Local teams boast IESA track champions

The Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) over the past two weekends held its 2025 State Meets at the EastSide Centre in East Peoria, with qualifiers competing across 16 different classes. Five different Times-area competitors/relay teams brought home IESA championships, representing Shepherd, Serena, Fieldcrest, Somonauk and Dwight.

Here are top-12 finishers from across The Times coverage area, led by the five IESA champions.

Shepherd – Makenna Moore won the IESA championship in the girls 7-4A pole vault, jumping 2.85 meters, a new record for class 7-4A; Jonathan Pitts (fourth, 5.32 in the boys 7-4A long jump; 12th, 25.37 in the boys 7-4A 200).

Serena – Serena’s Connor Hollenback won the boys 8-2A long jump competition by a wide margin with his jump of 6.09 meters. Hollenback also added a fourth-place finish with a 24.46 in the 8-2A 200; the boys 4x200 relay team of Riley Schuman, Hollenback, Clayton Gregory and Louie Biagioni (5th, 1:42.20).

Fieldcrest – Fieldcrest’s Ivory Bryant was crowned IESA champion in the girls 8-2A 100-meter hurdles with a run of 16.66 seconds. She added a 12th-place finish in the 8-2A high jump (1.46); Grant Hakes (12th, 38.83 in the boys 8-2A discus); Hadleih Mitchey (7th, 2:28.16 in the girls 8-2A 800; 3rd, 5:35.16 in the girls 8-2A 1,600); Clare Forrest (9th, 4.73 in the 8-2A long jump); the girls 8-2A 4x100 relay team of Bryant, Forrest, Lena Greskoviak and Trynity Mason (6th, 54.40).

Somonauk – The Somonauk girls 4x100 relay team consisting of Mia Bennett, Kelsey Harper, Alexa Larson and Ella Roberts brought home the IESA championship in the 8-2A class, running a 52.37; Roberts (4th, 4.92 in the girls 8-2A long jump; 2nd, 13.53 in the 8-2A 100; 2nd, 29,96 in the 8-2A 200) continued her great day in East Peoria with three top-five individual event medals; Brielle Deacon (11th, 5:50.20 in the girls 9-2A 1,600); Maggie Hamer (12th, 5:56.98 in the girls 8-2A 1,600)

Dwight – Emma Eggenberger scored an IESA championship for Dwight, winning the girls 8-2A discus with a throw of 31.56. She added a third-place throw in the 8-2A shot put (9.61 meters).; Chloe Leithliter (7th, 14.03 in the 8-2A 100; 8th, 28.03 in the girls 8-2A 200); the 4x200 relay team of June Woods, Leithliter, Lila Tjelle and Claire Tjelle (12th, 1:58.07).

Seneca – Cooper Jones (11th, 5:10.88 in the boys 8-2A 1,600); Dallen Myers (4th, 2.92 in the boys 7-2A pole vault); Bailey Schaefer (5th, 1:04.59 in the girls 7-2A 400); the girls 4x400 relay team of Jadyn Ogden, Schaefer, Sara Bruno and Eleanor Stein (8th, 4:36.60); Emilia Holman (12th, 7.67 in the girls 7-2A shot put; 8th, 20.61 in the 7-2A discus); Danielle Kinser (9th, 1.38 in the girls 7-2A high jump).

Washington – Gavin Stokes (5th, 55.43 in the boys 8-2A 400); Eli Hammers (12th, 56.95 in the boys 8-2A 400); the relay team of Hammers, Kallen Fransen, Brady Blomquist and Stokes (8th, 1:42.96 in the boys 8-2A 4x200; 2nd, 3:49.59 in the boys 8-2A 4x400); Ethan Haradon (8th, 5.08 in the boys 7-2A long jump); Natalia Hein (5th, 17.49 in the girls 8-2A 100 hurdles); Ella Jane Burke (4th, 28.52 in the girls 8-2A discus); Natillie Wozniak (T-10th, 1.46 in the girls 8-2A high jump).

Milton Pope – Gavin Coleman (11th, 26.78 in the boys 7-1A 200); Brayden Runyan (12th, 5:15.79 in the boys 8-1A 1,600); Kayden Meents (4th, 3.16 in the boys 8-1A pole vault); the 4x400 boys relay team of Meents, Lincoln Hebel, Brody Maynard and Runyan (8th, 4:04.54); Cora Chapman (5th, 5:56.01 in the girls 8-1A 1,600; 5th, 2.46 in the girls 8-1A pole vault); the 4x200 girls relay of Ellie Maierhofer, Elizabeth Swartz, Madi Perino and Chapman (10th, 2:00.59); the 4x400 girls relay of Maierhofer, Swartz, Shianne Bensa and Chapman (9th, 4:36.09); Madi Perino (T-4th, 1.90 in the girls 7-1A pole vault).

Woodland – Mason Decker (5th, 2:11.09 in the boys 8-1A 800); Aiden Walls-Houston (7th, 1.62 in the boys 8-1A high jump).

Grand Ridge – Michael Polich (3rd, 11.79 in the boys 8-1A shot put; 7th, 35.59 in the boys 8-1A discus).

Ransom/St. Michael – Carly Taylor (2nd, 2.22 in the 7-1A pole vault).

Cornell – Ryleigh Eggenberger (4th, 1:06.47 in the girls 7-1A 400); Leah Smith (2nd, 9.08 in the girls 7-1A shot put; 4th, 24.12 in the girls 7-1A discus).

Waltham – Bentley DiLuciano (8th, 58.03 in the boys 8-1A 400); Bronko Withey (11th, 1.62 in the boys 8-1A high jump); Mazzy Withey (3rd, 8.90 in the girls 7-1A shot put).

Wallace – Harper Carlson (11th, 1:07.80 in the girls 7-1A 400); Emmi Moore (6th, 18.16 in the girls 7-1A 100 hurdles); Kennedy Kirkpatrick (5th, 1.39 in the girls 7-1A high jump); the girls 4x100 relay of Carlson, Kirkpatrick, Harmony Miller and Moore (7th, 57.43).

Flanagan – Eli Kapraun (5th, 24.73 in the boys 8-1A 200; 11th, 5.54 in the boys 8-1A long jump).

Lisbon – Harrison Mathre (10th, 58.37 in the boys 8-1A 400; 8th, 17.38 in the boys 8-1A 110 hurdles); Mitchell Hatteberg (11th, 4.69 in the boys 7-1A long jump); Mya Wesseh (3rd, 13.50 in the girls 7-1A 100; 2nd, 28.18 in the girls 7-1A 200); the 4x100 relay of Lyla Carlson, Allison Wallin, Sara Monsess and Wesseh (8th, 57.72 in 7-1A).

Earlville – Daniel Hoffmann (5th, 12.22 in the boys 8-1A 100; 4th, 24.69 in the 8-1A 200; 2nd, 5.94 in the boys 8-1A long jump); the boys 4x200 relay of Trey Klepacki, Brayden Leppert, Darik Farley and Hoffmann (12th, 1:48.33 in 8-1A).