter relay was fifth in 47.86 seconds. The squad consisted of Grant Smith, Kyler Swanson, Wyatt Wertz and Schmitz.
The Spartans return to action on Tuesday (May 2) in the Illini Prairie Conference meet at Paxton-Buckley-Loda.
