Whitaker Breaks Meet Record in Pole Vault; Denning Doubles to Wins in Girls 800/1600

By Michael Newman for DyeStat

Meet Results | Meet Videos

Bloomington, Ill – National Champion Isaiah Whitaker was inside the Shirk Center at 12:30 p.m. more than four hours before he was sent to compete in Friday’s Class 1A Pole Vault at the Illinois Top Times State Championships. He was there to drop off his poles. He was also there to get a feel for what would happen when he stepped onto the runway. 

Whitaker waited close to two hours before he entered the competition after the rest of the field had exhausted their attempts. Whitaker in a span of 15 minutes, he first won the title for the second time clearing 15-5.50. He then broke his own Class 1A record in this meet clearing 16-8.75. He then set out to break his friend’s Zach Bradford’s meet record.

Whitaker cleared 17-6.50 on his first attempt to claim the meet record. It is the second time this indoor season he has moved past a significant mark set by Bradford twice the first the all-time indoor Illinois best of 18-1 he set at the beginning of the month.

“I’ve talked a little trash to him (Bradford) about breaking his records. He was appreciate and happy for me,” Whitaker said. “That was one of my goals today. I just stayed calm trying not to put any more pressure on me.”

His three attempts at 18-2.75 showed that he is getting closer to clearing that height. He has tried attempts nine times after Windy City and Nationals. We will have to see what he does outdoors with his sights set on the IHSA State Championships at the end of May and then at Nike Outdoor Nationals.

Denning’s Distance Double

Aubrey Denning of Effingham St. Anthony was back to defend her title in the 800 meters and this year running in the 1,600 instead of the 400 where she finished eighth in last year’s meet.

The defense of her 800 meters title for Denning seemed effortless as soon as the gun fired for the second section of the event. She had the lead from the start and never relinquished. Denning passed 400 meters in 66.7 seconds.

Lily Woolery of Shelbyville, who had earlier run in the 4x800 Meter Relay, was the closest runner to Denning was a second behind with a gap on the field. Denning ended up running 2:17.24 for the win with Woolery at 2:18.45 finishing second and Madeline Fox of Marshall running 2:21.35 to place third.

The St. Anthony sophomore had 45 minutes to rest before her second race in the 1,600 started. Denning played her race cautious letting Molly Farrell of Marshall do the pacing honors for the first six laps of the race before Denning took charge. She pulled away a 70 second final 400 to run 5:09.39 to claim her second win of the meet. Farrell ran 5:12.32 to place second with Emily Downing of Cambridge running 5:16.08 to finish third just ahead of Annabelle LaFary of Delavan (5:16.72).

“I felt confidence in the 1,600. There are times when I don’t have that ease in the race, but I felt that today,” Denning said after her second win. “I kept telling myself I could do it.”

Distance Highlights

Molly Farrell has run well inside of the Shirk Center winning the Class 1A title in the 3200 Meter Run as a freshman in 2023.

Farrell and Kate Foltz of Tuscola ran away from the pack early in the 3,200 meters. The moves happened with four laps to go in the race when Farrell opened a two second lead. It increased to four seconds with three laps remaining, and seven seconds entering the final two laps. Farrell went on to run a seasonal best of 10:53.55 to win the state title. Foltz finished in 11:04.46 to place second with Abigail Baumann of Rockford Lutheran finishing third (11:09.74).

Chaz Oberkfell of Gillespie and Elijah Teefey of Pleasant Plains raced two weeks before this meet at Illinois College. The two were separated by two tenths of a second at the end with Gillespie claiming the win. Oberkfell knowing that history opened a three second lead with 300 meters left in the race. Teefey never gave up running a 31 second final lap but ran out of real estate. Oberkfell ran 9:27.67 to edge Teefey (9:27.74) by seven hundredths of a second.

It figured down to a two-team race in the Girls 4x800 relay between Pleasant Plains and Shelbyville. It played out that way.in this meet. The Shelbyville quartet of Lily Woolery, Ava Corley, Tessa Bowers, and Aly Douglass ran 9:41,52 to claim the win with Pleasant Plains a close second timed at 9:44.34. Stark County ran 10:00.09 to finish third.

Rockford Christian Coach Randy Moore told his normal anchor Andrew Kurien that he would run in the second position on their quartet. The strategy paid off for the Royal Lions. Joel White kept his team close to the front when he handed off to Kurien who broke the race open giving his team close to a 10-second lead. Julian Honeyville and Evan White carried the team’s weight in the second half of the relay times with a season’s best of 8:13.09 to claim the win.

Winnebago (8:22.54), Pleasant Plains (8:25.02), and Northridge Prep (8:26,95) to finish in the next three places.

Nicholas Martino of Winnebago was entered in the 800 and later in the 1,600 and was looking for the double win in this meet. Corie Green of Delavan had other plans. The two runners led the pack in 59 seconds with Green a second back. The sophomore made his move passing Martino just before the bell. Green closed in 28.7 to run a personal best of 1:57.93 for the win with Martino at 1:59.23 to finish second.

The 1,600 was less about running a fast time than running for the championship. Martino took the lead just before 600 meters and never looked back. A 62 second final lap gave him the win (4:23.29) with Kurien (4:28.58) and Oberkfell (4:29.57) finishing second and third.

