St. Joseph Middle School Athletes Shine with Personal Bests and State Qualifiers at IESA Sectional
By Fred Kroner
Franklin was second in the 1,600-meter run in a personal-best 4:58.11.
He also ran third in the 800 meters with a personal-best, but non-qualifying, time of 2:17.66.
Also in the 800 meters, teammate Nathan Hinkel took eighth in a personal-best 2:31.78.
Dalton Trotter finished fifth in the 200 meters (personal-best 25.50 seconds), Liam Carter was sixth in the discus (112 feet, 9 inches), McCannon was sixth in the 1,600 meters (personal-best 5:20.70), Brandon Grindey was tied for seventh in the high jump (5 feet, 2 inches) and Trotter captured a ninth-place finish in the long jump (15 feet, 9 inches).
Three St. Joseph relays turned in times that placed them among the top eight.
The 800-meter unit of Logan Umbarger, Grindley, Colin Gill and Trotter was timed in 1:46.17.
The 400-meter grouping of Kenny Gonzalez, Draven Black, Maddys Martin and Mason Osterbur were timed in 54.37 seconds.
The 1,600-meter relay captured seventh (4:17.68). The runners were Trotter, McCammon, Hinkel and Eli Franklin
Monticello earned the team title with 80 points. Runner-up Toledo Cumberland gained 74 points and seventh-place St. Joseph scored 36 ½ points.
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Seventh-grade St. Joseph pole vaulter Adam Bello (who finished seventh at the Tuscola IESA Sectional at 7 feet, 7 inches), advanced to state with his performance.
Teammate Toby Reed-Thompson collected third- and fifth-place finishes on Saturday (May 11) in the 15-team Class 3A boys’ track and field sectional at Tuscola.
Reed-Thompson was third in the 100 meters (personal-best 12.86 seconds) and fifth in the 200 meters (personal-best 27.00 seconds).
Other runners who fared well were Camden Fisher (fourth in the 1,600 meters in a personal-best 5:17.08), Camden Fisher (seventh in the 800 meters in a personal-best 2:32.78) and Bello (eighth in the 1,600 in a personal-best 5:27.28).
The team’s field events leaders were Aiden Eldridge (fifth in the shot put at 32 feet, 3 inches), Isaac Hernandez (eighth in the discus at a personal-best 96 feet, 1 inch) and Fisher (eighth in the high jump at a personal-best 4 feet, 6 inches).
Three St. Joseph relays nabbed top-10 finishes, including the fifth-place 800-meter unit of Grant Clark, Jaxson Morris, Carson Van Bellehem and Bello. Their cumulative time was 1:50.09.
The 1,600-meter relay featured Reed-Thompson, Fisher, Kelton Pruemer and Bello, Their combined time was 4:26.00.
The 400-meter relay ended in 10th place (1:00.00). The runners were Henry Beeler, Isaac Hernandez, Gage Tranel and Rowan Wright.
In the chase for a team title, Shelbyville edged Arthur, 96-90, for first place. St. Joseph was eighth in the 15-team field with 32 points.
The state-qualifiers will return to action starting on Friday (May 17) at the Eastside Centre, in East Peoria.
