Iron advance 6 individuals, 2 relays to 3A State Track & Field competition

Inkspot Staff • May 23, 2023

Photo Courtesy of: Eastern Illinois Athletics

Seniors Alex Sohn and Chris Taylor look to improve on their State finishes last season. This season, they are joined by a host of teammates competing at the IHSA 3A State Track & Field Meet.

Twelve Ironmen advanced from Edwardsville’s Track & Field Sectional on May 17, earning their place at this weekend’s IHSA 3A State meet.

Six individuals and two relay teams will compete in Friday’s preliminaries at Eastern Illinois University.

Senior Alex Sohn returns to the State meet to compete in shot put, winning the Sectional with an 18.82-meter throw.

Sohn took fourth in the event at State in 2021 and third in 2022.

The University of Illinois commit also qualified to compete in discus, finishing second in Edwardsville with a toss of 52.52 meters.

Sophomore Antonio Montoya will join Sohn in Charleston. Despite finishing 6th in discus at Sectionals, Montoya’s 46.71-meter throw matched the 3A qualifying standard.

Chris Taylor finished first in high jump, clearing two meters, earning the senior a return ticket to State.

Taylor, Community’s high jump school record holder, tied for third in State last season with a 1.96-meter jump.

Freshman Dane Whittaker will make his State debut after taking second in the 100-meter run with a time of 11.1 last week.

Zion Russell’s triple jump of 13.36 meters earned the junior his spot in the State meet. Russell finished fourth but matched the qualifying standard distance.

Both Iron distance relay teams will race on the blue oval at Eastern, qualifying for State on time in the 1600- and 3200-meter relays.

The 1600- team of Nate Witzig, Juan Rojas, EJ Fisher and Drew Eisfelder crossed the finish line at 3:27.76, .54 under the qualifying standard.

In the 3200-, Joey Yaros, Drew Patterson, AJ Ince and Witzig Iron posted a time of 7:59.48, earning their place at the State start line.

The preliminary round of the IHSA 3A State Track and Field Meet begins Friday, May 26.

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Inkspot Staff

Stories published under Inkspot Staff are unattributed to a single reporter because they: have been produced through a collaborative staff effort; individual staff member contribution is not easily distinguishable; and/or the story was disseminated from announcements or press releases.