Central boys track team captures first sectional championship in program history

RUSHVILLE, Ill. — The combination of springs and speed led to a historic moment Wednesday night for the Central boys track and field program.

The Panthers won three individual field events and two sprint relays at the Class 1A Rushville-Industry Sectional on Wednesday. It led to Central piling up 90 team points and capturing the first sectional championship in program history.

Ezra Thompson headlined Central’s field event dominance, winning the both the long jump and the triple jump to advance to the Class 1A state meet next weekend at O’Brien Stadium on the Eastern Illinois University campus.

Thompson jumped 6.36 meters to win the long jump, while Liberty’s Alex Girardin finished second with a leap of 6.34 meters to also qualify. Thompson won the triple jump with a leap of 12.85 meters.

Central’s Sterling Stotts won the high jump, clearing 1.90 meters. Illini West’s Nolan Deitrich tied for second, clearing 1.85 meters.

The Panthers’ quartet of Aveory Lamanske, Wyatt Schemerhorn, Garret Williams and Stotts won both the 4×100- and 4×200-meter relays. They finished the 4×100 in 44.07 seconds and the 4×200 in 1 minute, 33.46. Pittsfield was second in the 4×100 in 44.02 and the 4×200 in 1:34.34.

Illini West finished second in the 4×400 relay in 3:33.47.

Liberty will be sending four athletes to state with Girardin qualifying in the 100 and 200 dashes along with the long jump. Girardin, Liberty’s Keegan Sunde and Illini West’s Max Dittmer finished 1-2-3 in both sprints.

Girardin won the 100 in 11.19 seconds, followed by Sunde in 11.21 and Dittmer in 11.29. In the 200, Girardin won in 22.46, followed by Sunde at 22.87 and Dittmer at 22.93.

Illini West’s Cole Kirkham advanced with a third-place finish in the 800, running a 2:02.81.

In the distance events, it was no surprise West Hancock’s Miles Sheppard and Liberty’s Cannen Wolf advanced. Sheppard won the 1,600 in 4:25.99 with Wolf second at 4:36.72 and the Titans’ Noah Stout third in 4:39.03. In the 3,200, Sheppard won in 9:38.93 with Wolf in second in 9:54.07.

Central’s Elijah Hecox finished second in the 110 hurdles in 16.81, while Pittsfield’s Devon Salter was second in the 300 hurdles in 43.06.

Liberty’s Tanner Gimm won the shot put with a toss of 13.47 meters, which was a personal best.