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SIU and CCHS track finals Saluki and Terrier track make history, look to future

Sometimes you make history by winning, and sometimes you make it by effort. Saluki and Terrier tracksters both showed the latter by not even winning an event, yet their efforts may live on in history anyway.

SIU's ladies 4X100 meter team advanced to the nationals by finishing only sixth in the finals of the NCAA West Regionals last weekend. Martiez Pinnick of the Terriers finished sixth in the state finals of the high jump, and the Terriers' 4X200 meter relay team just made the award stand by finishing eighth at the Charleston 2A state boys meet.

The 4X100 Lady Salukis group of Genesis Ewell, Tyjuana Eason, Bri'Anna Branch and Tredaja Harris broke the SIU school record by blazing a 44.27-second time. They will run at the NCAA Nationals June 5 to 8 in Austin, Texas. Branch also qualified for the Nationals in the individual 200-meter race. She was sixth

overall, but her 22.74-second time was the first sub-23-second 200 meters ever run by a Lady Saluki.

CCHS' Pinnick only hopped 6-foot-5 in Charleston last weekend. However, earlier this spring, Martiez soared 6-foot-6 to break the Terriers' high jump record.

The Terriers' fine group of sprinters, Gabe Hilliard, Isaac Martin, Lamark Threadgill and Jakeba Burleigh moved into second in the Terriers' record book for the 4X200 meter relay. And next year, they may win their event in the 2A meet.

Only Burleigh will be missing in the relay group; he graduated. But look for incoming Terrier freshman Jahkear Geathers to perhaps make them even faster.

Geathers as an eighth-grader this season ran an incredible 10.9-second 100 meters and finished second in the mIddle school state meet at 11.1 seconds. That is faster than any mark a current Terrier has at that distance.

However, one of most incredible stories coming out of last weekend's track-fest was that involving freshman distance star Alex Partlow. Partlow was edged out of All-State honors by finishing 10th in the 3200-meter run. Yet his effort may put him into the Terrier history books anyway.

Partlow will, of course, probably break all the Terrier distance records in the next three years. He already has the second-fastest 3200-meter run time at 9:42.85 and 1600-meter time at 4:32.32.

Partlow only ran a 9:49.2 3200 meters at Charleston. But, on the third lap of an eight-lap race, for some reason, one of his shoes flew off his foot.

No, he did not stop to put it back on. Rather, he ran the rest of the race with only one shoe, yet still finished 10th! Now that is the epitome of effort.

Carbondale's Jakeba Burleigh takes the stick from Gabe Hillard in the Class 2A 1,600-meter relay at the IHSA boys state track preliminary events in Charleston Friday. John Starks photo
Carbondale's Isaac Martin runs the anchor leg in the Class 2A 1,600-meter relay at the IHSA boys state track preliminary events in Charleston Friday. John Starks photo
Carbondale's Alex Partlow battles with Leo's Dorian Woods for position at the start of the Class 2A 3,200-meter run at the IHSA boys state track finals in Charleston Saturday. John Starks photo
Carbondale's Martiez Pinnick clears the bar in the Class 2A high jump at the IHSA boys state track finals in Charleston last Saturday. Pinnick ultimately finished sixth in the state - one of several recent strong finishes for tracksters at both Carbondale Community High School and SIU. FOR MORE, SEE PAGE 12. John Starks photo
Carbondale's Martiez Pinnick warms up before an attempt in the high jump at the IHSA boys state track finals in Charleston Saturday. John Starks photo
Carbondale's Lamark Threadgill finishes the Class 2A 800-meter relay at the IHSA boys state track finals in Charleston Saturday. John Starks photo