Boys track and field: Ihenacho goes long yet again

CHARLESTON — Once Cary-Grove senior Reece Ihenacho topped the 200-foot mark in discus in March at the Texas Relays, he gained a reputation.

“I sort of go to meets now and everyone’s like, ‘Hey, you’re that kid,’” he said.

No. He’s The Man.

Saturday at the 129th boys track and field state finals, the Illinois-bound Ihenacho improved upon both his second-place Class 3A finish in 2023 and his personal best by throwing a winning 205 feet, 5 inches (62.61 meters).

The only Illinois prep to break 200 feet this spring, he was six inches shy of A.J. Epenesa’s state-record 205-11 from 2016 at Eastern Illinois University.

From Friday’s preliminaries through Saturday finals each of his six throws went farther than the last.

Ihenacho vowed last season to surpass that 60-meter mark. Done.

“It’s a good feeling,” he said. “I’m honestly glad I could close the chapter the way I did today. I’m just excited to go out for (the Under-20 team), do my best there, try to make the team, and I’m excited to try to be one of the best freshmen next year in disc.“

Aurora Central Catholic’s Patrick Hilby gained attention on a national scale, having run the nation’s fastest indoor 800-meter time this year.

The Wisconsin-bound Hilby, who set the Class 2A state record last season, earned his third individual title by winning both the 800-meter run (1:52.39) and the 400 (48.08).

“It feels amazing,” he said. “The last time in this uniform for Aurora Central Catholic, so I’ve just got to represent them well. Two-for-two on the day, hopefully going for three-for-three. So just kind of represent my community, and in great way. It means a lot.”

It was two-for-three. Hilby, the anchor of the Chargers’ 1600 relay with Jacob Gay, Bernard Fellows and Tom Keller, got the baton in sixth place and pushed it up to third.

West Aurora junior Kewon Marshall had put up a lofty number in high jump, above 6-10. He followed up with a Class 3A state title, at 2.04 meters (6-8¼).

Willowbrook senior Evan Weder placed third, and Marshall’s Blackhawks classmate, Terrence Smith, placed sixth.

Marshall, who celebrated with a backflip on the O’Brien Field stadium turf, had hoped to reach Camron Donatlan’s program record of 7 feet.

“I told him I was going to break it, but it is what it is. Next year,“ Marshall said.

Dundee-Crown’s sprint relays of Kali Freeman, Terrion Spencer, Torrion Bell and Oreoluwa Sobodu have gotten so close they’re finishing each other’s sentences.

They took second in the Class 3A 400 relay, and after finishing fourth in the 800 relay, Freeman said: “Our season was wonderful. I came in late, started working hard, getting better, faster and faster every meet...”

“...And it pays off now. We’re all-state,“ Spencer said.

Edwardsville and Oak Park tied for the Class 3A title each with 49 points, Grayslake Central third with 46.

Downers Grove North had hoped to vie for a title, but with jumper Vince Davero’s injury in Friday’s preliminaries, it put a damper on that.

Running for his teammates was on the mind of Trojans sophomore Philip Cupial, whose victory in the 1600 helped amass 33 points, good for sixth. With 300 meters left, Cupial made his big move.

“I made it, and it was very painful -- I knew it was going to be painful,” said the sophomore, who also joined Will Surratt, Grant Schroeder and Ryan Eddington to win the 3200 relay.

“The last 100, it just felt amazing, crossing the line and knowing what I did,” Cupial said.

And, that relay time of 7 minutes, 38.76 seconds, it’s the third fastest in the nation.

Grant Schroeder, who put the Trojans in the lead, said they’ll compete at Nike Outdoor Nationals.

“Our season ain’t over yet,” he said.

Amari Williams of Wheaton Warrenville South ended his junior season in the 300 hurdles by moving from fourth to first over the final 100 meters.

He held his form to win the title in a swift 37.49 seconds, achieving a season-long goal to go under 38. Naperville Central’s Bode Smith placed fifth at 38.40.

In 2023 in Charleston, Williams fell on the second-to-last hurdle. He was in second place at the time.

“Going into this race, that’s what my coach always taught me, just to finish. The last 100 at state, just give whatever you’ve got,“ said Williams, who credited Tigers teammate Braylon Baines convincing him to run hurdles.

Duke-bound Aden Bandukwala, the defending 3A 1600-meter champ and 2023 cross country winner, did his usual thing in winning the 800 in 1:51.11, and in the 1600 relay for a Red Devils’ second-place finish.

He bided his time, and then passed multiple runners.

“Being a distance runner going up against sprinters, I can’t go that first 200 with them. But I can close them down,” he said.

In Class 2A, Glenbard South used momentum from last fall’s runner-up spot to tie for fourth place; East St. Louis won with 50 points.

Senior Harper Bryan finished second in both the 110 and 300 hurdles. In the 3200 relay both winner Payton and the Raiders’ unit of Paul Quint, Lucas Newman, Michael Bailey and Tim Jochum broke the existing 2A record. Glenbard South ran it in 7:45.55.

Winnebago won Class 1A in a squeaker with Tuscola, 57 points to 54. Westmont’s Abe Johnson scored all of the sixth-place Sentinels 26 points by winning long jump and placing second in high jump and triple jump.

He called his satisfaction level “out of 10, probably a 7, 8,” but it actually blew away his expectations entering the season.

“I just came in hoping to do my best at anything,” he said. “I didn’t think I was going to go as far as I did, but here we are.”