2025 Track & Field State Preview: 3A Boys

3A Teams to Watch 

Oak Park River Forest

The sheer amount of scorers that the Huskies could have is very scary, but the strength of their scorers will need to be proven in practice. Kwabena Osei Yeboah is the biggest weapon for OPRF. On a good day, he will score 20 points by himself and the Huskies win the state title. His PRs of 24’ 7” and 47’ 10” are dazzling, it is going to be hard to unseat him from a state title in either. Caleb Schulz is another guy who will look to bring home big points. Schulz is the defending state champ in the 100m, but the competition has gotten a lot stronger this year. He did run a texas-level 100 time this season with a huge 10.38. This time would guarantee him the win, however he still needs to replicate it to secure the ten points. Lukas Brauc is another big hitter for the Huskies. Brauc has hit a skyscraping 17’ 3” in the pole vault this season, he is expected to take home an easy ten points there. Their 4x1 has a shot at making the finals, with a season best of 41.73. They also have Malik Griffee in the high jump who can earn some hardware as well. He has cleared 6’ 8” in his first ever season of track, he will vye for a spot in the top five. Liam O’Connor and Finn Kelly will scoop up a few points in the distance as well. O’Connor is hovering around the 7-8 spot in the 3200, he should be able to take home a couple points. Kelly is tied for ninth in the 800, which is the very last scoring position. He will do his absolute best to get himself a point or two, but it will be very close. Their 4x8 ran 7:55 without their number four guy, Connor Schupp, as well as Kelly splitting a 1:57. There is possibly more in the tank for that squad, you might see an appearance from them on the podium as well. Their last guy who could be a possible scorer is Jonathan Sibley-Diggs. Sibley-Diggs has thrown 56’ 10” so far this season, and he sits right outside the top ten at 3A #12. He threw 57’ 1” indoors, he will need a mark like that if he wants to earn a medal. What makes this team so scary isn’t the strength of their athletes, it’s the amount. OPRF has strength in numbers like no one else, which is why they will contend for a state title this year. 

Belleville West

The Mighty Maroons have worked their tails off and their hard work is being recognized. This top tier sprint program has the most stable scoring options out of the title contenders, which is what puts them in as favorites. Troy Mclean and Morquez Bulliner are huge playmakers for this squad. Mclean is the returning state champ in the 400, however the 400 got a lot more competitive this year. He has his work cut out for him if he wants to defend his title, but a top three spot is certainly attainable. Bulliner has been on fire in the short sprints, he is expected to take home major points in the 100. He is sitting right outside of all-state contention in the 200, but he could possibly sneak in and score points there as well. Where they really shine is their relays, with a title contending 4x2 and 4x4. Their 4x2 ran 1:27.05 with Bulliner, Mclean, Michale Sutton, and Calvin Nolan. Mclean will likely be subbed out as the 400 is immediately after the 4x2 in the order of events, but they will still be able to run a 1:27 with little to no issues. Guys like Isaiah Williams and Kameron Austin should be more than capable of stepping into the 4x2 and aiding to a top three spot. Their 4x4 will be loaded, as they will be going for a statement win there. Calvin Nolan will return along with Mclean, Freddie Perry and Braden Missey to bring home a square ten points. This quartet ran a nasty 3:16.56, which is 3A #1 by about half a second. They beat 3A #2, Springfield, at their sectional meet, so they should be able to take the win here. Missey is expected on the podium in the long jump as well. He is one of the most consistent long jumpers in the state of Illinois, which is a dangerous tool to have as a jumper. His PR of 23’ 8” is 3A #5, but he has been within half a foot of that mark on four other occasions. A 23 foot jump can get you a win on a good day, so expect him to score quite a few points there. They will hopefully take home another state title with Jalyn Cole. Cole set a blistering time of 13.76 in the 110mH and is currently 3A #1. However, he has lost to his crosstown rival, Daylin Donaldson of Belleville East, on several occasions. Donaldson is 3A #2 with a 13.84, so it will be interesting to see how they face off in their final race of the season. Either way, Cole will look to bring home 8-10 points in the 110mH. The sheer amount of points that they have wrapped up is undeniable, this team is going to be very hard to beat. 

