Kaneland’s Freddy Hassan soars to second place in Class 3A high jump for third All-State medal

CHARLESTON — Freddy Hassan came into Saturday’s IHSA Boys Track and Field State Championship thinking that he wasn’t going to finish with All-State honors in the Class 3A high jump again.

The Kaneland senior, who had All-State finishes in each of the last two seasons, was on the verge of making his worst thoughts a reality after missing his first two jump at 1.99 meters.

Yet he persisted. And the work payed off.

Hassan would go on to clear 2.02 meters, a personal-best jump, and ended up tying for second place to secure his third consecutive All-State performance in the high jump in his final track meet.

“It just feels great,” Hassan said. “There’s no better feeling in the high jump than getting a personal best.”

Hassan joined Mark Claypool as the only Kaneland track and field athletes to be a three-time All-Stater in the same event. Claypool was a three-time all-stater in the 400 from 1975-77.

“It feels good to always forever be in that record book,” Hassan said. “Sometimes you do something, but people will forget about it. But when you do it three times to get All-State, it’s going to be there forever.”

Hassan also achieved his senior year goal of getting All-State honors in two sports. The senior also was an All-State honorable mention in basketball during the winter while helping lead the Kaneland basketball team to a sectional title.

“A lot of people don’t really know where Kaneland is at,” Hassan said. “But every time I go out to compete, I try to show out in any sport I do to show that we really are a great school.”

Batavia also saw success in the field events. Senior Isaiah Brown came away with a fourth-place finish in the Class 3A triple jump, with his leap of 14.42 meters from the preliminary rounds carrying over into the finals.

And after just starting track and field in his junior season, the Grand Valley football commit was more than happy to end his final track meet with a state medal.

“It’s just awesome to be in this atmosphere,” Brown said. “I did my best and what I could do, and walked away with fourth. But I’m just happy to be down here, and it’s a blessing to come down to state and perform to my ability.”

Batavia junior Gavin Pecor also managed to earn All-State honors in the field, tossing a shot put 17.47 meters for seventh place in the event.

“I had a lot of energy taken out of me coming down, so I couldn’t do my best in the prelims,” Pecor said. “I felt a little better in the finals. I felt like I could have done more, but I’m happy to execute and get All-State.”

St. Charles East also finished with two athletes walking away from the state meet with medals. Senior pole vaulter Evan Lagana finished out his high school career with a seventh-place finish in the Class 3A event, jumping 4.50 meters.

“I’m just so excited,” Lagana said. “It’s been such an up-and-down season, so I’m happy that I figured out what I needed to do and did it.”

Senior Greyson Ellensohn also finished out his high school career with the Saints with an All-State performance. The Wichita State commit used a 1:06.9 final lap to finish in 9:18.10 to snag ninth for the final All-State spot in the Class 3A 3,200.

After hearing that he had taken secured the final medal by .07 seconds over Lincoln-Way East’s Sean Hanrahan, Ellensohn said he was shell-shocked and very relieved to have it confirmed.

“With 200 to go I told myself I had to get at least one person, and I got it,” Ellensohn said. “I was hurting earlier in the race and knew I had to drop something quick down the stretch. It was all grit, I knew I was in shape and had some really solid workouts throughout the year. The pain was temporary, but now the medal is forever.”

Also finishing with two All-State medalists was Marmion, with senior Patrick Fitzgerald and junior Michael Whitacre finishing on the podium.

Fitzgerald took fourth place in the Class 2A 300 hurdles, running a 39.60. And after being out for 10 months in his junior season with a torn right ACL, followed by a broken left arm, he was more than happy to get himself onto the podium.

“I came out here with a tiny chip under my shoulder this season, and I wanted to give everything I had to see what I could do,” Fitzgerald said. “I wanted to do better, but with the start that I had, I’m happy to come away with a fourth-place finish.”

Whitacre ended up taking seventh place in the Class 2A 1,600 after running a 4:26.74. The junior, who just made the finals by .02 seconds the day before, said it was a bit of a shock to finish the meet with a medal around his neck, let alone make the finals.

“I was in the front and just thinking that if it came down to a kick, that would be perfect,” Whitacre said. “The past two winters I’ve been injured and showing up to outdoor conference out of shape. This season, I stayed healthy and got to train, and I was thankful everyday to run and train, and that got me here.”