Three local athletes competed in the IHSA State Track and Field finals Saturday at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston and all three earned medals in their respective events.
The top nine finishers in each event received All-State medals. In Class 1A, Karson Shrum (Annawan-Wethersfield), placed sixth in the 3200 meter run and Nolan Orwig (Stark County High School) was eighth in the 300 meter hurdles.
In Class 2A competition, Leocadio Gandarilla (Kewanee High School) had an eighth place finish in the discus.
Class 1A
Karson Shrum (Annawan-Wethersfield)
Junior distance specialist Karson Shrum ran the best race of his career in the 3200 meter run during the finals on Saturday. His personal best time of 9:47.30 earned Shrum a sixth place medal.
Over the course of the season, Shrum has made vast and steady progress in the 3200, which has been his best and most consistent event throughout season.
On April 12 (at the Charger Invite) Shrum won the event in a time of 10:50.15. At the Brockman Relays (April 30) he clocked in at 10:11.10 and on May 15 (at the 1A sectional meet), Shrum ran a sub 10-minute race for the first time (9:58.57).
During his freshman season, Shrum’s PR in the 3200 was 11:36.35 and his PR as a sophomore was 10:18.14.
In Saturday’s race, Shrum was in ninth place heading into the final lap. Going down the stretch, he passed three runners on the way to completing the All-State race in a time of 9:47.30.
3200 meter run
1.) Will Foltz, sr (Tuscola) 9:18.86 2.) Jackson Barrett, sr (Tuscola) 9:25.21 3.) Nicolai Martino (Winnebago) 9:31.16 4.) Dean Witzig (El Paso – Gridley) 9:39.20 5.) JJ Gonnam (Elgin – Harvest Christian Academy) 9:45.94 6.) Karson Shrum (Annawan-Wethersfield) 9:47.30 7.) Evan Cook (Decatur – St. Teresa) 9:48.27 8.) Braeden Bode (Riverdale) 9:48.57 9.) Weston Forward (Rockford – Christian)
Nolan Orwig (Stark County)
Orwig had a time of 41.73 in the 300 meter hurdles prelims (ninth place), which was good enough to earn him a spot in the Saturday finals. He completed the finals race in a time of 41.87, which moved him ahead of Jake Schumacher (Lena-Winslow) and into eighth place.
Orwig also competed in the 200 meter dash and the 110 high hurdles. He ran a prelim time of 22.86 (19th place) in the 200 and was 18th in 110 high hurdles prelims with a time of 16.45.
300 meter hurdles
1.) Dominic Martin (Colfax – Ridgeview) 38.87 2.) Tyler Miller (Westville) 39.81 3.) Kayden Boyer (Marshall) 40.14 4.) Brady Larson (Maroa-Forsyth) 40.86 5.) Parker Krogman (Milledgeview) 40.86 6.) Bryson Schachtick (Petersburg – PORTA) 41.18 7.) TJ Larson (Bloomington – Central Catholic) 41.38 8.) Nolan Orwig (Stark County) 41.87 9.) Jake Schumaker (Lena-Winslow). 43.17.
Class 2A
Leocadio Gandarilla had a tenth place effort of 152′ 09″ in the Friday prelims, which marked a personal best for the KHS junior.
In order to get a medal, Gandarilla had to dig deep for another PR in the Saturday finals. Each of the 12 finalists had three attempts and the best mark would be counted (the top nine receive medals).
His first two attempts were well short of the distance needed to be in the running for a medal (139′ 2″ and 142′ 5″). “I could tell he was getting a little nervous, so I told him to breathe and that he had this,” said KHS Coach Amanda Johnson, who works with all the throwers on the team.
“He got in for his last throw and he knew what he had to do and he delivered,” said Johnson. Gandarilla then unleashed a throw of 156′ 2″.
“That was his best throw this year (in a meet). In practice he’d thrown 155 feet, so we knew going into the state meet that he was capable of throwing that far,” she added.
Gandarilla was consistently throwing in the range of 137 to 145 feet throughout the season. Although he was successful in the range, it was short of his previous best of 150′ 0 that he set as a sophomore.
“We’ve been changing his form up a little which is why he started in the 130’s instead of 150 feet (where he ended last year),” said Johnson.
“I believe Leo has the ability to throw even bigger next year. We’ll continue to work on his form and try to get him up to the school record set by Steve Draminski (in 1994). Steve’s record has held because it’s 168′ 7”, noted Johnson.
Draminski is also the record holder in the shot put (58′ 4.5″). “Discus has always been Leo’s favorite event, but he’s also progressing nicely in the shot put. I’m hoping that next year he’ll be able to place in both the shot and discus,” Johnson added.
Discus
1.) Demarion Forman (Monticello) 193′ 11″ 2.) Caleb Smith (Salem) 177′ 2″ 3.) Andrew Bownes (E. St. Louis) 172′ 5″ 4.) Jordyn Beverly (Marion) 171′ 9″ 5.) Griffin Martin (Jacksonville) 167′ 2″ 6.) Brett Centnarowicz (Johnburg) 159′ 0 7.) Kaden Salisbury (Geneseo) 157′ 8″ 8.) Leocadio Gandarilla (Kewanee) 156′ 2″ 9.) Jackson Ennis (St. Joseph-Ogden) 157′ 8″
