Cranford Electrifies Shirk Center, Ties 60 Dash Meet Record; Schardan Untouchable in Three Wins; Goranson Wins Girls 800/1600 Double; Carter Repeats as Girls 3,200 Champion

By Michael Newman of DyeStat

Kevin Dorsey PHOTOS

Bloomington, Ill – It was a blink or an eye from the start to the finish of the Boys finals of the 60 Meter Dash. Jaiduan Cranford of Metamora was injured in his sophomore year in 2024 and did not compete in this meet. Cranford had a season’s best of 6.89 heading into Illinois Top Times. All eyes in the prelims were on Illinois list leader Luke Leverett of Providence Catholic who had run 6.84 at the ICOPS Championships at the beginning of the month.

The focus changed on Cranford after the prelims where he ran a personal best of 6.85 to lead all qualifiers. Leverett was next at 6,90. Cranford exploded out of the blocks in the finals immediately grabbing the lead. His winning time of 6.73 tied the meet record set by Marcellus Moore in 2019. His time did set a new meet record in Class 2A.

Results | Meet Video

“With all the training that have been going through this season, I thought I had this time in me, Cranford stated after the race. “I got nicely and saw him (Leverett) in my vision. It is a surprise in a way I got that time.”

Leverett ran 6.85 to finish second ahead of Tyjaire Kellum from Murphysboro (6.96) and Tristan Meszaros of Plano (6.97). Cranford did race in the 200 Meter Dash but pulled up 100-meters into the race. He was able to finish the race as he limped across the line.

Cranford’s performance was just the tip of the iceberg on the amazing things that happened in the second day of the competition. Meet management confirmed that this was the largest crowd in the meet’s history to attend the Illinois Top Times State Championships in this venue. 

Schardan steps into the spotlight in the Class 2A Sprints

The chapter of this meet was written well before Sophia Schardan of Troy Triad had stepped to the track. “Yes, I envisioned the race the night before,” Schardan said at the conclusion of her meet. “I always think positive when I get into my blocks knowing that I am going to win.”

That was the name of the game for this junior winning two individual sprints and helping Triad to the win in the 4x200 Meter Relay. She has improved her times in most of every meet this month entering this meet with a 7.64 time.

Symone Holman of Joliet Catholic set the tone in the 60 Meter Dash preliminaries winning her heat with a 7.71 time. Schardan followed in the following heat running the top time of 7.61 leading all qualifiers in the finals. She had the lead 20 meters in the finals. She pulled away to run another personal best of 7.54 for the state title. Holman ran 7.62 to finish second while Rege Cooper-Smith of North Chicago ran a personal best of 7.74 to place third.

Schardan gave her team the advantage in the 4x200 having a split of 25.12. Izzy Stein, Mikayla Niehaus, and Addie Field held that lead as they won in 1:45.31 holding off Normal University (1:45.38) and Marian Catholic (1:45.42).

Another PR after the 200? Her answer: “Of course.” Schardan came off the final curve with the lead as she won her second race of the day (24.88) ahead of Madalyn Marx of Mahomet- Seymour (25.50) and Holman (25.73).

“I needed to get off to a good start to make up that stagger. When I came around the corner, I knew I had it,” she said. “I know if I have the lead off the curve, I have a strong finish. I don’t think of bad races. I don’t manifest them to happen.”

Goranson gets a double win in her first Illinois Top Times races

You could see the atmosphere of a championship race was not going to phase Klarke Goranson of Marengo as she stepped to the starting line for the 800 Meter Run. She would be the favorite also in the 1600 Meter Run where she had a seed time of 4:50. The key over the next hour is how she would be able to manage this double. It was the first time in her High School career that she would try it.

The freshman had the lead by two seconds with one lap to go in 1:40.89. Cecillia Hilby of Aurora Central Catholic was two seconds back. Goranson’s finishing speed took over closing with a 32.5 final lap winning her state title with a personal best of 2:13.59 Hilby ran an indoor best of 2:18.03 to finish second. Kelly O’Connor of Herscher ran 2:21.27 to finish third. Goranson took 45 minutes to recover before returning to the track to run the 1600 Meter Run. She had the lead before the end of the first lap and had a two second lead passing 800 meters in 2:28. She could not drop Brooke Zeibert of Rochester and Sydney Gertsen of Montini Catholic who remained two seconds behind entering the final two laps. Goranson’s lead grew as she ran 5:04.57 and her second win of the meet. Zeibert ran 5:05.59 to place second followed by Gertsen (5:09.94), and Zoe Carter (5:09.68) all under 5:10.

