Successful launch: Limestone, IVC athletes win gold at IHSA boys track state finals
CHARLESTON — Wilson Georges left the weight of the world and the rest of the field behind him on the way to a state-record championship run Saturday at the Illinois High School Association boys track and field state finals.
In his last chance to win an elusive state championship, the Limestone senior won the 1600-meter run 4 minutes, 8.58 seconds at Eastern Illinois University. That erased the record of 4:13.26 set last season by Herscher runner Drew Rogers.
It wasn't close, as Georges ate up the track, widening his lead on Rogers and the field more with each lap as he passed the grandstand.
When he reached the finish line — nearly 11 seconds ahead of runner-up Rogers — his emotions followed as he leaped, screamed and pumped his arms at the grandstand.
Who was at state? Peoria-area boys track athletes who advanced to IHSA finals
"Coming down the stretch, looking at the grandstand and hearing people cheering, it felt like a million pounds came off my shoulders," Georges said. "This was the best moment of my life. It’s everything I dreamed of. I just couldn't walk out of here without a state championship.
"The win, the record ... I had fresh legs and believed, just knew I could get it. This was my goal, to win a state championship."
Georges has had a running mentor in the legendary Craig Virgin, who has a friendship with his father.
"He's been helping me for a long time, such a great athlete and competitor," Georges said. "I was prepared. I have a poster of him on my wall at home, with a quote from him, 'There's a moment of truth in every race. How you react ... will determine your destiny!' "
Georges reacted with a ferocious effort that ended with that long-awaited state championship.
FULL RESULTS: Class 1A | Class 2A | Class 3A
How the Rockets launched
Limestone capped the meet with a sixth-place finish in the 4x400 relay and took eighth statewide as a team in Class 2A. It's the highest finish in school history.
Illinois Valley Central was 11th.
"We got a monster throw in the discus from Frank Driscoll," Limestone coach Brian Glaza said, "and that was a pleasant surprise, helped us."
Driscoll, a senior who plans to play football at Bethel College (Kan.) next fall, launched the discus 49.80 meters, nearly 3 meters beyond his personal best.
"I'm pretty sad my high school career is over," Driscoll said. "I've loved this. But it ended on a high note for me ..."
Limestone also took home medals in the 4x100 (ninth), long jump (Sam Morse in 4th) and 400 (Reece Dusek in 9th).
More: Peoria-area boys track and field athletes with the best shot at an IHSA state title
"We're happy with the finish, wish it could have been higher, of course," Glaza said. "And Wilson's race, that was beautiful, I had tears in my eyes as he finished it. To see him able to finish as a state champion was terrific."
This one was for dad
David Russell made the throw of his life Saturday, then stood proudly in the top spot on the podium, looking into the grandstand for his father, who made a comeback of a lifetime just to be there.
Russell won the Class 2A state discus title with a throw of 52.35 meters, while his father, Matt, looked on.
"It took so much just to get here," said the junior from Illinois Valley Central. "My father had a spinal stroke in mid-March. He was also my throwing coach. A lot of people stepped up to help me get here, coaches came in from all over the place to work with me and keep this moment alive.
"I watched my father battle and do the work to recover, and to have him here was emotional for me, it's pretty exciting to win in front of him."
Russell also finished second in the shot put with a heave of 17.16 meters, 3 feet beyond his personal best.
Elmwood on the run
Elmwood nearly pulled off a dramatic comeback in the Class 1A 4x800 finals, as anchor Thomas Harmon took the baton in fifth place and 20 meters back, then launched himself to a near shoulder-to-shoulder finish with Rockford Christian anchor Ethan Walsh.
Rockford took it in 8:04.34, while Elmwood crossed in 8:04.53.
Walsh sagged to the track halfway through his post-race interviews, unable to stand up.
Elmwood led off with Isaiah Hill, followed by Nick Feller and Brendan Williams. Then came Harmon.
More: How Elmwood's rich running history inspired this boys track state title contender
"It's a two-lap race," said Harmon, who still was third in the open 800 and 12th in the open 1600 later Saturday. "You don't need to make up the distance all at once. I just wanted to keep contact with him.
"But it's state. So, adrenaline took over."
Harmon ran to a third-place finish in the 800 in 1:54.77, a tight race that saw the top three finishers separated by just 0:00.44.
Princeton junior Teegan Davis won the Class 2A state title in high jump with an effort of 1.99 meters. St. Bede sprinter Tyreke Fortney finished second in the 100 at :10.75.
Medal haul
Other Peoria-area Class 1A medalists: Eureka senior Jd Standish finished eighth in the pole vault with an effort of 4.05 meters. ... Eureka took eighth in the 4x400 relay. ... Illini Bluffs thrower Hank Alvey finished fifth in the discus at 47.82. ... Stark County senior Blake Orwig took eighth in the shot put in 15.30 meters. Teammate Keagan Newton took fifth in the triple jump at 13.15 meters. ... Peru-St. Bede's Tyreke Fortney took second in the 200 at :22.15. ... Princeville's Grant Hunt earned a medal with a seventh-place finish in the 400, checking in at :50.58.
More: IHSA State Boys Track and Field Championship results
Other Peoria-area big-school medalists: Richwoods 4x100 relay finished eighth in its Class 2A race. Limestone was right behind, in ninth. ... Richwoods senior Skylar Giles finished sixth in the 2A 100 at :10.87. Giles also finished sixth in the 2A 200 at :22.42. ... Limestone senior Sam Morse finished fourth in the 2A long jump with an effort of 6.65 meters. Princeton's Teegan Davis medaled in seventh. ... Princeton's Keegan Fogarty was ninth in the 200 at :26.83. ... IVC senior Nolin Hulett finished seventh in the 100 hurdles in :15.28. ... Pekin's Chase Frainer checked in at eighth in the Class 3A 100 hurdles in :15.27. ... Nick Walker, of Metamora, finished in a ninth-place three-way tie in the 2A high jump at 1.85 meters. ... Metamora finished seventh in the 4x400 relay. ... Aaron Carl, of Galesburg, and Drew Harp, of Princeton, finished back-to-back at sixth and seventh, respectively, in the 2A shot put. ... Dunlap senior Andrew Erdman was eighth in the 2A triple jump with an effort of 13.25 meters. Galesburg's Koen Derry was third at 13.49. ... Limestone's Reese Dusek was ninth in the 400 in 50.44 seconds.
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. Reach him at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA track: IL State finals meet results for Peoria-area high schools