New Trier

New Trier is the exact opposite of the teams mentioned above, they have two stars who will drag the Trevians to stardom. Will Landwer has left the hurdles in the past and his raw athleticism has taken over. He has yet to lose a sprint race outdoors and he is, by far, the most consistent short sprinter in the state. He has been 10.60 or faster three separate times, which is more than any other athlete in Illinois. His PRs of 10.51 and 21.21 are some of the top (non wind-aided) times in the state, he is the favorite to win both events. He will help out with New Trier’s 4x1 as well. They have a season best of 41.83 and that could earn them a spot in the final. Their other big hitter is Ben Crane, who is expected to take an easy ten points in the 2 mile. One of the strongest 2 milers in the entire country, Crane’s PR of 8:49 is nearly insurmountable here. It would take the performance of a lifetime from another contender to knock him down, so don’t count on him losing this race. The mile will be more difficult for Crane, as it’s also one of the more competitive events this year. He ran an impressive 4:11 during the early indoor season and he has since been 4:13. There are a ton of guys who look like they’re ready for more in the mile field, so he’s going to have to dig deep if he wants to score meaningful points. Another scoring option comes from Dylan Benjamin who hit a huge triple jump at sectionals. His mark of 46’ 8” catapulted him into all-state contention, he will be vying for big points in that event. Oliver Neuenschwander will be the Trevian’s last chance at any spare points, as he could be a finalist in the pole vault. He hit a big PR of 15’ 0” this season, which has him at 3A #11. Every year, crazy stuff happens in the vault, so this mark could earn him an all-state spot on a good day. It’s a much different team structure compared to the teams above them, but make no mistake, New Trier is just as good.

Homewood-Flossmoor

The Vikings of Homewood-Flossmoor are perennially in the trophy conversation and this year is no different. Led by an all-star sprint program, they will clean up shop in everything under 300 meters. Zion Morrison has exploded onto the short sprinting scene this year, and he has been utterly dominant for HF. His PRs of 10.62 and 21.23 are some of the most premier times in the state, he is expected to place high in both the 100 and 200. His 110mH is another route to victory for Morrison, as he runs a searing 13.99 in that event. A triple threat from Morrison will propel this team to greatness, but he needs to be ready for a competitive 100m. The HF 4x1 and 4x2 have big chances at scoring as well. Their 4x1 has run a fantastic 41.55 and is 3A #2. Their 4x2 ran 1:27.38 without Zion Morrison, so they have a shot at top three as well. It’s not likely that they will run Morrison in the 4x2, as they need him in the 4x1 more than they do 4x2. However, HF has proved they don’t need him in order to run a contending 4x2, so they will still be at full strength going into this weekend. They could see some points from Nolan Lewis in the long jump, he hit a nice PR of 23’ 3” at sectionals last week. He has been on a hot streak in the long jump lately, perhaps that will carry into the state meet and produce a spot on the podium. Their depth in the relays, with guys like Joaquin Jordan and Myles Ellis, is what gives them a chance at a trophy. 

