2023 boys' track and field state notebook: Gilbert goes out with a bang in 200

May 28—CHARLESTON — Jackson Gilbert's psyche was tested in a big way during Friday's IHSA Class 2A boys' track and field state preliminaries at O'Brien Stadium.

He wound up disqualified from the 400-meter dash — the event in which he was the reigning state champion — for a lane violation that left the Urbana senior in disbelief on the Eastern Illinois University campus.

But Gilbert persevered, advancing to Saturday's finals in both the 200-meter dash and 1,600 relay after earlier moving on in the 400 relay.

Those finals brought about more frustration for the future Illinois track and field athlete.

A false start from a teammate meant Gilbert wouldn't get to run his leg of the 400 relay, and that none of the Tigers' foursome would get medals for that event.

"I took us all together (afterward) and said, 'Don't let this affect our day,'" Gilbert said. "I said, 'We came here to do a job.' And we got part of the job done, and that's all that matters."

Gilbert rebounded wonderfully from a negative occurrence once more, winning the 2A state title in the 200 with at time of 21.64 seconds. He anchored Urbana's 1,600 relay tandem a short time later, nearly overtaking East St. Louis senior Devion Montgomery in the last 100 meters before ultimately locking the Tigers into second place at 3 minutes, 18.92 seconds.

"It's not (exactly) what I wanted, but I've got to take what I can get," Gilbert said. "Won the 200, got second in this — I made the ups just as good as the downs."

Gilbert ran with juniors Abraham Lenear, Cordaro Sims and Cedric Sabin in the 1,600 relay. His 400 relay teammates included Sabin, senior Marius Davis and junior Terrell King.

Most of those individuals can return to coach Forrest Farokhi's ranks next year. They also can maintain, and even improve upon, what they got to watch Gilbert accomplish as a high school star.

"It means I showed them what I did, and they all can be more than me. I know they can," Gilbert said. "I'm proud of them. They're still learning. They're young. But there are big things coming out of Urbana, and you should be looking out for them."

★ ★ ★

Tuscola coach Ryan Hornaday couldn't stick around O'Brien Stadium for too long as Saturday afternoon bled into evening.

He needed to attend the Warriors' graduation ceremony, just a short drive north from Charleston.

Hornaday and his athletes nearly got to take a piece of IHSA team hardware back to Douglas County with them, as Tuscola came up a single point short of sharing third place in the 1A standings.

The Warriors' 29 points left them a shade behind Newton's 30 and Central Illinois Conference rival Shelbyville's 301/2, with all three trailing champion Salt Fork (45).

"I'm super happy for our kids that pulled medals," Hornaday said. "It's a tough pill to swallow to be one, 11/2 points away from a big trophy. But that's a good problem to have."

Distance running and throwing were the reasons for all of Tuscola's points.

Junior Josiah Horton placed third in the 800-meter run (1 minute, 54.89 seconds) and sixth in the 1,600 (4:25.80). Junior Jackson Barrett notched third in the 3,200 (9:24.18) and eighth in the 1,600 (4:26.14). And junior Will Foltz booked an eighth-place time in the 3,200 (9:43.30).

"We're already thinking and excited about what can happen (in the future)," Hornaday said. "Everyone knows our big three, the juniors, but there's a couple of youngsters that are fantastic. And, truth be told, they're actually ahead of where the upperclassmen were at their age."

Rounding out Tuscola's scoring was senior Chris Boyd, who notched third place in shot put at 55 feet, 81/4 inches.

"Chris Boyd's a great kid. I love him. ... I'm super proud of the career he had representing Tuscola High School," Hornaday said. "He's going to have a great college career at Arkansas State."

★ ★ ★

Ridgeview/Lexington provided one event state championship on Saturday to go with four apiece from Centennial and Salt Fork plus one from Urbana.

The Mustangs' 1,600-meter relay unit of senior Alec Thomas, sophomore Micah Coffman, junior Payton Campbell and junior Braydon Campbell won the 1A race in 3 minutes, 22.03 seconds.

"It feels amazing running with my guys and improving little by little each time," Thomas said, "until finally we ... finally got what we wanted, got the school record and a gold medal."

"We're just friends," Coffman added. "We get to practice every day together and just have a good time with it, and I just love these guys."

The Campbell brothers enjoyed getting to win a state title by handing off the baton to one another as their relay's third and fourth legs. And they'll try to do it again next year.

"It's awesome," Payton Campbell said. "I know that if I run a bad leg he can come back and bring it back, just like we did to win state."

"We have a very good coach (in Mike Benton). He's pretty good at making track fun," Braydon Campbell added. "When track is fun, it's easy to improve, and I think that's what we did."

★ ★ ★

Arcola senior Mitchel Myers rounded up a pair of 1A throwing state runner-up medals on Saturday just beyond O'Brien Stadium.

He landed behind Salt Fork senior Garrett Taylor in both shot put and discus. Myers logged best tosses of 57 feet, 11/2 inches in shot put and 173-4 in discus.

"Last year in shot put, I was ranked 18th, so coming in this year and placing second is a very big jump for me," said Myers, who will throw at Indiana State next. "I'm just happy to be a better thrower overall in everything, and I'm excited to go to the next level and do the same thing."

Myers didn't mind occasionally flexing his muscles or otherwise playing to assembled supporters who flocked to Charleston to root him on. Plenty of positive shouts were directed Myers' way before each of his six throws on Saturday.

"You just try to slow everything down and enjoy the moment as much as you can," Myers said. "Life's short, and you've got to take these little moments and cherish them."

★ ★ ★

Ryan Hendrickson did it again.

The St. Thomas More senior completed the gauntlet of playing in a baseball game and running in the 1A 800-meter run state championship on the same day.

Unfortunately for Hendrickson, the STM baseball team suffered an 8-1 loss to Milford in Saturday's 1A sectional final back in Champaign. He helped STM to a win in last year's sectional championship game.

"I was definitely disappointed with the baseball loss," Hendrickson said. "I wouldn't say that that really affected me for the race, but obviously, I wanted to end on a better note."

Hendrickson placed fifth in the 800 with a time of 1 minute, 56.51 seconds. It knocked him down one spot from last year's state final.

Still, a strong final high school salvo for the future Creighton men's track and field athlete.

"I obviously wanted to win. That was my goal," Hendrickson said. "But you can't complain with a medal, and so I'm happy with that."

★ ★ ★

Carson Maroon's Saturday couldn't have started much worse at O'Brien Stadium.

The St. Joseph-Ogden junior was preparing for the first of two flights in the 1A 3,200-meter run when he came to a horrifying realization. His track spikes were gone.

"They got stolen about 10 minutes before I ran," Maroon said. "But I can't let that set me back."

He didn't, winning what's often viewed as the slower heat with a time of 9 minutes, 42.54 seconds. Once the second flight concluded, Maroon ranked seventh out of all competitors.

"It took a lot of heart," said Maroon, who later Saturday placed fifth in the Class 1A 1,600 run at 4:25.28. "I had to fight really hard, and I had no one in front of me to help me get where I'm at. Once I realized I didn't have spikes to run in, it was all effort."

Does what he accomplished without spikes make Maroon interested in trying to run all of his future races in flat shoes?

"No, never again," Maroon said. "That was awful."

COLIN LIKAS