Aiden Connors started the school year with one state championship and ended it with another

Connors was an All-Stater and helped Plainfield North win the Class 3A cross country title last November. On Saturday, the IU Indianapolis recruit ran a personal-best of 8 minutes, 55.93 seconds to win the Class 3A 3,200 meters at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Field.

“It means a lot,” Connors said. “All the work coming off cross, winning a state championship with my best friends. But I also wanted to do it for all my coaches that brought me here ... but more importantly, just my mom and dad for helping start this running.”

Connors won in what, to him, were less than ideal conditions: hot and breezy.

“I am not a fan of the heat,” he said. “I wish it was high 30s, low 40s.”

Connors also qualified for the 1,600 final — he was seventh in 4:13.73 — which took something out of his tank for the 3,200.

“Coming in after the (1,600) prelims, my legs were a little tired,” he said. “But I knew if I could just stick myself up front and then the kick finally came, it was my race. And with 800 to go, I realized it was mine.”

The result was clear a lot earlier for the area’s other champion: Dwight thrower Graham Meister.

The junior three-peated in the 1A shot put and broke the 29-year-old class record with a throw of 19.88 meters — more than two meters better than the runner-up. Meister also won his first 1A discus title at 51.10 meters.

“I had a good weekend,” Meister said. “... I always want more. I really wanted 20 (meters in the shot) today, but whatever happens, happens. I’ve got to trust in the process.”

With just one more high-school season left, he’s starting to think about the next chapter in his career.

“I want to go Big Ten, SEC, ACC-ish,” Meister said. “Big Power Four, that’s my goal.”

But he’s not going to rush into a decision.

“I’m just trying to live in the moment and enjoy what I have now.” Meister said. “I don’t want to zoom past high school because, like everyone says, it goes by fast. I remember my freshman year, standing up on that podium, feeling the feels I had and ... that’s why I love it here.”

So do Morris’ Swanson twins, who won four combined medals in 2A, highlighted by Cuyler’s 1,600 title in 4:16.56. He also was sixth in the 3,200 (9:15.35), while Everett was runner-up in the 3,200 with a PR of 9:06.68 and eighth in the 1,600 (4:20.78).

‘I was hoping to go out fast (in the 1,600) and just hold on to the leaders and kick when I could," Cuyler said. “I did get boxed in a little bit, but aside from that, no complaints about the pace at all.”

The result exceeded his hopes.

“I was not expecting a win,” Cuyler said. “But it all turned out in my favor. I’m so, so lucky for that.”

Everett had a similar reaction after the 800.

“It went better than I expected,” he said, “I wanted to just stay up there, see what I had left at the end. But I wasn’t expecting second.”

Morris finished seventh in 2A with 29 points as hurdler Colin Zierman was seventh in the 300s (39.30) and eighth in the 110s (15.42).

Like the Swansons, Wilmington sophomore Hunter Kaitschuck also was pleasantly surprised after taking second in the 1A 110 hurdles with a personal-best 14.58. He’s the Wildcats’ first state placer since 1997.

Kaitschuck said he had plateaued at around 15.3 seconds during the regular season.

“Then we hit sectionals and I got my 14.72,” he said. “(State) prelims wasn’t the time I wanted; I ran a 15 flat basically. Then here I got a big PR.”

The other local runner-up was Dwight’s Joe Faris, who ran a PR of 1:52.92 in the 1A 800. The Trojans missed the program’s first state trophy by one point, tying for fourth with 28.

The area was well-represented on the 3A podium in addition to Connors.

Taking thirds were Lemont’s Nathan Murray in the 400 (47.47) and Lincoln-Way East’s Tebit Owen in the triple jump (14.25 meters). Finishing fourth were Bolingbrook’s Edward Ankomah (400, PR of 48.11), Plainfield North’s Thomas Czerwinski (1,600, 4:12.50), Lemont’s Daniel Jaquez (high jump, 2.01 meters) and Lockport’s 4x400 relay (3:16.72).

Also winning individual medals were Lincoln-Way West’s Hunter Spee (800, sixth, PR of 1:54.28) and Anthony Lusciatti (300 hurdles, seventh, 38.41), Lincoln-Way East’s Nathan Botanga (high jump, fifth, 1.98), Joliet West’s Payton Hudson (800, eighth, 1:55.75) and Romeoville’s Shaun Alexander (triple jump, eighth, 13.93).

Other relay medalists were Lincoln-Way Central (sixth in the 4x800), Lincoln-Way West (sixth, 4x400) and Plainfield East (ninth in 4x200).