Thursday's boys prep track: Indians are Benton Relays champs
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Sweeping to first place finishes in a dozen events, Du Quoin High School's Boys Track and Field squad blitzed a four-team field to win the 46th Annual Benton Relays Thursday afternoon.
The Indians amassed 158 points to easily out-distance Benton (102).
Pinckneyville (97) and Johnston City (78) also participated.
The win marks at least the 10th time Du Quoin has won the event.
"The kids have been working hard and they did a really good job today," first-year Du Quoin coach Derek Beard said. "We had some good performances today.The 4x400 relay beat its previous best time by over 10 seconds.
Sweeping all four of the jump relays and both weight events, the Indians also ran first in the two hurdle events while winning three relays on the track.
Several season best efforts were posted by Du Quoin. Karson Hoffman sailed 43'10 in the triple jump with Aaron Smith going 22'3 in the long jump. The 4x400 varsity relay (Smith, Hoffman, David Rose and Deeja Cole) blazed home first in 3:32.9. Storm Clarry cleared 12'0 in the pole vault and Cayle Diggins 11'6.
Hurdler Chaz Bland (15.86) won the 110 meter high's.
The invitational title was the second of the varsity season for the Indians, who compete in Saturday's Herrin Invitational. Pinckneyville was a solid third place, despite have several key squad members not in uniform due to the PCHS Senior Trip.
" I was really proud of our kids today," PCHS coach Tod Rushing said. "We had several of them really step up for us."
FINAL TEAM SCORES-1. Du Quoin 158; 2. Benton 102; 3. Pinckneyville 97; 4. Johnston City 78.
EVENT-by-EVENT
110 meter high hurdles-1. Chaz Bland (DQ), 15.86; 2. Quinton Mathis (DQ), 16.86
100 meters-2. Robbie Knight (PV). 11.8; 4. Quivon Bledsoe, 12.02; 6. Trevon Jones, 12.45
4x800 relay-1. Du Quoin, 10:02 (Jared Morgan, Josh Sanders, Tommy Cooper, Austin Mapps)
4x100 relay-1. Du Quoin, 45.51 (Karson Hoffman, Luchie Porter, David Gaytan, David Rose).
1600-3. Zack Cavitt, 5:33
Sprint medley relay-2. Pinckneyville, 4:09.4; 3. Du Quoin, 4:26
(Cayle Diggins, Storm Clarry, Deeja Cole, Josh Sanders)
High hurdle shuttle-1. Du Quoin, 4:24.68 (Austin Mapps, Kyle Webb, Quinton Mathis, Chaz Bland)
4x200 relay-2. Du Quoin, 1:35.83 (Karson Hoffman, David Rose, David Gaytan, Luchie Porter)
Distance medley-2. Pinckneyville, 13;56; 3. Du Quoin, 14:11.42 (Jared Morgan, Josh Sanders, Tommy Cooper, Zack Cavitt)
Low hurdle shuttle-1. Du Quoin, 64.26 (Austin Mapps, Kyle Webb, Quinton Mathis, Chaz Bland)
4x400 frosh relay-1. PCHS, 4:03; 2. Du Quoin, 4:03.63 (Dalton Donoghue, Trevon Jones, Austin Mapps, Haeden Sweetin)
4x400 varsity relay-1. Du Quoin, 3:32.59 (Aaron Smith, Deeja Cole, David Rose, Karson Hoffman)
Triple Jump relay-1. Du Quoin, 123'7 (Karson Hoffman, Chaz Bland, Aaron Smith, Cayle Diggins); 2. Pinckneyville 112'10
Long jump relay-1. Du Quoin, 59'6 (Aaron Smith, Quivon Bledsoe, Dalton Donoghue, Deeja Cole); 2. 55'2
Discus relay-1. Du Quoin, 336'0 (Brock Morgenstern, Brandon Williams, Gene Rodley, Bryce Ford; 2. PCHS, 324'7
Shot Put relay-1. Du Quoin, 127'8 (Brock Morgenstern, Brandon Williams, Christian Riley, Jon Tennyson); 2. Pinckneyville 105'3
High jump relay-1. Du Quoin, 116'6 (Jesse McDicken, Dalton Donoghue, Aaron Smith, Deeja Cole; 2. PCHS, 10'2
Pole vault relay-1. Du Quoin 34'6 (Dalton Donoghue, Storm Clarry, Cayle Diggins, Haeden Sweetin)