Friday, May 23, 2008 11:09 PM CDT
Rain doesn’t hurt Carlinville, Herrin
By RICK DAWSON, Staff Writer
rdawson@jg-tc.com
CHARLESTON -- Greg Davis finally got through his heat in the 110-meter high hurdles a multitude of rain delays later.
“I think I warmed up four times,” he said.
The IHSA Class A state meet endured five weather-related suspensions before the sun finally came out briefly near midday. Davis and Chris Walker, the key point-getters for a game Carlinville squad, had already gone to work.
Davis dominated his heat in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles and had the fourth best time in the 110 highs while Walker was even more impressive, outperforming the field in the 110 and finishing one-hundredth of a second off the best effort in the 300. Leading the Cavaliers to the best 1,600-meter relay time, the duo was ready to put the rest of the team on its shoulders and carry it as far as possible in today’s finals.
“Chris and I are kind of taking that (responsibility),” Davis said. “We’re stepping up. Hopefully if we do well we’ll do well as a team.”
Eleven individuals moved on for Carlinville, easily Class A’s best.
Defending champion Herrin was the only team within striking distance with eight. The Tigers’ sprinters led the way Friday. The top one, Tommie Taylor, made it to the finals in everything he entered.
“I don’t really have any individual goals,” he said. “I just try to win. I’m going to run my race. If I win I win. If I lose, I couldn’t help it if I couldn’t run any faster. And my coach understands that.”
Taylor was second overall to Murphysboro rival Demarcus Moore in the 100-meter dash (10.95), was fourth in the 200 (22.50), ran the second leg of the 4x100, which placed first, and carried the anchor leg of the 4x200.
— As a future Eastern Illinois runner, Tuscola’s Tyler Carter wasn’t worrying about the pressure of performing in front of his future coaching staff. With his college choice in hand, in fact, impressing coaches was the furthest thing from his mind.
He also wasn’t complaining about the conditions, even though the slippery track made for tough footing.
“I had to go finish long jump (inside) so I was doing something,” he said. “I got away. You could stay warm in there.”
Carter advanced to the finals of the 4x200 in Friday’s top time (1:30.08) with two other teammates – Matt Bailey and Ben Edwards — who are considering joining EIU’s track team as walk-ons, leaving the Warriors one short of establishing their own college relay team.
“I think everybody else is already committed to other places, though, all our faster guys,” Carter said.
Carter turned in the best distance in the long jump (22-9.75), the second best time in the 110 hurdles (14.60) and the second best effort in the triple jump (45-6.25) behind Macomb’s Ben Pratt. He plans to focus on track next year then consider walking on to Eastern’s football team in the future.
n Two of the most disheartening scenes occurred in the 4x200 and 300 hurdles.
The Braidwood Reed-Custer foursome of sophomores Tim Schad and Steven Davis, junior Gabe Cadorette and senior Mike Eller, a state title contender, lost the baton on an exchange and failed to advance.
In the 300 hurdles, Anna-Jonesboro sophomore J.R. Woodward, handily winning his heat, fell over the last hurdle, regrouped and attempted to dive for the finish line. His time (40.57) was less than two-tenths of a second slower than that of Breese Central’s Shane Kuhl (40.41). Kuhl was the ninth and final qualifier.
n Pawnee’s normal school colors are red and black. So it wasn’t surprising that the Indians’ 4x100 relay squad created a minor stir by showing up in bright pink.
Their attire featured pink headbands, white tank tops with “PAWNEE” etched in pink letters and matching pink shorts. The only optional part was the shoes.
“We went to like a sporting goods store and we got these shorts, then we ironed on these letters,” said senior Jacob Miller, who ran the opening leg.
Since Pawnee entered the meet with the worst sectional time, it took its inevitable fate in stride.
“We knew we were like last place so we just decided that we were going to make it fun,” sophomore Drew Thompson, running the third leg, said.
They wound up with a time of 46.63 seconds, good enough to oust three schools that were unable to finish.
n Tremont senior Jeremy Pflederer, who finished third in the 400-meter dash last year, opted out of the event before the sectionals, instead qualifying for four others, including three relays. Bringing three more of his teammates along was a higher priority than competing for an individual medal.
“As it turned out, realistically we weren’t going to end up with a team trophy,” said Pflederer, an all-state basketball guard headed to Wheaton College. “We wanted to focus on our relays and I just don’t enjoy the 400 very much. I was very happy to do the 4x2(00) instead of the 400.”