Edwardsville

This is a team that could be way higher than the team rankings suggest. They have a lot of guys in the jumps who aren’t scoring on a season best list, but would absolutely score on a PR list. Another sprinting powerhouse, this is one of the most talented teams in the state in the short sprints. After missing all of indoor and most of outdoor, Clayton Lakatos has made a triumphant return from injury. He has run a blistering 10.57 and 21.32, both of which are wind legal times. He was the runner up in the open 200 last year, and the defending champion is no longer in 3A. With this door now open, Lakatos will be gunning for his first ever individual state title. Cincere Ruffin is the other unit that the Tigers have utilized this year, he has run similarly blazing times that compliment Lakatos nicely. He has run 10.65 and 21.37 this season and will be searching for an all-state medal in both. Both of these juggernauts will be a part of their star-studded 4x1 and 4x2, both have a shot at state titles. Zach Lane has been inactive for most of May. He was fifth last year in the 200 with a time of 21.63, and he would make both of those relays absolutely lethal if he is back to full strength. Darren Wilson and Patrick Chism are two other relay guys for Edwardsville, they add serious firepower to both the 4x1 and the 4x2. Their sprint squad will definitely bring home the hardware, where they need to score swing points is the field. As of now, the only help they are getting is from the pole vault with Parker Owens. Owens is US #2 out of freshman with a towering mark of 16’ 4”. He is one of three vaulters in 3A that has cleared 16 feet and he should find himself on the podium this weekend. Devyon Hill-Lomax and Gino Montgomery will need to pull their weight if the Tigers want a shot at a trophy this year. Hill-Lomax is an incredible high jumper, who has been up and over 6’ 7” before. His indoor season best was 6’ 6”, but he’s only been able to clear 6’ 4” outdoors. If he can get back to his previous best of 6’ 7”, he will make a small but valuable contribution to this trophy run. Montgomery was out for most of May, but he made his return at the right time, triple jumping 45’ 2” at sectionals. Last year, he was extremely consistent around 44-45 feet, with his all-time best sitting at 45’ 7”. Because of how unpredictable triple jump is, this mark would earn you a spot on the podium on any given year. It’s a tall order, but it’s not out of the question, and his team needs him to pull through. Iose Epenesa is the last chance they have at scoring. He had a disaster at sectionals when he fouled out of the discus, but he managed to qualify in the shot put with a massive PR of 55’ 1”. He will be channeling any frustration from missing out on the discus into his shot put, so don’t be surprised if he makes it into an all-state position when it’s all said and done. Edwardsville has a lot of ifs and maybes, but the talent is there. All they need to do is set it in motion, and the sky's the limit for them. 

East Moline

This is an explosive field event team who will look to make some noise at the state level. Led by Michael Kpomassey, this team has the talent to score a trophy if all goes well. Kpomassey leads the state in the shot put by almost 2 feet, with a mark of 66’ 7”. That mark is one of the best marks we’ve seen in many years, and he’s done it twice! He has hit two different 66 footers during his outdoor campaign, and he is consistently over 60 feet. It would take a very strong effort from Joe Atkins of Washington to take him out, either way, he will bring home 8-10 points for the Panthers. Their other star thrower, Francis Sessenou, will join Kpomassey in the discus. Sessenou and Kpomassey are nearly identical in the disc, with PRs of 181’ 9” and 181’ 7” respectively. Sessenou just recently hit a shot PR of 56’ 1”, so he’s all fired up and ready to throw a bomb this weekend. Both of them have a chance at top five positions, they are expected to bring home huge points. Icone Logo is the current 3A leader in the triple jump after he hit a cataclysmic 48’ 8”. He is repetitive at 46 feet, and he has the best chance at winning the state title compared to anyone else. If he can tie up the ten points there, it will be super helpful towards East Moline’s trophy dreams. Malal Sy is their last and final weapon, the freshman has a high jump mark of 6’ 7”. With only one loss this season, his chances at making the final are pretty strong. He will need a good day if he wants to crack the podium, but it’s not outside the realm of possibility. Any points Sy can pick up are unexpected and extremely helpful to the Panthers. 

