Track and field: Area athletes earn all-state accolades at IESA state meet

The Illinois Elementary School Association held its annual big-school state track and field meet last weekend at EastSide Centre in East Peoria, with numerous athletes from area schools scoring top-eight, all-state finishes in the IESA’s multitude of divisions.

In the Class 8-4A girls division – the highest level of competition for girls – Shepherd’s Savannah Markey (5.05 meters) recorded a runner-up finish in the long jump. Her teammate Karsyn Moore (1.51 meters) placed third in the high jump.

In the Class 8-3A boys division, Morris’ Malachi Congo (15.48 meters) scored a shot put state championship just ahead of runner-up Sandwich’s Seth Skillin (13.95). Morris’ Ryan Resar (6th, 2:09.63 in the 800; 5th, 4:50.92 in the 1,600) also medaled. Reed-Custer received top-eight finishes from Matthew Kuban (3rd, 5.92 in the long jump) and Kaiden Klein (4th, 11.86 in the 100; 2nd, 23.12 in the 200, 1st, 52.15 in the 400).

In the 8-3A girls division, Wilmington’s McKenna Van Tilburg won the 100-meter hurdles (16.00 seconds) and the 100 (12.99) and 200 (26.32) dashes.

In the 7-4A girls division, Shepherd’s Daisy Rabadan (4.65) placed eighth in the long jump.

In the boys 7-3A division, Coal City had top-eight finishes from Spencer Vaira (T-7th, 2.58 in the pole vault), Rylan DeMichele (2nd, 12.39 in the shot put), Maddox Meents (3rd, 5.36 in the long jump) and Jonah Micetich (4th, 17.58 in the 110 hurdles).

In the girls 7-3A class, Saratoga’s Aubrey McConnell (10.23) won the shot put, Morris’ Aniston Caputo (28.69) won the discus ahead of fourth-place McConnell (26.06) and Coal City’s Marina Figge (4.65) was fifth in the long jump.

The previous weekend’s small-school IESA State Meet saw local champions crowned.

Milton Pope’s Kaden Meents (2.35 in the pole vault at boys 7-1A), Seneca’s Trenton Powell (2.96 in the pole vault at boys 8-2A), Somonauk’s Ella Roberts (13.25 in the 100 at girls 7-2A), Somonauk’s 4x100 relay team of Mia Bennett, Kesley Harper, Alexa Larson and Roberts (53.90 in girls 7-2A) and Oglesby Washington’s Ella Jane Burke (26.87 in the discus at girls 7-2A) all captured IESA championships in their respective events and divisions.