Boys track and field: Joliet West’s Billy Bailey takes 2nd in 400 at state; Minooka’s Undesser 2nd in pole vault

CHARLESTON – When track practice began in January, Billy Bailey Jr. wasn’t dreaming big.

“Coming into the season, the goal was just to make state,” the Joliet West senior said.

But then he ran a personal-best 6.97 seconds in the 60-meter dash indoors and started thinking big.

“I had goals to win everything,” he said.

That was setting the bar exceptionally high because Bailey had a demanding schedule, running the 100, 200 and 400.

“It’s really tough,” he said. “Every meet it’s wear and tear on my body, It’s repetitive, it’s a lot.”

But in his final high school meet Saturday at O’Brien Field, Bailey came away with three medals and just missed a state title in the Class 3A 400 meters.

Bailey finished second to Champaign Centennial senior Daniel Lacy, who won the sprint triple. Both had official times of 47.28 seconds, but Lacy prevailed by five-thousandths of a second: 47.274 to Bailey’s 47.279.

How do you come back after a near-miss like that?

“Just put it aside,” Bailey said. “It happened already, focus on what’s ahead.”

That was the 200, in which Bailey took fourth at 21.89. His day started with a fourth in the 100 at 10.94. Bailey is the first Tiger to win three medals in one state meet since Calvin Edwards in 2012.

Also finishing runner-up in Class 3A was Minooka pole vaulter Andrew Undesser, who cleared 15 feet, 3 inches.

Bailey’s junior teammate, Marcellus Mines, was third in a competitive Class 3A 1,600 at 4:12.47 after leading much of the race. Hinsdale Central’s Aden Bandukwala used a ferocious closing surge to win in 4:10.39, and Plainfield South junior Camyn Viger was runner-up in 4:11.75.

“First of all, I give all glory to God. He put me in the position I’m in,” Mines said. “I know these guys got kicks as you can see. Today they got me. That was my plan going in, just to take it out and see if they can take me down. ... Props to them because they’re fast, and they’re some good guys.

“It was a really fun race. Even though I’m competitive, I’m not even mad coming in third because it was a good race for everybody.”

Viger figured Mines would set the early pace. The race then shifted into high gear at the halfway point.

“Going into the third lap we had a pretty big surge,” Viger said. “That shocked me a little bit. Not that I wasn’t expecting it. But they just took off, and I’m like, ‘Oh, gotta go with them.’

“Then last lap, it was all guts from there. I was hurting. ... It just seems surreal right now. It’s gonna set in later.”

Viger also anchored Plainfield South to third place in the Class 3A 3,200 relay. He teamed with Ethan Reynoso, Gavin Borger and Jack Wright to run 7:40.61.

Morris senior Noah Smith also had a memorable high school finale. He ran PRs in the Class 2A 300 hurdles twice, going 40.09 in Friday’s prelims. Then he cracked the 40-second barrier by running 39.37 to finish third in Saturday’s final.

“I am very happy,” Smith said. “I’ve been wanting to get in the 39s this whole season.”

He achieved another goal too.

“I [initially] wanted to be in the top five and then in the last few days I was like, ‘I want to get third,’” he said. “I kept telling myself that over and over again.”

Other notable finishes included Joliet Catholic long jumper Adrian Washington taking fifth in Class 2A at 22-1, Plainfield East shot putter Michael Jimmar getting sixth in 3A at 57-7 and Lincoln-Way East long jumper Dedrick Richardson Jr. taking sixth in 3A at 21-11.5.