3A Individuals

100m

All season long, we have been waiting to see the showdown in the 100m dash between the best 3A runners in the state. Starting off strong, we have Caleb Schulz of OPRF, last year’s state champ who runs a 10.38 to claim the IL#1. This race would mark Schulz’s third appearance in the finals for the 100, and he has remained undefeated for the past TWO seasons in the 100. Like Schulz, William Landwer of New Trier has won every 100 he has been in this season, his best time being 10.51, and has gotten much faster in 2025 after moving away from hurdles to focus on the 100/200. Clayton Lakatos of Edwardsville is also a top pick for this race after he recently ran 10.57 for the IL#7 spot. Joe Owusu of Plainfield East is right behind him with his 10.60, and in his first season of running the open 100m, Morquez Bulliner of Belleville West was able to run a 10.62. Zion Morrison of Homewood-Flossmoor runs a 10.64 and has had a very strong season too, but his performance might be affected by his hurdles and 4x100m which come before the 100. Finally, the teammates from Kenwood, Parrish Hartley Jr. and Armond Boulware will be racing to see which Bronco is faster. Hartley Jr. has the edge over Boulware with his 10.62 from this year and 4th place finish from last year, but Boulware was able to beat him at sectionals as well as at the CPL Indoor Championships in the 60. All of these runners will be competing for team points and this race could be the determining factor in who takes home the trophy.

200m

Don’t be surprised if you recognized a few names in here from the 100, these runners are just that good! Returning after getting silver last year, it’s Clayton Lakatos of Edwardsville, who runs a 21.32. Although he hasn’t raced that much this season, we can still expect to see a fast time come from him because of his performance last year. Lakatos’ closest competitors are William Landwer of New Trier, who runs 21.21 and has been undefeated all of outdoor, Zion Morrison of Homewood-Flossmoor with his 21.23, and Dontrell Young of Oswego with a recent PR of 21.31. The aforementioned 3 have a shot of taking the podium for themselves, but Lakatos has something to prove which might push him to go faster. After them, we will likely see Morquez Bulliner of Belleville West who will come into prelims with his new PR of 21.46, then Armond Boulware of Kenwood with an outdoor SB of 21.60 but an indoor PR of 21.44, and in a close finish, Austin Rowswell of Lincoln-Way-West who also runs 21.60. Same with the 100, this race is important for team points, so rest assured that every single one of the finalists will be leaving 110% on the track.

400m 

The 400m runners have been cutting up the track this year. Going into this weekend we are going to have four athletes sub 48 and one sub 47. At the top of the list is Austin Rowswell of Lincoln-Way West who has gone on the tear of the century and has nonstop great races. He is coming into this weekend with a blistering time of 46.94 to his name. If Rowswell can have an exceptional day, the state record of 46.24 by Kahmari Montgomery of Plainfield Central set in 2015 could be in danger. Next up in the conversation is Chase Cutler of Hononegah who is just a sophomore and will head into the state meet with a time of 47.37. Cutler will not be the only super sophomore in this race, as Dontrell Young of Oswego comes into this with a 47.63 clocking. Our final sub 48 athlete to talk about this season is Braylen Anderson of DeKalb as he will slide in right under that barrier with a 47.96 season's best. Rowswell will most likely drop the field and will be a tight battle between those next three. Of course you can never count out the defending champion, Troy McLean of Belleville West. McLean has yet to return to his state champion sub 48 form but he should not be brushed off just yet. This year's state final will be some of the deepest in  recent memory. 

800m 

The 800m, along with all of the other distance events is shaping up to be something spectacular. At the top of this list is Nolan Lamoureux of Lockport with his phenomenal 1:51.92 in early may. Lamoureux ran this with splits of 54, 57 showing he is a very efficient 800m runner with those being the most optimal splits. He also has insane raw speed as he holds a PR of 48.46. Another big name in this race will be Owen Horeni of Yorkville who has been a prodigy since his freshman year and this could be his chance to prove himself. He is coming off a great win at DNIP in the 800m and has a solid chance of challenging for the win. He placed fourth last year and the three ahead of him were all seniors so we will see what he can manage. Close behind will be Mateo Ramiro-Garcia of Sandburg. He has run 1:53.14 this season and will be in contention for the top three. Also in the top three conversion is Sam Wollak of St. Charles East. Wollak comes in with a season's best of 1:53.64 and should be right up there in the mix. Grant Schroder of Downers Grove North shouldn't be overlooked as he is a great racer under pressure and can definitely mix it up with the front. 