Sprints / Hurdles Highlights

Brian E. Smith II of North Shore Country Day was coming off a sub 50 second time last week at the adidas meet in Virginia. He was hoping for another sub 50. Instead, he settled for a Class 1A meet record. Smith II had the lead at the cut in at 250 meters. He went on to set a new 1A record of 50.11 to claim the win ahead of Ryan Schmidgall of Delavan (50.60).

Tuscola athletes swept both hurdles races in this Class 1A meet. It was not a surprise that Lia Patterson would win the girls race. She had the advantage after the second hurdle in this five hurdle. She had the fastest prelim time (9.13) and improved on that running 9.11 to win the state title ahead of Lily Bosnich of Peru St. Bede (9.30) and Emma Crawford of North Mac (9.35).

Carter Simpson followed Patterson with an impressive Boys race. The senior was timed in 8.47 to claim the win with Mason Vaughan of Paxton-Buckley-Loda (8.57) and TJ. Larson of Bloomington Central Catholic (8.60).

Saylor Barry of Mendon Unity had run outdoor track her first two years in high school. She was successful last year all-state in the 100 and the 200 as well as state champion in the long jump. The Illinois Top Times Championships were her second career indoor high school meet. She had a good meet.

Barry hopped back and forth early between the Long Jump and the 60 Meter Dash. She ran the fastest time in the 60 Meter Dash prelims in 7.72. Barry took the lead in the Long Jump with an 18-3.25 mark. She nailed down the win in the event on her final jump jumping 18-10.50, a new Class 1A meet record. Barry hurried over to run in the 60 finals. She came from behind to run 7.74 to win the title by .01 seconds ahead of Emma Randecker of West Carroll (7.75).

Randecker came back later in the meet to run 25.21 to win the 200 meters. Barry finished fifth in the 200.

It was a two-runner race in the girls 400. Daniella Bumber of Henry Senachwine ran 57.36 to hold off Lily Gilbertson of Father McGivney (57.55). Randecker ran 59.11 to place third.

El Paso-Gridley from a 26.03 anchor from Audrey Phillips won the 4x200 relay (1:48.97) finishing ahead of Monmouth United (1:50.41). Maroa-Forsyth (1:50.82) and Newton (1:50.83) placed third and fourth.

Pleasant Plains came away with the win in the 4x400 relay (4:08.17) with Monmouth United running 4:10.27 to place second.

Morrison made fans take notice last outdoor season winning three state relay titles. They showed their sprint strength once again in this meet. Brady Anderson ran 6.98 in the prelims of the boys 60 dash with the top time heading to the finals. Anderson again responded in the finals running 6.91 for the win with Zane Hoffman of Ridgeview (6,99) and Sam Keller of Bloomington Central Catholic (7.00) finishing second and third.

Morrison was competitive in the relays again in this meet. They dominated the final section of the 4x200 relay. Anderson led off with a 22.55 lead off taking his team to a win (1:31.52) ahead of Maroa-Forsyth (1:34.40) and Auburn (1:34.56). Morrison was also impressive in the 4x400 relay running 3:30.67 to win the first section of the event anchored by a 49.79 split from Zach Milder. It was close in the second section as Auburn ran 3:30.13 to win the overall event with Ridgeview second (3:30.39) followed by Morrison.

Connell Doolin of Maroa-Forsyth ran a personal best of 22.60 to win the 200 Meter Dash just ahead of Carter Stroot of Abingdon-Avon (22.69) and Kamden Flenner of Tuscola (22.88). 

Field Events Highlights 

We have already talked about the meet record set by Whitaker and the Class 1A record. There was plenty that happened in the five field events that took place on Friday evening.

Before Whitaker took center stage, it was Alexis Punsalan of Somonauk that had the attention. Punsalan took the girls win clearing 11-8.50. She had the bar raised to 11-10 where she cleared that height on her final attempt. Karasyn Martin of Newton cleared 11-2.50 to place second.

The fifth round of the boys long jump determined the winner of the event. Daylen Blaser of Mercer County jumped 21-9 in that round but could not get by Amir Byrd of Bloomington Central Catholic who had the lead at 21-9.50. Robert Boyd-Meents of Paxton-Buckley-Loda jumped 21-10 to take the lead and the eventual win.

Zion Young of Maroa-Forsyth had a personal best of 40-10.50 in the fourth round to capture the win in the girls shot put.

Aubrey Phillips of El Paso-Gridley had a best of 40-5 to place second ahead of Emma Whightsil of Warrensburg-Lathan (39-11.25).

Defending meet and state champion Graham Meister of Dwight used the slide technique in his freshman season. He is slowly adapting to the spin technique that will have him ready to go in May. Meister had the lead from the start and improved on his final attempts with 57-1.50 to defend his meet title. His closest competition was Josh Coulby of Maryville Christian who achieved a personal best of 53-10.50 to finish second.

Shelbyville’s Will Nohren and Karson Bruns along with Ben Roedl of Altamont all cleared 6-6 in the high jump. Nohren won the state title on fewer misses. Carly Ulrich of Lowpoint-Washburn cleared a personal best of 5-5 to win the girls high jump.

Isaac Rennecker of Petersburg PORTA jumped 43-11.25 in the boys triple jump on the opening round that held on for him to win the title. Ben Roedel jumped 43-10.75 missing the event win by a half inch. Tori Brown of Illini Bluffs jumped 37-11.25 to win the girls triple jump. Ulrich jumped 35-10 to finish second.