Distance Highlights

The best race in the boys distance events occurred in the 1,600 meters. Gabriel McLain of Benton held the lead for most of the race as he passed 800=meters in 2:07.2 with Christian Harris of Morton right on his shoulder. The two runners were even entering the final 50 meters when Harris swung to the outsider to take the lead and the eventual win. Harris ran a personal best of 4:15.70 with McLain at 4:16.10 to place second. Jack Swiatek of Aurora Central Catholic led the pack running 4:24.23 to place third. Harris and McLain ran the final two laps at 63 seconds.

Zoe Carter of Normal University had been in this position in this meet last year fighting off a pack to pull away for the win. That is how she won the meet title last year. Four runners pulled away from the rest of the field in the early stages of the 3200 on Saturday morning. Carter, Izzy Bing of Carmel Catholic, Sydney Gertsen of Montini, and Emily Decker of Tolono Unity switched off positions in this race as Bing took the lead early and then took over as the group passed through the first mile in 5:23. With five laps remaining, Gertsen took over the lead but could not shake the other three runners. Gertsen and Carter traded off the lead on the final three laps. Carter took off as the bell sounded with Bing moving past the tiring Montini junior with her sights on Carter. The U-High senior got to the finish line before Bing could. Carter took the win by nearly half a second timed in 10:47.56 with Bing closing in at 10:47.99. Gertsen achieved a personal best in 10:51.35. Decker also ran a personal best of 10:57.37 in placing fourth.

Simon Lane of Chicago University had been thinking of this race for the past year. He placed 13 out of 15 runners in 2024 as he described it Saturday as a horrible race. The race ended with five runners within six seconds of each other with Lane trying to find ways to get to the finish line in first. Lane led the pack through a swift 4:41 first 1600 with Raphael and Gabriel Greer of Marion, Liam Bettis of Taylorville, and Quaid Berger of Richland County. Lane and Raphael Greer with three laps left took command of the race as the leading the race had zapped Lane’s strength as he dropped immediately to third but no further. Lane switched gears with 220 meters to go retaking the lead which he kept to the finish. The U-High senior surged to a 30 second final lap to take the win timed at 9:20.46. Raphael Greer finished second (9:22.06) just missing his personal best. Berger, just a freshman, improved his personal best by eight seconds running 9:23.38 to finish third. Gabriel Greer dropped his personal best to 9:24.89 to place fourth. Bettis ran a great race timed at 9:26.91 to place fifth.

There were surprised galore in both 4x800 Meter Relay races. Tolono Unity was seeded in the middle of the field heading into this race. The Rockets who are strong in tradition in the distance stepped up big time to win the meet title in this race. A strong anchor leg from Camryn Reedy solidified their win as the Rockets were timed in 9:43.38 for a seasonal best and the win. Rockford Boylan made a charge from their anchor Reese Kohnle who closed the gap to run 9:46.49 to finish second. Sacred Heart Griffin (9:49.38) and Rochester (9:50.38) finished third and fourth.

Mahomet-Seymour made the Boys race their own opening a six second lead halfway through the race. The Bulldogs held on to run 8:07.28 to claim the win ahead of Morton (8:10.96). Sycamore (8:11.25) and Aurora Central Catholic (8:11.91) was a close third and fourth.

It was an emotional race for Freeburg’s Zach Duffie in the second section of the 800 Meter Run. Duffie lost his father during the cross-country season and has found an inner strength to find more power in his racing. Duffie had the lead throughout as he raised his hand to the air in tribute winning the championship in 1:59.15 ahead of Arlin Orr of Urbana (1:59.70) and Drew Twyman of Troy Triad (2:00.34).

Sprint / Hurdles Highlights

The efforts from Sophia Schardan and Jaiduan Cranford took the spotlight in these disciplines. There is plenty more to look at in Class 2A.

Jamison Love of Mascoutah loves the outdoor hurdles and uses the indoor season to tone up technique before the spring campaign. Love was the favorite in the finals after running a preliminary time of 9.11. She duplicated that time in the finals taking the lead at the third hurdle cruising to the win. Hannah Safranek of Normal University (9.26) and AnnMarie Trentman of Freeburg (9.27) finished second and third.

Arion Hill of Centralia is one of the top hurdlers in the state regardless of classification. His mishap in the prelims last May at the IHSA State Meet has made his desire for a state title more resolute. Hill would be challenged by Lincoln’s Parker Campbell who ran 8.18 to lead all qualifiers into the finals. It was a memorable race in the finals as Hill and Campbell were even over the first three hurdles. Hill gained a slight advantage over the final two hurdles to take the win (7.99) just ahead of Campbell (8.09). Amauree Williams of Southland College Prep ran 8.34 to place third.

Madalyn Marx of Mahomet-Seymour has been one of the elite runners in the 400 across all three classifications in Illinois. Marx proved her strength in the 400. Four runners were under 60 seconds led by the defending state champion Marx. Her time of 57.64 won by two seconds ahead of Nyameye Maison of Morton (59.40), Teleyah Covington of Thornridge (59.44), and Antonette Bartletti of Sacred Heart-Griffin (59.44).