1600m

This year's 1600m is going to be an absolute spectacle. Pre-state, we already have 9 athletes sub 4:14. In the front we have Tommy Nitz of Huntley who is coming off a huge win in a blistering sectional race where he ran 4:10 and closed in a 56 second bell lap. In this race he took down a stacked field. In this same race we had Jacob Barraza of DeKalb who ran 4:12 and still showed off impressive closing speed as he had a final 400m of 59. Also in that race was Max Sudrzynski who had practically identical splits to Barraza but was just edged out at the line. In the same race, coming in fourth was Jameson Tenopir and he, much like the others, came through in the same 1200 split but only managed a 60 second last lap for a 4:13 which is still absolutely flying but wasn't enough against this elite field. Similar story for Jesse Kramer of Belvidere North as he came through with the top pack only was able to muster up a 63 final 400, but don't forget that he has a 4:12 to his name this season as he placed fifth at DNIP. Rory Gaan of Fremd is also looking extremely dangerous as his fast even pacing will be hard to beat if he decides to make the race honest. Ben Crane of New Trier would also thrive off this fast even pace type of racing as both him and Gaan are more known for their exceptional strength and speed endurance rather than blithering final 400s. For Gaan and Crane, they will need to first deal with the 3200 and as that is sizing up to be something quick he might be drained to be confident enough to push the pace from the start. Patrick Clune of Naperville Central will also be in the mix of this deep field, he is yet another athlete to clock a 4:12 this season, and of course, you can’t talk about this race and not mention the defending champ, Phillip Cupial of Downers Grove North. He pulled off an insane performance last year to take down Trey Sato. Cupial will show up and put himself in it so anything could happen. This 1600 is going to be a race to watch for sure. 

3200m 

This year's 3200 could likely be the fastest in state history, with three guys under the nine minute mark. Ben Crane of New Trier is the favorite to win coming off his state champion and all American cross country season. He has looked unbeatable in the distance for the entire season. That will not stop Joe Bregenzer of Barrington and Carter Hayes of Palatine who have both run 8:58. Bregenzer ran that last year in his State Championship win in this same meet while Carter ran that at Arcadia. Following that pack will be both Alex Krieg of Palatine and Rory Gaan of Palatine Fremd who will try and shake up this race early. Neither of these two want to make this race a sit and kick effort. Don’t forget about Francesco Benelli of Batavia and Dylan Maloney of Plainfield South who will run out of the slower sections of the 3200m on Saturday morning. They both have run 8:56 and 9:00. The fastest “slow section” time was last year when Krieg ran 9:07. This will likely be one of the most competitive of the day.

110H

Not only does the 3A 110 hurdles look to be an exciting race, but there is also potential for a new state record in this event. Jalyn Cole of Belleville West, the returning 4th place finisher from last season, has already secured a 13.76 mark this season which would currently top AJ Harris and Travis Anderson’s tied record of 13.79. If he is able to repeat this, he should have no problem being able to claim a state title and record. As far as top places on the podium, 4 runners have already dropped below the 14 mark including Daylin Donaldson out of Belleville East, Zion Morrison of Homewood Flossmoor, and Cooper McGinnis of Neuqua Valley. Janardie Turner of Jefferson also looks to be a top podium contender, coming in with a PR of 14.14 this season. There is potential for him to be in the running as well if he is able to break 14, which is possible with the competition this weekend. 

300H

Of all the events competing this weekend, the 300 hurdles looks to have one of the most predictable champions. The returning state champion Amari Williams from Wheaton Warrenville South has already been closing in on his 37.49 mark from last year's championship. As the only athlete to run sub 38 this season, he should have no issues reclaiming his state title. As far as podium spots go, Daylin Donaldson records the next fastest time this season with a PR of 38.19. Other athletes in the mix include Cooper Mcginnis, Jezhian Sprinkle of Oswego, Luke De Simone of York, and Brandon Marks of Antioch. All 4 have tight marks to each other all running just under or around 38.5. There is potential to see some new athletes creep into the 37 territory and the state meet is the place to do it. 

