'It all paid off': Lincoln runner leads Springfield-area medal haul at IHSA track finals

CHARLESTON — Garrett Slack leaned too far forward and crumpled to the ground.

But not in vain.

The Lincoln senior won the 800-meter run and set the Class 2A state record in the process with a time of 1 minute, 51.42 seconds at the Illinois High School Association boys track and field state meet at O’Brien Field on a warm Saturday afternoon.

He also vaulted the 4x800 relay to first place in 7:51.53 with teammates Brenden Heitzig, Drake Rutledge and Jude Toft earlier in the day.

Who was at state? Springfield boys track athletes who advanced from sectionals

“It all paid off,” Slack said. “All of the hard practices sacrificing my time with my friends and family just to come here and do this. I'm just overcome with happiness right now that it paid off.”

It was his first year undertaking the 800.

“I came into this and all of my teammates were telling me that I could break the state record and I didn't really believe them because I had the 4x800 before this and then I had to come back two hours or three hours later,” Slack said. “But I did it.”

Slack surged ahead down the last backstretch to defeat Benton’s Gavin Genisio (1:53.15) and Aurora Central Catholic’s Patrick Hilby (1:53.85).

“He was pulling away on the 500 (mark) and I was like, 'I just worked way too hard to give up now,' so my plan was thinking of a plan on the last backstretch and I was like, 'I'm going to take him at the 200,'” Slack said. “I went around him and then fended off Patrick Kilby. I raced him in indoor too and I know he's a good kid.”

Heitzig catapulted 4x800 team ahead around the last bend before handing off to No. 3 runner Toft, and Slack clinched the win as the anchor.

FULL RESULTS: Class 1A | Class 2A | Class 3A 

Heitzig was inserted into the No. 2 spot with the full intention of providing a lead.

“We were pretty happy about it,” Heitzig said. “I knew that if Jude could keep a good spot then Garrett could finish us home pretty well.”

Heitzig’s sister, Becca, claimed the individual 800 at last week’s girls state finals and set a new 2A state record in 2:09.99. Becca also took second place in the 4x400.

“It feels really good because she's great,” Brenden said. “She's always gotten a lot of medals because she's super talented and super hard working. But it's finally cool that we could as a team catch up and bring one home for Lincoln.”

‘Couldn’t be happier’

Pleasant Plains junior Zach Powell waited until the homestretch to grab the lead and win the 1A 400-meter dash in 49.24 seconds. He knocked off Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond's Max Allen (49.28) by the slimmest of margins.

Auburn junior Jackson Kern also came away with first place out of the Sangamo Conference at 38.14 in the 300-meter hurdles.

Go deeper: 13 Springfield area boys track and field athletes to watch ahead of the IHSA postseason

Powell described his narrow win as a dream come true since middle school.

“I couldn't really feel anything in the last 15 meters of the race, but I got ahead and we got the win for my team,” Powell said.

“I was pretty nervous coming into this race,” he added. “I just knew if I did my best and did what I knew I could do, I'd come away with the win and that's what I did. I couldn't be happier with the time and the results. It's just a good feeling.”

Recovered in the nick of time

Lutheran junior Mason Kooi picked up a pair of 1A wins in the high jump and triple jump. He set a personal record in the high jump at 2.08 meters and pulled off the feat with pure energy.

“I've been able to match every height that I've needed at the past couple of meets and I had a kid clear 6-8 and I needed a clear 6-9 and I was able to do it.

“I landed on the mat and the bar wobbled. I just held my breath because I did not know. But after I cleared, I knew it was in the bag. I was very excited.”

Kooi said he felt iffy coming into the state meet due to a stress fracture in his left heel several weeks ago but became the first Crusader to win a state event since Nathan Browning in 2003 and 2004.

“It was a journey,” said Kooi, who won the triple jump with a mark of 13.44 meters. “I had to constantly work every night, every day trying to get my legs back in condition to jump again.”

Contact Bill Welt: (217) 788-1545, bill.welt@sj-r.com, Twitter.com/BillWelt 

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Illinois state track: Lincoln high student leads Springfield in medals