St. Joseph Middle School Dominates IESA Class 3A Sectional Track Meet with Multiple Champions and State Qualifiers
By FRED KRONER
St. Joseph Middle School eighth-graders Olivia Edington, Vivian Smith and Tessa Walker all earned championships on Saturday (May 11) in the IESA Class 3A sectional track and field meet at Tuscola.
Edington cleared 8 feet, 5 inches to win the pole vault. Walker won the 1,600 meters (personal-best 5:35.06).
Smith was one of 24 competitors in the discus, which she dominated. Smith’s top toss was 104 feet, 9 inches, which placed her 15 feet, 4 inches ahead of the runner-up.
Smith also notched a second state title by winning the shot put (personal-best 31 feet, 2 inches). Her winning toss was 3 feet, 7 inches ahead of her closest pursuer.
Smith qualified for state in both of her events while Walker advanced in the 1,600 meters and Edington in the pole vault.
Teammate Ainsley Dirksmeyer was eighth in the shot put (24 feet, 6 inches).
St. Joseph also had double placers in the 800 meters.
Walker was the Class 3A sectional runner-up (personal-best 2:40.12) and teammate Avarie Dietiker was third (personal-best 2:41.06).
The other St. Joseph individual placer was Marissa Smith, who was seventh in the 100-meter hurdles (18.95 seconds).
Three of the school’s relays garnered top-10 finishes, led by the seventh-place 800-meter foursome of Smith, Sophia Douglas, Jacelyn Daniel and Edington. Their combined time was 2:06.07.
The St. Joseph 400-meter relay was timed in 59.71 seconds and took eighth. Sharing the baton were Dirksmeyer, Addison Knight, Brooklyn Stevens and Kenley Ray.
Finishing in ninth place was the 1,600-meter relay grouping of Emma Wilson, Kylie Kerner, Aubrey Matheny and Aubrey Profancik. Their total time was 5:08.91.
Monticello prevailed in a tight three-school race for team supremacy, ending with 65 points. Runner-up Teutopolis had 62 points and third-place St. Joseph ended with 60 points.
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St.Joseph’s Kennedi Dean advanced to state in two individual events on Saturday (May 11) in the IESA junior high seventh-grade girls’ sectional meet at Tuscola.
Dean was the winner in the pole vault, clearing a personal-best 8 feet, 5 inches. She also qualified in the 400 meters, running fourth in a personal-best 1:05.08.
St. Joseph had state qualifiers in three other events, including the 1,600-meter relay where Dean was joined by Tenley Damler, Charlene Barbee and Tabby Brown. The foursome placed third with a time of 4:36.43.
Brown advanced in the 800 meters, taking third at the sectional in a personal-best 2:37.58.
Brynn Randolph is the school’s other state-qualifier after placing fifth in the 200 meters (personal-best 28.48 seconds).
St. Joseph had eight other individuals finish among the top 10 in an event at the sectional, including Avery Carter, Claire Dirksmeyer and Candice Wright in two events each.
Dirksmeyer was fifth in the 1,600 meters (personal-best 6:09.24) and eighth in the 800 meters (personal-best 2:48.49).
Carter placed ninth in both the shot put (22 feet, 1 inch) and the discus (63 feet, 3 inches) and Wright ended seventh in the 100 meters (14.01 seconds) and 10th in the long jump (personal-best 13 feet, 6 inches).
The other St. Joseph leaders were Riley Mohr (eighth in the discus with a personal-best 64 feet, 6 inches) and Damler (10th in the 400 meters in 1:08.14).
The 800-meter relay placed second with a time of 2:00.83. Sharing the baton were Randolph, Daimler, Barbee and Ainsley Freeman.
The 400-meter relay finished ninth in 59.04 seconds. The relay featured Emma O’Herron, Alissa Knight, Sophia Chahine and Wright.
Shelbyville captured the team title with 99 ½ points. St. Joseph took sixth in the 15-school field with 47 points.
State-qualifiers return to action starting on Friday (May 17) at the Eastside Centre, in East Peoria.