4x100m

Like always, it’s impossible to tell who will cross the line first in the 4x100m relay, and will be especially hard given the times these teams are running. Currently leading the race by 0.03 seconds is York with a SB of 41.50. Fractions of a second behind them are Barrington (41.53), Homewood-Flossmoor (41.55), Kenwood (41.59), Dundee-Crown (41.60), and Edwardsville (41.67). Last year, Edwardsville, Dundee-Crown, and Kenwood took the podium, and I think Edwardsville could earn the win again given that Clayton Lakatos and Cincere Ruffin are ranked IL#6 and IL#13 in the open 100m. But if you’ve ever watched Kenwood, you’ve probably seen them hawk-down runners in the last 50m, and they have runners like Parrish Hartley Jr. and Armond Boulware to back up their squad. Homewood-Flossmoor also has very strong shot of moving up from their 7th place last year to the top 3 with the addition of Zion Morrison and Joaquin Jordan into their relay. This is really anybody’s race, so expect the unexpected this Saturday.

4x200m

This may be the closest event of the entire weekend. The five teams we highlight in this event separate each other by just 0.7 seconds. Starting off with the Glenbrook North Spartans, with their #1 Illinois time with a 1:26.76 at the CSL Conference Championships. Brothers Ebin and Aiden Fladeland along with Fletcher Geake and Eli Kahn make up this card. Maine South is bringing down a team with the third best time in IL and a chance to make some noise at the top, with a recent 1:27.20 at sectionals, they’ve got their sights on gold as well. Same with Springfield, who are only separated from Maine South by six hundredths of a second—also running their season best at sectionals. But you can’t forget about HF, Homewood-Flossmoor fields, a team that has Myles Ellis at anchor, and just ran a 1:27.38 at the SWSC Conference Meet. Jacobs will round out the top five, they haven’t hit a personal best since Conant’s Ron Gummerson Invite, but again have a squad that can turn some heads with a big PR. Watch out for Matt Scardina at anchor as well for Jacobs. Again, just 0.7 seconds separate these five teams from the top spot. It’s well within reach for each of these schools, but who wants it more? We’ll find out Saturday. 

4x400m 

The reigning state champions in this event are once again our favorites heading into the 4x400m relay. Belleville West are the favorites for the back-to-back state crown, hitting an Illinois #1 mark on May 21 at sectionals with a 3:16.56. Of course, the name that stands out on their relay card is the reigning 400m champion, Troy McLean. However, two teams are within a second of Belleville West’s team best and both teams are peaking at the right time, Springfield (#2, 3:17.02) and Normal West (#3, 3:17.42) also ran their season bests at the sectional meet last week. Belleville has another team to watch out for in the 4x400m relay, their crosstown rivals, Belleville East, who cracked the 3:20 mark at sectionals on the 21st as well. Rounding out the top five is a dangerous quad coming out of St. Charles East. They have not broken 3:21 since May 9th, but look to cause some damage at this 3A state meet. Without a doubt, it’ll be another interesting 4x400m relay at this year’s 3A state championship. Crazy stuff has happened before and any one of these teams could take home the cake. 

4x800m 

The 4x8 is the only distance oriented relay and that's where teams get the opportunity to show off their depth. Downers Grove North are headed into this as the favorites simply to do their consistency. Year after year they manage to put out stellar 4x8s and this year isn't looking much different as they have great depth. DGN has had the depth and team to take down the state record of 7:37.36 set by Sandburg in 2016 a multitude of times The Trojans ran without Schroder at Sectionals and expect him to be on the relay in Finals. Plainfield North are the state leaders with a time of 7:48.50 from their sectional meet. In that race they were able to barely edge out Naperville Central who ran a time of 7:48.66. Lincoln-Way Central is another top team in the state this year and they placed 5th at last year's state meet and are looking to possibly improve upon that. Morton has also put out a good relay at sectionals as they similarly to Lincoln-Way Central went 7:51. Normal Community is the last on this list to watch out for as they ran 7:53 at their sectional. All these teams will likely run faster at the state meet due to possible roster changes, and the athletes going all out versus just trying to qualify. 