Happy but fatigued. Just before he reached the 4x400 he had completed the 200, his lone individual event, and the 4x200. He made it to the finals of the 200.
Teammate Parker Thompson, the defending mile champion, is in good shape again. He held off Fieldcrest rival Brian Peterson in a near photo finish in the 1,600. In the last heat of the 800-meter preliminaries, Monticello senior Steve Regan overcame Thompson with a big kick at the finish.
n Hampshire hurdler Quinn Walker had both a different look and a different M.O. Wearing a Mohawk, he joined three other members of his 4x100 relay who sported the same haircut, a fashion they chose as the sectional began.
“It helps with aerodynamics,” Walker said.
It certainly didn’t hurt. His qualifying time in the 110 hurdles was 14.84 seconds, the fourth best in a loaded field. Only another Walker, Carlinville’s Chris (14.54), and Tuscola’s Carter did better.
“One step at a time,” he said. “Day one’s covered and I’ve got one more race to go. Hopefully there’s no lightning or thundering.”
n DuQuoin’s Cody Doerflein, the 2007 champion, may be the overwhelming favorite in the pole vault. Newton junior Scott Mammoser, perhaps his heir apparent next year, isn’t conceding anything yet, though.
Mammoser jumped 12 feet, 6 inches outside before rain pushed the competition indoors. He advanced by hitting the 13-3 standard on his second attempt. On his first one he had plenty of lift but came down at an awkward angle.
Capable of hitting 15 feet – he did so following the Decatur Herald & Review’s area best meet — he hasn’t seen Doerflein since state a year ago.
“I can get him,” Mammoser said. “It’s whether or not he wants to win bad enough. If he wants to win that bad then he can do it. He’s capable of going 16 feet. He’s got control. It’s just whether or not he wants it.”
n For the most part, former Class A state cross country champion Matt Feldhake has had a forgettable spring. During the fall he injured himself and tried to come back too soon. Suffering from severe Achilles tendinitis, he wound up in a walking boot for four weeks and missed three months of training.
“I’m just now kind of starting to get up into shape,” the Effingham St. Anthony senior miler said. “Throughout the year I haven’t really tapered down any.
“Down here I knew I had one good race left in me – one good meet, I should say.”
Friday’s prelims renewed his hope. He crossed the line in 4:30.06, easily his best race of the year and better than all but three individuals: Thompson, Peterson and North Shore Country Day’s Peter Callahan.
It completely changed his perspective going into the final.
“It tells me I’ve still got it,” Feldhake said. “It’s in my head now that up here I can run with anyone if I run my race. I’ve got to go dictate and not let someone else tell me how to run.”
Feldhake is also competing today in the final section of the 3,200. Elmwood’s Dustin Emerick easily had the state’s best sectional time of 9:42.04.
n West Frankfort senior Matt Eader, headed to Illinois next year, had a comfortable day in the shot put, hitting 56-2 ½ to best Rushville-Industry’s Jason Crisman by more than two feet.
He still has ground to cover in the discus. Winnebago sophomore Alex Thompson emerged as the frontrunner after going 180-5. Eader, whose top sectional throw went beyond that mark, was in second at 173-2.
In the 400-meter dash a pair of underclassmen and the top seeds, Heyworth sophomore Ben Asmus and Urbana University High junior Malcolm Taylor, clocked the same time, 50.03 seconds, to set up a competitive final.
Contact Rick Dawson at rdawson@jg-tc.com or 238-6855.
Add your comments
Not already registered?
Then click Here.
Comment policy:
JG-TC.com encourages readers to engage in civil conversation with their neighbors. Comments that are submitted are not posted to the site immediately. They go into a queue to be moderated and may take several hours to be reviewed. Comments posted on Saturday may not be reviewed until Sunday afternoon.
In order to keep the page a set width, long lines (mostly long links) will be chopped. Try putting spaces in your links or consider using tinyurl.com to make a smaller link that you can include.
We will never edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to remove comments that violate our code of conduct.
No comment may contain:
* Potentially libelous statements; such as accusing somebody of a crime, defamation of character, or statements that can harm somebody's reputation.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults, threats, harassment or inciting violence.
* Commercial product promotions.
If you have any questions, please contact our moderator.
|
|
|
