‘We’re going to remember this forever’: Illini West’s Bentzinger, Liberty’s Sunde share track for final time

Illini West's Ian Bentzinger, left, takes the baton fromk Liberty's Keegan Sunde during the 4x100 relay at Friday night's Illinois/Missouri Senior All-Star Track Meet in Palmyra, Mo. | Shane Hulsey photo

PALMYRA, Mo. — Illini West’s Ian Bentzinger and Liberty’s Keegan Sunde spent all season as rivals. On Friday, they were teammates, and they made sure to have some fun. During the Illinois/Missouri Senior All-Star Track Meet at Palmyra High School, the state-qualifying sprinters made up the first two legs of the Illinois boys 4×100 meter…

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Illini West’s Bentzinger, Liberty’s Gimm, West Hancock’s Gooding finish with state track medals

Illini West senior Ian Bentzinger runs in the 100-meter dash finals at the Class 1A boys state track and field championships Saturday at O'Brien Stadium in Charleston, Ill. | Photo courtesy Clark Brooks, PhotoNews Media

CHARLESTON, Ill. — Ian Bentzinger’s legacy will be a spot among the top sprinters in Illini West history. That’s a storied list. The senior captured two state medals Saturday at the Class 1A boys state track and field championships at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Stadium, finishing fourth in the 100-meter dash and fifth in the…

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Area track standouts qualify for finals, position themselves to chase state championships

Liberty's Tanner Gimm competes in the shot put preliminaries Thursday at the Class 1A boys state track and field championships at O'Brien Stadium in Charleston, Ill. | Photo courtesy Clark Brooks, PhotoNews Media

CHARLESTON, Ill. — The title pursuits are in full chase. Three area athletes — Illini West’s Ian Bentzinger, Camp Point Central’s Jack Thompson and Liberty’s Tanner Gimm — positioned themselves to be in the mix for Class 1A state track and field championships when Saturday’s finals roll around at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Stadium. Bentzinger…

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Runnin’ down a dream: Chargers’ Bentzinger puts focus on winning state track title in 100 dash

Illini West senior Ian Bentzinger, center, is one of the top Class 1A sprinters in the state and is undefeated this season in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes. | Shane Hulsey photo

CARTHAGE, Ill. — Ian Bentzinger sees his motivation staring back at him every day. The Illini West senior sprinter currently holds the fifth fastest time in the 100-meter dash in Class 1A across the state with his school-record 10.82 seconds, which he ran at the Lee Calhoun Invitational on April 5 in Macomb. At the…

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