Morrison senior Brady Anderson admitted he was a bit “rusty” on Wednesday.

He still performed like one of the best sprinters in Class 1A.

Anderson said he was sick all last week after wrapping up a first-place finish in the 200-meter dash at the 1A Erie Sectional on Wednesday. His season-best 200 time of 21.14 is the fourth-best clocking in the state this season in any class, according to Athletic.net results.

He won the 100, 200, and joined relay wins in the 4x100 and 4x200 at the sectional. Anderson is undefeated this season in the 100, 200 and 400 ahead of next week’s state meet May 27 to 30 at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

“Just survive and advance to next week,” he said. “I’ve been training since December. I’ve been looking forward to one meet, one meet only. Saturday, the finals. I’m ready.”

Anderson and the defending state champion Mustangs took third at the sectional with 72 points, behind Lena-Winslow (92) and Riverdale (91).

Erie-Prophetstown (66.5) was fifth and Bureau Valley (38.5) was eighth, followed by Amboy (34), Fulton (30), West Carroll (24), Newman (20.5) and Milledgeville (20).

Levi Milder was right behind Anderson as he took third in the 100, second in the 200 and ran on both state-qualifying relays. Josh McDearmon and Koltin Swaim joined the relay wins.

Anderson, a University of Northern Iowa recruit, said it’s been great having a teammate like Milder to help push one another over the years.

“No off days,” he said. “It’s constant competition every day.

“When you have a teammate like that, it helps push you through the hard days like that, it’s awesome.”

Milder said it means a lot to get back to state, and he doesn’t take it for granted.

“I know a lot of guys come up short of all their dreams and all their goals,” he said. “I know I still have this one last chance to go out there and possibly break the 200 record. And then definitely go out there and try to break our own 4x2 record. And maybe set the 4x1 [record].

“It’s definitely a blessing to be able to come back [to state], and my season’s been pretty healthy.”

He said it’s been like a “brotherhood” with Anderson over the years as a one-two punch. Milder will continue his track career at Indian Hills College.

“I can’t improve if I’m just racing myself all the time, you’ve got to have that competition,” he said. “Whether it’s your own teammate or you go out there and race a couple guys that are just as fast as you.

“It’s helped me improve as a person and just caused me to work harder.”

McDearmon also won the 110 hurdles and took third in the 300 hurdles, qualifying in both.

Erie-Prophetstown’s Braeden Punke won the 800, and Lane Decker won the 300 hurdles. Braeden Punke, Gus Schultz, Justin Wainscott and Nathan Punke qualified in the 4x800. Carson Eyrich and Nathan Punke went one-two in the pole vault.

“We’ve been pole vaulting for two or three years together,” Nathan Punke said. “Just constant competition, making each other better. It’s just really fun to compete with him.”

Having a younger brother on the team has also been fun.

“He’s a little faster than me, which is kind of not very fun,” he said. “He works really hard and is just a constant motivator.”

Other area state qualifiers include Newman’s all-junior 4x100 of Rylan Alvarado, Matthew Blackert, Parker Strommen and Ayden Gutierrez after taking fourth. They also qualified in the 4x200. Alvarado was one of five long jump state qualifiers after taking fourth.

Amboy freshman Ian Hasler qualified in the shot put after taking third and won the discus. Damian Bender was runner-up in the 300 hurdles and qualified in the long jump after taking third.

Fulton’s Wyatt Connor, CJ Struckman, Mason Bray and Brody Glazier took second in the 4x100 to qualify. They also qualified in the 4x200.

Milledgeville’s Carsten Wade, Draven Zier, Zy Haverland and Parker Krogman qualified in the 4x100. Konner Johnson joined Wade, Haverland and Zier to qualify in the 4x200.

BV’s Andrew Roth qualified in two individual events, taking third in the 110 hurdles and fourth in the 300 hurdles. He also joined Keenyn Richter, Tucker Shane and Morgan Mahnesmith to qualify in the 4x100. Shane, Mahnesmith, Kyle Velazquez and Richter qualified in the 4x200. Alex Gallardo, Kayne Richter, Adrian Gallardo and Maddox Moore qualified in the 4x800.

West Carroll’s Collin Handel took third in the 400 meters and qualified for state. Handel, Jack McIntyre, Lucas Tautz and Jacoby Cropper took second in the 4x400 to qualify.

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EP's Lane Decker won the 300m hurdles Wednesday on his home track in Erie during the IHSA sectional meet. Damian Bender of Amboy took 2nd, Josh McDearmon of Morrison 3rd and Andrew Roth of Bureau Valley 4th, all 4 athletes will advance to the state meet next Thursday (Jessie Otten - Shaw Local News Network)