Nalley sets 3200 Meter Run Meet Record in Class 2A Illinois Top Times

By Michael Newman

Bloomington, Ill – It figured that the distance events of the Saturday morning session could be the highlight of Illinois Top Times. It was indeed the best moments of the weekend inside the Shirk Center. Dylon Nalley of Marion was by himself on his way to breaking a 24 year old meet record in the 3200 Meter Run. Gavin Genisio of Benton crushed Wilson Georges 2A record in the 1600 Meter Run and just missed Jeff Thoede’s overall record. Patrick Hilby did amazing things in helping Aurora Central Catholic along with winning an individual event. It was early in the season for Becca Heitzig of Lincoln, but she still repeated her double win in the 800 Meter Run and the 1600 Meter Run.

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There was no question when the gun went off for the start of the Boys 3200 Meter Run that Dylon Nalley would win this race. The thing to watch how he would race it. Nalley had the race won as he had opened a seven second lead by the end of the third lap. Nalley clicked off 33 second laps passing 1600-meters in 4:25. He was 16 seconds ahead of the rest of the field. It did slow down to 34 second laps with all of the final laps except for his last lap which was 31 seconds. His time of 8:54.01 broke Tim Keller’s meet record of 8:59 that was set inside the U of I Armory in 2000. Luis Flores of St. Laurence ran 9:26.42 to finish second with Kyle Kern of Waterloo finishing third (9:26.75).

Nalley thought his day was over as he walked to the training room to do an interview. In the middle of that, he was informed that one of his teammates was sick and he would need to step into the second spot in Marion’s 4x800m Relay. Nalley ran a 2:01.1 split as Marion finished fifth.

Genisio’s win in the 1600 Meter Run was an attempt to get a record whether it was the Class 2A record or the meet record that Jeff Thode set in 2009. The Benton senior passed 400-metes in 60 seconds opening up a three second lead on Mt. Zion’s Julian Baker. The lead opened up to five seconds as Genisio passed 800 in 2:02, 1200-meters in 3:06.2 six seconds ahead of the field. Genisio ran 4:10.07 to just the meet record of Thode (4:09.94) and breaking Wilson Georges 2A Meet Record of 4:13.10. This race was deep and faster than the 3A race as four runners finished under 4:16. Baker ran 4:14.52 to finish second with Owen Morgan of Taylorsville (4:14.99) and Gabriel McLain of Benton (4:15.83) finished third and fourth.

This was more about team for Patrick Hilby as he competed in this meet in two relay events. The one event he concentrated on was the 400 Meter Dash. Hilby passed 200-meters in 23.5 on his way to running 49.32 to win the title by two seconds ahead of Plamedi Nseka of Galesburg (51.49) and Blake Dillman of Mahomet-Seymour (51.57).

This season’s “victory” cigar is Hilby. Keep close to the leader when this national champion gets the baton. And poof, light that cigar, he will win it. The Chargers stayed within a second of the leader, Marmion Academy, when Hilby got the baton. He was in control the entire way running a comfortable 1:55.79 to give his team the win with a season’s best 8:05.19. Sterling ran 8:09.69 to finish second with St. Joseph-Ogden running 8:10.96 to finish third.

It seemed to be more of a difficult situation in the 4x400m Relay. Cahokia had broken out to a three second lead by more than two seconds by the time Hilby got the baton. He sped around his first lap in an incredible 22.6 catching Cahokia. Hilby pulled away on the final 150-meters to help Aurora Central Catholic win in 3:29.44 anchored by a 49.8 split by Hilby. Sycamore (3:31.00) and Tolono Unity (3:32.39) finished second and third with Cahokia running 3:33.20 to finish fourth.

Becca Heitzig of Lincoln has only been in two meets this season after her state championship basketball season completed. She was back to this meet for one final time to defend her title in both the 800 Meter Run and 1600 Meter Run.

There was no drama in the 800 Meter Run. Heitzig already had a four second lead over Mia Menendez of Fenwick. The lead was seven seconds entering the final lap. Heitzig was in control as she crossed the line in 2:12.86 more than seven seconds ahead of Menendez (2:20.26). Cecillia Hilby of Aurora Central Catholic (2:22.94) who finished third.

Heitzig disclosed after the meet that she was under the weather before the 800 causing her to effectively lose her breakfast. She was fine after that event and after she won the 800 Meter Run. The Lincoln senior ran was could be called a perfect race controlling the pace throughout. Heitzig kept the pace pedestrian 2:35.76 at 800-meters with Sundara Weber of Sandwich and Ava Boyd of Mahomet-Seymour close at hand. There were five runners within a second of Heitzig with two laps to go as the front added Zoe Carter of Normal University and Reese Kohnle of Rockford Boylan Catholic. All five runners were between 3:53 and 3:54. Heitzig and Weber broke away from the rest of the pack. Heitzig pulled away from Weber running 5:04.13 for the win and complete her double. Weber ran 5:05.31 to finish second with Carter leading the next pack in finishing third with a 5:09.92 finishing time.

Girls 2A Track Highlights

Zoe Carter of Normal University picked up where she left off after earning All-American honors at Nike Indoor Nationals in the 5000 Meter Run. Carter broke away from the field with her teammate Natalie Bierbaum and Sundara Weber. The three were close together before the final lap when Carter took off similar to how she did in the national race. The junior closed in 36 seconds to capture the win with a 10:37.14 time. Bierbaum ran 10:40.01 to finish second with Weber (10:44.05 and Erica Woodard of Tolono Unity (11:03.99 finishing third and fourth.