Dylan Hodges of Sycamore had the lead after the 250-meter cut in the Boys 400 Meter Dash. Hodges pulled away to run 50.72 for the win. Sebastian Carlos of Mendota (51.02) and Jaylan Pennington of Cahokia (51.08).

Noah Feldt is one of the reasons why Mascoutah have such strong relays. Feldt showed off his individual talents in winning the 200. His time of 22.22 held on ahead of Cole Rinkenberger of Morton (22.32) and Luke Leverett (22.42). Earlier in the meet. Feldt ran a 22.33 split on his anchor leg to lead the win in the 4x200 Meter Relay (1:31.80) to win ahead of Morton (1:33.56) and Tolono Unity (1:33.69).

An anchor split of Grace Herchenroder of 60.19 gave Galesburg the win in the Girls 4x400 Meter Relay (4:05.30) holding off Sacred Heart-Griffin (4:06.99). Normal University at 4:10.49 to finish third ahead of Mt. Zion (4:10.99). Southland College Prep pulled away to run 3:30.65 to win the Boys 4x400 Meter Relay. Three teams after Southland were in the 3:32’s with Cahokia (3:32.19) finishing ahead of Sycamore (3:32.52) and Richmond-Burton (3:32.90).

Field Event Highlights

Gavyn Cothern of Richland County came close to a multipole wins in two field events. Cothern won the Boys High Jump winning on his final attempt clearing 6-7. He had the bar raised to 6-8 where he cleared that on his first attempt. Cothern was moving back and forth between that event and the Long Jump. Cothern had the lead after the fourth of six rounds of the Long Jump. Kamar Sanders of Bartonville Limestone stepped up in the fifth round popping a 22-8.50 jump to give him the lead and the win. Sanders did not have his best day fouling four of his six attempts. He did hit the one that counted. Cothern finished second ahead of Marlin Jeffries Jr. of North Chicago (22-2.50).

The big performance came in the Girls Long Jump where Symone Holman had a memorable. day. The event win came down to the final round of attempts. Autumn Price of Marian Catholic had the lead at 18-3.25) but could not improve in the final round. Natasha Bianchi of Genoa-Kingston had a big jump on her final attempt jumping 18-3,75 to take the lead. Holman had an 18-2.50 jump in the third round and the rest in the 17-foot range. On the final jump of the competition, Holman hit a majestic 19-6.25 jump to claim the state championship.

Amaryllis Miles of Murphysboro cleared a personal best of 5-5.25 on her second attempt to win the High Jump. Aubrey Holthaus of Macomb and Shameria Joshua-Ayers of Murphysboro cleared second and third both clearing 5-3.

Shamond McLain of East St. Louis showed consistency in the Boys Triple Jump. McLain jumped past 44-9 on five of his six jumps with his best at 45-7.25 on his final attempt to win the event. Jamarion Bardwell of Sacred Heart-Griffin jumped 45-5.25 in the fourth round to place second. Treylin Couch of Charleston (44-9.5) and Victreze Thomas of Cahokia (44-9) finished third and fourth. Mary Elliott of Robinson jumped 37-2.25 to win the Girls Triple Jump finishing ahead of Taya Rice of Agricultural Science (37-0.25) and Alaiyah Penn of Carbondale (36-10.75).

Mt. Zion swept the top two places in the Girls Pole Vault. Brooklyn Kondritz of Mt. Zion cleared 11-9.75 on her final attempt to win the Class 2A state title. Teammate Alexa Weter was one of three other athletes that cleared 11-3.75 to finish second. Grace Pauli of Bartonville Limestone, Molly Russelburg of Aurora Central Catholic, and Sophia Burciaga of Reed-Custer all cleared that height and finished in that order.

Braedon Shaner of Sycamore should have not competed in this meet if he had listened to his doctors. It was his senior season, and he did not want to miss this opportunity and opportunities during the outdoor season. Shaner a month before the season began tore his UCL (Ulnar Collateral Ligament). Doctors told him he would miss eight months after surgery. Shaner instead to continue and defying fate. He later into the event at 13-11.25 and took seven attempts, his best clearance of 14-11 on his opening attempt. Ty Clark of Mahomet-Seymour also cleared the same height. Both missed all three attempts at 15-3. Shaner won the state title on fewer misses.

Andrew Kinsman of Benton had his way in the Boys Shot Put having the top six marks in the event with 59-3 in the fifth round his best. He won for the second year in a row by six feet ahead of Ryan McCombs of Jacksonville (53-3.50). Abi Moser of Clinton hit a 37-10.25 put on her final attempt to capture the win in the shot put. Isabella Thurston hit a 37-3.25 mark on her final attempt to finish second. Emma Skeate of Marion had a 37-0.25 best in placing third.