Four CHS boys headed to state in track
The Chester High School boys track and field team outdid themselves Wednesday, May 18, at the 2022 IHSA Class 1A Sectional meet held at Chester's Dr. Charles R. Young Memorial Track and Field Complex.
The YellowJackets finished third out of 14 teams and qualified four boys to advance to the state track meet. Senior Aiden Jany qualified in two events, coming in first in the 400 and second in the 100. Senior Jacob Cowell qualified in the pole vault, winning that event.
Lannin Caron, a freshman, qualified to advance in the pole vault and sophomore Gabriel Steele qualified in the high jump. This is the most Chester boys to qualify for state in recent history.
Nashville was the Sectional winner with 93 points followed by Madison (2nd, 91.33); Chester (3rd, 70.33); Trenton-Wesclin (4th, 61); Steeleville (5th, 52); Sparta (6th, 45); Red Bud (7th, 29); Breese Mater Dei (8th, 26.33); Waterloo Gibault (9th, 25); Okawville (10th, 23); Belleville Althoff (11th, 22); SIUE Charter School East St. Louis (12th, 14); Dupo (13th tie, 3); and Lebanon (13th tie, 3).
"I am very proud of how hard and well we competed all year," said CHS coach Chris Kern said. "We would have had a chance to win every meet this year if we had been healthy. I am proud of the whole team!"
The state qualifiers will compete Thursday, May 26, in the preliminary round at the 2022 IHSA Class 1A State Track and Field Meet at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. The finals will take place Saturday, May 28.
"I want to congratulate the four individuals who qualified for state this year, Aiden Jany, Jacob Cowell, Gabriel Steele, and Lannin Caron," Kern said. "Their commitment and hard work paid off! They all have the chance to place at state this weekend."
<b>State qualifiers</b>
Aiden Jany: 400: 1st Place, 51.86; 100: 2nd, 11.44.
Jacob Cowell: Pole Vault: 1st Place, 3.35 Meters
Gabriel Steele: High Jump: 2nd, 1.85 Meters
Lannin Caron: Pole Vault: 2nd, 2.90 Meters
<b>Other CHS results</b>
<b>FIELD EVENTS</b>Long Jump: Cooper Eggemeyer (12th, 5.32 Meters) and Jacob Cowell (13th, 5.06 Meters)
Triple Jump: Freddie Alvarez (3rd, 11.68 Meters) and Jacob Cowell (5th, 11.47 Meters)
Discus: Isaac Jany (11th, 30.89 Meters) and Gavin Cowan (18th, 24.55 Meters)
Shot Put: Isaac Jany (3rd, 12.78 Meters) and Jonathan Renfroe (16th, 9.49 Meters)
<b>RUNNING EVENTS</b>4x800 Relay: Chester (5th, 9:30.73) Blake Farmer, Jacob Handel, Garret Hopkins, and Cooper Eggemeyer.
4x100 Relay: Chester (8th, 47.28) Will Schuwerk, Isaac Jany, Freddie Alvarez, and Gabriel Steele
110 Hurdles: Gabriel Steele (7th, 20.72)
100: Will Schuwerk (10th, 12.37)
800: Blake Farmer (4th, 2:13.43) and Garret Hopkins (13th, 2:23.95)
4x200 Relay: Chester (6th, 1:46.30) Lannin Caron, Freddie Alvarez, Cooper Eggemeyer, and Isaac Jany
400: Jacob Handel (12th, 57.87)
300 Hurdles: Jacob Cowell (7th, 47.13)
200: Will Schuwerk (6th, 24.26) and Aiden Jany (7th, 24.44)
4x400 Relay: Chester (4th, 3:43.29)