Princeton senior Casey Etheridge has been among the state’s best this school year in the fall and the winter.

He was an all-state running back in football and finished as a state runner-up in wrestling.

Now, Etheridge looks to end his high school career among the best hurdlers in the state.

Etheridge qualified for the IHSA Class 2A state track and field meet in the 110-meter and 300-meter hurdles as well as on Princeton’s 4x400 relay.

The state meet is Thursday through Saturday at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. The Class 1A preliminaries are Thursday, the 2A prelims are Friday and the finals for all classes are Saturday.

“It is a blessing to be able to compete in another state meet,” Etheridge said. “It has been really cool to get a chance to succeed in three different sports and in the past two years, it has been fun to see the growth of my team and myself in track and field.”

Etheridge enters the state meet having run the eighth-best sectional time in the 300 hurdles at 39.76 seconds, a personal record, and the 22nd-fastest time in the 110 hurdles at 15.4 seconds.

Etheridge will run with Ayden Agushi, Tyler VandeVenter and Gavin Lanham in the 4x400 relay, which ran the 37th-best sectional time at 3:30.01.

“My goals are to qualify for the finals in my events and have a chance at placing among the best in the state,” Etheridge said. “Seeds don’t determine results. I look to take my time going into state and get another personal record.”

Etheridge said he thinks his state experience from last spring – when he finished 20th in the 300 hurdles – will be beneficial.

“Having my past experience last year at the state meet will be huge,” Etheridge said. “This year I know what to expect and how to handle the pressure.”

Also in 2A, La Salle-Peru will be represented by Aavery Hill in the discus and Luca Verucchi, Eli Hammers, Griffin Hammers and Wyatt Kilday in the 4x400, while Mendota’s Sebastian Carlos will run in the 400.

Hill won the discus at the Galesburg Sectional with a toss of 46.55 meters, which was the 19th-best sectional throw. His toss of 50.27 meters at the Plano Field of Dreams Meet in April was the 11th-best throw in 2A this season.

The Cavaliers’ 4x400 ran the 34th-best sectional time at 3:29.77.

Carlos’ 50.14 seconds at the Rochelle Sectional seeds him 10th going into state, while his school-record time of 49.51 at the Three Rivers Conference Meet ranks seventh in 2A this season.

“The goal is definitely to get on the podium, hopefully first. That’s everyone’s goal, for sure,” Carlos said. “I do think I can make something happen. I’m definitely going to practice a lot and stay healthy.”

In 1A, Putnam County senior Alex Rodriguez returns to state after medaling in the discus (seventh) and shot put (ninth) last spring.

“The goal is to make the finals in both shot put and discus and place higher than last year,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez had the eighth-best sectional throw in the discus (47.68) and the ninth-best in the shot put (15.59). His season bests are 49.87 in the discus and 15.92 in the shot put.

“Focusing on my technical cues and just staying relaxed [will be key to success at state],” Rodriguez said.

Also competing are St. Bede’s James Arkins in the pole vault, Bureau Valley’s Andrew Roth in the 110 hurdles, 300 hurdles and 4x100 relay with Keenyn Richter, Tucker Shane and Morgan Mahnesmith, Shane, Mahnesmith, Richter and Kyle Velazquez in the 4x200 and Alex Gallardo, Kayne Richter, Adrian Gallardo and Maddoz Moore in the 4x800, Fieldcrest’s Micheal Beckett in the triple jump and Braydin Eplin in the discus, Henry-Midland’s Brecken Pyles in the high jump and long jump and the Amboy co-op’s Ian Hassler in the discus and shot put and Damian Bender in the 300 hurdles and long jump.

Beckett placed ninth at state in the triple jump last year. He enters state with the eighth-best sectional jump at 13.22. His season best is 13.48.

Both Amboy entrants should be in the mix for medals.

Hassler had the 11th-best sectional throw in the discus at 47.44 and has a season best of 48.93. Bender enters with the eighth-best sectional time in the 300 hurdles at 40.92, with a season best of 40.53, and had the 14th-best sectional long jump at 6.62.