Kayda Austin of Cahokia pulled away from the field in the 60 Meter Dash at 35-meters in to pick up the win with a 7.66 time. Symone Holman of Joliet Catholic (7.75) and Katherine Jewell of Prairie Ridge (7.76) finished second and third. Austin doubled back to run 24.73 for her second win of the day in the 200 Meter Dash with Syriah Boyd of Galesburg (25.36) and Madalyn Marx of Mahomet-Seymour (25.39) capturing the next two places. Marx had run 57.55 earlier to win the 400 Meter Dash. Kaylah Forrest of Tinley Park was the only runner under 60-seconds 58.78 to place second.

Jamison Love of Mascoutah ran 9.04 to edge Gabby Graham of Tinley Park (9.07) in winning the 60 Meter Hurdles. Cahokia served notice on the rest of the field in the 4x200m Relay running a fast 1:46.51 in winning the second section. It took the final section to have a strong Normal University team run 1:45.14 for the win and the event overall winner. Cahokia finished second.

Morton repeated as the Girls 4x800m Relay pulling away to run 9:34.07 for the win with Mt. Zion (9:43.46) finishing second. Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin ran 4:07.96 to win the Girls 4x400m Meter Relay with Eureka (4:10.13) and Urbana (4:10.33) placing second and third.

Boys 2A Track Highlights

The lead in the 800 Meter Run changed leads three times in the four lap race. Mekeye Lomax passed Joseph McGinn of Decatur Eisenhower on the final lap closing with a 29.5 final lap to win the race with a 1:57.77 time. Drew Twyman of Triad (1:58.70) and Trey Mygatt of Mt. Vernon (1:58.72) were close finishing second and third.

David Coffey of De La Salle ran the fastest time of the meet (6.93) to win the 60 Meter Dash ahead of the second through fourth finishes from St. Laurence’s Quinton Williams (6.95), Harley Rizzs (6.99), and Monroe Thompson Jr (7.01). Christopher Schaff of Morton was a surprise winner in the 200 Meter Dash (22.64). Morrison Giggetts of Payton College Prep ran 22.85 to finish second.

Mascoutah was dominant in running 1:32.47 to win the 4x200m Relay. Tolono Unity ran 1:33.14 to win the third section and finish second overall. Morton ran 1:33.40 in the final section to finish third overall. Three runners were under 8.2 in the finals of the 60 Meter Hurdles. Arion Hill of Centralia ran 8.04 of Centralia to edge Louis Yohannes of Triad (8.07) to win the 60 Meter Hurdles. Antonio Mack of Mascoutah ran 8.18 finishing third.

Girls 2A Field Event Highlights

Brooklyn Kondritz of Mt. Zion won the Pole Vault clearing 12-0 on her first attempt. She then cleared a personal best of 12-6.25 on her final attempt at that height to solidify her win. Payton Carter of St. Joseph-Ogden cleared 11-3.75 to finish second. Aliza Dom of Sherrard cleared 10-11.75 in finishing third.

Aubrey Holthaus of Macomb and Hallie Steponaitis  of Woodstock both cleared 5-3.75 tying them overall for the win because total missed were the same. A jump off was done to break the tie which the Macomb freshman won giving her the championship.

It was all Olivia Marshall of Geneseo in the Shot Put. Five of her six attempts were over 42-feet including her final attempt of 44-11 which was the overall winning mark. Carmyn Huston of Monmouth-Roseville was the closest to Marshall with her 39-3 put on her final attempt to finish second overall.

It went down to her final attempt for Symone Holman of Joliet Catholic to jump 17-11.75 to win the Long Jump title. Jillian Schlittler of Tolono Unity held the lead most of the six rounds jumped 17-9 on her third attempt to help her finish second. Antonette Baker of Chicago Heights Marian jumped 37-6.50 on her final attempt to claim the win in the Triple Jump. Mackenna Witham of Triad had the lead from the first round when she jumped 36-11.75. Witham ended up finishing second overall.

Boys 2A Field Event Highlights

Drew Rogers of Paris has the edge in the High Jump as he cleared his first seven heights in his opening attempt to win the event with a 6-7.5 clearance. Matt Pluff of Freeburg also cleared 6-7 on his opening attempt, but three misses on five heights relegated him to second place. Noah Gilmore of Robinson had cleared 6-9.50 earlier in the season. Gilmore cleared 6-6.25 to finish third.

Caleb Smith of Salem proved he was the best in the Shot Put leading with his first round leading attempt of 57-6.50. He had five of the top six marks in this event with his best of 59-5.50 coming on his final attempt. Andrew Kinsman of Benton had a 55-11.75 best mark to finish second overall.

Andrew Nuyen of Rochelle and Braedon Shaner of Sycamore had 14-11 best clearances in the Pole Vault with Nuyen winning the title on fewer misses. Ryan Anderson of Marmion Academy and Cooper Schaad of Geneseo both cleared 14-5.5 tying for third.

Aiden Wyzard of Sycamore fouled on his first four attempts in the Long Jump. He took the lead in the fifth round with a 22-8 mark, then won the Long Jump title with a 23-2.50 final round attempt. Gavyn Cothern of Richland County jumped 22-2.50 to finish second. Ian Winkler of Richland County jumped 43-7.25 to win the Triple Jump. Tylan Landfair of Tinley Park jumped 43-1.25 finishing second.