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Minooka finishes second at Class 3A State track meet

Indians edged out by two points by Neuqua Valley for title

By Jeff DeGraw

June 19, 2021- Charleston, IL -Minooka's Tyler Colwell competes in the Class 3A 200-Meter Dash during IHSA Boys State Track and Field Finals. [Photo: Douglas Cottle/PhotoNews] (Douglas Cottle)

CHARLESTON – Oh, so close!

In one of the most exciting team races in a long time, Minooka finished second in the IHSA Class 3A Boys Track and Field State Meet State on Saturday at Eastern Illinois University.

Going into the final event (4x400 relay) Minooka, Neuqua Valley and Normal West were tied for the lead with 33 points. Normal West did not have an entry in the relay, so the title was decided by only .52 seconds, as Neuqua Valley placed seventh (3:23.45) to give them 36 points. Minooka took ninth (3:23.97) to secure the state runner-up finish with 34 points.

“This is so awesome,” Minooka coach Nick Lundin said. “We lost today to the best team and it was fun. Anytime you can win a state trophy is pretty special. They are so hard to win. I would like to give special thanks to our athletic director Bob Tyrell, because he lets our coaches coach and he is so supportive of every program at Minooka.”

It was the best team finish for the boys’ track team in school history, as they placed third in Class A in 1977.

Individually, the Indians won the 4x100 relay, as Samuel Drey, Darren Anderson Tyler Colwell and Elijah Martin ran a 42.01.

“This is amazing to win a state title in the 4x100,” Martin said. “Everyone on our relay team did their job and we won. Wow.”

The 4x800 relay of Adam Shaw, Zach Balzer, Emerson Fayman and Vincent Van Eck placed second (7:49.43), and the 4x200 relay placed third with Drey, Colwell, Cael Hiser and Ian Loudermilk (1:28.92).

Minooka's Adam Shaw Competes At State Track Meet June 19, 2021 - Charleston, Illinois - Minooka's Adam Shaw runs a tight pack with St. Charles East's Matthew Connell, Lyons' Charlie Mclawhorn and York's Sam Ayers during the Class 3A 4x800-Meter Relay at the Illinois High School Association Track & Field State Finals on Friday. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks) (Clark Brooks)

Colwell also placed second in the 200 (21.97), which was redemption for a false start in the 100.

“I was angry when I went to the blocks for the 200,” Colwell said. “I knew team points were big with just one event left after the 200. I just got too anxious in the 100 and I anticipated the start, which I know you can’t do, but I will learn from that mistake.”

“Things happen and we are always a team,” Lundin said. “Tyler [Colwell] has been superman for us and his 200 was phenomenal. We are not a second-place team without Tyler.”

Lockport received a pair of second-place finishes from junior Gabe Czako in the 110 hurdles (14.10) and the 300 hurdles (38.42).

“I knew in both races I had to be aggressive from the start,” Czako said. “This feels really great and it was fun to run against the best in the state, and now I want to win next year.”

Jake Mackowiac from Lincoln-Way Central was second in the long jump (22-11) and just missed the title by a quarter of an inch.

Lockport's Gabe Czako Competes At State Track Meet June 19, 2021 - Charleston, Illinois - Lockport's Gabe Czako stretches out to cross the finish line while running in the Class 3A 110-Meter High Hurdles at the Illinois High School Association Track & Field State Finals on Saturday. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks) (Clark Brooks)

Plainfield South recorded two third-place finishes as Niko Schultz ran a 49.12 in the 400 and then teamed with Owen O’Shea, Jayce James and Gabe King in the 4x400 (3:22.58).

Plainfield North senior Ryan Maseman was third in the 800 (1:54.78) and Jaylan Given placed eighth in the 300 hurdles (40.55).

Marcellus Mines, the freshman from Joliet West, broke the school record in the 1,600 for the third week in a row, running a 4:16.92 and placing seventh.