Shot Put

A two way showdown for the state title in the shot put will produce huge marks and a fun competition. Michael Kpomassey of East Moline United enters as the heavy favorite with a gargantuan mark of 66’ 7”. He is US #10 with that mark and he leads 3A by over 2 feet. However, you cannot dismiss Joe Atkins of Washington that easily. Atkins is an incredible competitor with a mark of 64’ 3”. Atkins set this mark at sectionals, where Kpomassey got the better of him by a matter of inches. Atkins is US #23 in the shot put, and it will be down to inches to separate him from Kpomassey. Behind these two behemoths, Zach Morrisroe of Oswego East will be in the mix. His mark of 62’ 8” would win him a state title in any normal year and he will still be a force to be reckoned with here. Gavin Pecor of Batavia has taken his shot put to the next level this season and he now finds himself in contention for a top three position. His mark of 61’ 5” dwarfs his SB from last year, he will be hard to topple in this event. Logan Abrams of Cary Grove is the final athlete over 60 feet in the field with a season best of 60’ 5”. He threw that at sectionals, but he has been around 55 feet for most of the season. He was eighth in this event last year, and with most of the athletes ahead of him being seniors, he returns as one of the top guys in the field. Abrams has a history of peaking at the right time, keep your eye on him or he might walk away with a top three medal. 

Discus

When everyone went through the sectional discus results, I’m sure some people were ready to start celebrating already. Iose Epenesa, one of the most feared discus throwers in the state, fouled out at sectionals and did not qualify to the state meet. With the top guy completely out of the competition, new opportunities are created for other athletes to earn their stripes and a state title to boot. Dionte Shaw of West Aurora now steps into the spotlight as the favorite, his mark of 191’ 7” is the best out of anyone else. He was the first man out of all-state last year, placing 10th. This will light the fuse and hopefully motivate him to a state title. Logan Farrell of Hersey will be right on his tail with a season best of 186’ 7. Farrell has not lost in either the shot put or the discus outdoors, he will look to continue that streak here. Devin Habermehl of Collinsville leads a slew of guys in the low 180s. He threw a 3A #4 of 182’ 9” at his home invite in early May, he is one of the guys to watch here. Michael Kpomassey and Francis Sessenou of East Moline United are going to compete for top five spots as well. They have a team to support and every point counts for them, so expect them to throw with passion here. 

High Jump

Two jumpers at 6’ 10” are going to duke it out for first, it cannot get more exciting than this. Otis Powell of Willowbrook has yet to lose at high jump outdoors, and he cleared 6’ 10” on his first attempt at sectionals. In fact, he was perfect that day, with no misses until he attempted his final height at a towering 2.13 meters. Christian Jaimes of Grayslake Central had a disappointing end to his season when he didn’t make the final for high jump. That disappointment has lit a fire under him, which he has used to jump a massive IL #2 of 6’ 10”. He cleared it on his first attempt to win the NLCC championships and he has only lost one time this season. The one guy who has toppled the giant is Voldy Makabu of Centennial. Makabu got the best of Jaimes at the Red Grange invitational, where he set his season best of 6’ 9”. He is a part of a duo with his teammate, JJ Lewandowski, who sits at 6’ 8”. Both Centennial athletes will be gunning for that gold medal, we shall see which Charger wins. McKenzie Doe III of Chatham Glenwood beat both Makabu and Lewandowski at sectionals when he set his season best of 6’ 9”. He will be a name to watch here, as he has toppled both Chargers in the past. Khristos Oludimo of Jacobs is the last name at 6’ 8”, he should be able to find himself on the podium.

