IESA Headlines

4 All-Time Records Set Saturday in Class AA State Track Meet

Four all-time records were set in the Class AA IESA State Track and Field Meet Saturday at the EastSide Centre.

Workhorse Julie James of El Paso-Gridley won her second individual event of the meet when she ran 2:16.60 to win the 8AA 800-meter run and better the all-time record in the event, which was 2:16.61 by Stephanie Brown of Downs Tri-Valley in 2005. James then anchored the school's winning 4 x 400-meter relay with a sizzling final 400 where she overcame two runners in the final 120 meters. El Paso-Gridley won the relay with a time of 4:13.22. James took first in the high jump and third in the 1600-meter run Friday.

Aaliyah Brown of Matteson Huth set the all-time record in the 100-meter dash when she took the 8AA title in a time of 12.36. The old all-time mark was 12.47 by Alana Wood of Normal Chiddix set in 1984. Brown also won the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.50.

Darius Thomas of Macomb became the all-time boys record holder in the 800-meter dash by defeating runner-up Grant Nykaza of Beecher in the 8AA race. His 800 record time was an amazing 2:00.70. Thomas finished second to Nykaza Friday in the 1600. The old all-time mark was 2:02.60 set by Lukas Verzbickas of New Lenox Liberty last year.

Rantoul Eater won the Class AA 4 x 100-meter relay in an all-time record of 45.71 The team of Jhapon Panuncio, Johnny Jones, Cord Church and Larry Crayton bettered the old mark of 45.72 posted by East St. Louis Lincoln in 2008.

Cahokia Wirth won the team title in 7AA girls with 52 points and 8AA girls with 45 points. In 7AA, Normal Kingsley was second at 45, East St. Louis Lincoln third at 29 and Algonquin Heineman fourth at 27. In 8AA, El Paso-Gridley was second with 42, Springfield Franklin third at 41 and Matteson Huth fourth at 31.

East St. Louis Younge won the 7AA boys team title for the first time in school history with 67.5 points. Cahokia Wirth was second at 30, Oak Park Julian was third at 27 and Frankfort Summit Hill fourth at 24.

East St. Louis Clark won the 8AA boys team title with 5l.5 points to nip runner-up East St. Louis Lincoln at 51. Third was Rantoul Eater at 22 and Clinton was fourth at 20.

Two 7AA boys records were set Saturday. Brock Snarski of Blue Mound Meridian won the 800 in 2:04.94. The old mark was 2:08.70 by Nathan Allyn of Decatur Stephen Decatur in 2008. The East St. Louis Younge 4 x 200 relay of Charles Curtis, Cameron Donaby, Dartimus People and Natereace Strong ran 1:36.61 to blast the old 7AA mark of 1:42.35 by Cahokia Wirth in 2008.

Nactereace Strong also won both the 100 and 200 Saturday. He took the 100 in a time of 11.31 and the 200 in 23.20.

In 7AA girls, Dee Byrd of Normal Kingsley won the 200 Saturday in as time of 25.90 after she set the all-time 400 record on Friday. Then she ran an anchor leg on the school's 4 x 400 relay team that ranks as on of the best-ever legs in IESA history. Taking the baton behind Cahokia Wirth, Byrd made up a 60-meter deficit and ran down the Wirth anchor at the finish line. Kingsley was timed in 4:15.89 and the winning Cahokia Wirth time was 4:15.78, a margin of nine hundredths of a second.