Du Quoin boys track shows well at Edwardsville

EDWARDSVILLE - Du Quoin junior Dasani Edward leapt 45 feet, 3 inches last Saturday, a personal best, to place first at the 21-team Edwardsville Invitational.

Boys head track coach Derek Beard only took seven athletes with him to the prestigious large-school meet that included athletes from all over the state. Even short-handed, the Tribe still managed to score 19 points and placed 14th overall. Plainfield North was the winner of the meet followed by host Edwardsville. A sampling of other schools finishing ahead of Du Quoin include: Crete-Monee, O'Fallon, Triad, Collinsville, Freeburg and Alton.

Edward was also fifth in the long jump at 20 feet, 9 1/2 inches.

Senior Shamar Adams placed seventh in the 110-meter high hurdles with a time of 15.17 seconds. Adams was also 11th in the 300 hurdles at 44.13 seconds.

Senior Westly Milam was 10th in the 100-meter dash at 11.21 seconds. He was 12th in the 200-meter dash at 22.84 seconds.

Anthony Cole placed 10th in the long jump at 19 feet, 10 1/2 inches.

In the relay events, the 4x200 placed seventh at 1:33.63 and the 4x400 placed 10th in 3:43.84.

Earlier this week, DHS underclassmen competed at the Marion Frosh/Soph Invite, placing third overall with 83 points behind host Marion (150) and Mount Vernon (96).

The 4x800 relay team of David Gomes, John Gomes, Darien Edward and Payton Hilliard earned a first-place finish with a time of 8:55.71. Traijon Smith also placed first in the high jump, clearing 5 feet, 8 inches.

Notching seconds were Nick Brown in the triple jump (36 feet, 8 1/4 inches); Toby Hottes in the shot put (42 feet, 6 inches) and Darien Edward in the 400-meter dash in 54.56 seconds.

Jaden Smith collected a third-place finish in the long jump at 19 feet, 2 1/2 inches. Traijon Smith was third in the triple jump at 36-3 1/2 and Hottes was third in the discus throw at 122-9.

Fourths went to David Gomes in the 400 meters (57.65 seconds), the 4x100 meter relay group of Jaden Smith, Eli Colbert, Traijon Smith and Lane Bauman at 47.58 seconds and the 4x200 relay team of Garrett Juhl, Nick Brown, Jaden Smith and Bauman in 1:42.37.

Fifths were awarded to Bauman in the 100-meter dash (12.28 seconds), Tyler Gassel in the 110-meter high hurdles (18.85 seconds) and Colbert in the long jump at 18-5.

Distance runner Landen Swiney was sixth in the 3200-meter run (11:09.48). Not scoring, but placing seventh in the same event was Nathan Smith at 11:21.63. Gassel was eighth in the 300 hurdles (52.01 seconds) and Damion Hurry was eighth in the shot put at 35 feet even as was Jarrod Hill in the discus at 96 feet. Trae Horn was ninth in the shot at 34-10. DJ Willis was 11th at 34-3.

Du Quoin's varsity track squad will compete in the Marion Relays today (Friday).