Pole Vault

Leading the field in 3A Pole Vault, Lukas Brauc of Oak Park-River Forest is coming back to state with a SB, IL#1 and US#5 of 17’ 3” after an 8th place finish last year. In his final year, Brauc will greatly contribute to OPRF’s team total and will hopefully launch them into first place for the second year in a row. Also returning for his senior year, Nathan McLoughlin of St. Charles North enters with a SB of 16’ 6” and a 4th place medal from last year. He will be closely challenged by Parker Owens, a freshman from Edwardsville, who has a SB of 16’ 4.75” and has been slowly improving throughout the season. In terms of consistency, McLoughlin has the edge over Owens, consistently putting out high 15’s and low 16’s versus Owens’ positive but fast growth to his current PR. Next, we will have Will Viken of Rolling Meadows against Ryan Stiglic of Lincoln-Way West. These two went head to head at IIC, with Viken taking the win over Stiglic and leading the two in outdoor SB’s with his 15’ 9” to Stiglic’s 15’ 7.25”. But don’t forget–Stiglic was able to hit 16’ 0.5” during indoor this year! If he can revive that height for state, he could beat Viken. All 5 athletes are very talented, but it looks as though Brauc will easily soar into 1st this year.

Long Jump

Normally, Illinois is not known for the long jump. That reputation appears to be reversed overnight, as the sectional week brought about some of the craziest marks we’ve ever seen. Going into the state meet, we now have five athletes over 24 feet, but only two of them are in 3A. Parrish Hartley Jr. of Kenwood leads the field with a US #10 mark of 24’ 11”. He was third at the state meet last year, Kwabena Osei-Yeboah of OPRF got the best of him. Osei-Yeboah is the defending state champ and he has also hit a 24 footer this season, watch out for him to defend his title. One of the most important aspects of long jump is consistency, and no one does that better than Braden Missey of Belleville West. He has a PR of 23’ 8” and he has hit within a foot of that mark at every single meet outdoors. With how unpredictable long jump is, Missey could get away with a state title on a 23 footer. Malachi Lee of Bradley Bourbonnais is another great example of consistency, he has been within his PR of 23’ 11.5” on multiple occasions. The sophomore is the youngest contender in the field, he will look to make his name known this year. Trevor DeVries from Lyons, who has been hurt for a majority of the season, burst onto the scene at the WSSC meet, placing 2nd behind Osei-Yeboah in his first competition since his sophomore year. He’s a relatively overlooked athlete hoping to compete for a top spot at 3A finals. Unfortunately last week, we learned of the news that Steve Battle (the current 3A record holder in the long jump) had passed away while officiating at the NAIA National Championships.  He watched many great competitors go after his record and not achieve it. This year may be different, both Hartley and Osei-Yeboah have already cleared it. All they have to do is clear 24’ 4” on the day of the state meet, and one of them will go home as a state record holder. 

Triple Jump

The 3A Triple Jump seems like it will be a close battle for first place. Icone Logo of East Moline has had a breakout season so far and holds the IL#1 with a jump of 48’ 8.25”. He got 3rd at IL Top Times Indoor and is consistently one of the top jumpers in the state this season. Inches behind him is Oluwadamilare Hassan of Fremd who jumps 48’ 2” but beat Logo at Top Times and has had a stronger month so far, so it’s anybody’s game. Joining them will be Kwabena Osei-Yeboah of OPRF, one of the best jumpers in Illinois and a strong contender for gold. He will likely bring in the most points for his team with his marks in both long and triple jump, making him the only one on this list to qualify for both! He will enter the meet with a mark of 47’ 10”, but keep in mind that he started off the season injured, so the best of him is yet to come. And don’t forget about Joshua Hill of Crete-Monee, the bronze medalist from last year! His SB is 46’ 11.75”, but he was able to go 47’ 9” during indoor. If he can bring that strength to the finals, it may be an even closer matchup than we anticipated.