The Cahokia Comanches will try to defend their Illinois Class 2A title at this week’s state track and field state championships in Charleston on the campus of Eastern Illinois University. The preliminary races will be held on Friday with the championship races set for Saturday afternoon.
The Comanches geared up for their state run by winning the Mascoutah Sectional championship last week. Cahokia was led by its dynamic duo of Mariya Hudson and Raynesha Lewis.
Hudson won sectional championships in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes. Lewis finished first in the long jump, 100-meter high hurdles and second in the triple jump and fourth in the high jump.
Cahokia also qualified its first-place 4×100-, 4×200 and 4×400-meter relays teams, Takyra Buford and Jayla Crosby in the 300-meter low hurdles and LaQwasia Stepney in the 100-meter high hurdles.
The top area individual competing in this weekend’s IHSA Class 3A state meet will be senior LaJarvia Brown of Alton. Brown won four individual events at last weekend’s Rock Island Sectional. Brown finished first in the long jump, triple jump, 100-meter high hurdles and 300-meter low hurdles. Brown is the defending state champion and state record holder in the triple jump.
East St. Louis won the team sectional championship at Rock Island. East Side had three individual sectional champions in Evangeline Harris in the shot put (42 feet 3 inches), Jazzmine Poole in the discus (140 feet 7 inches) and Shonjahnee Griggs in the 800-meter run. The Flyerettes also finished first in the 4×400-meter relay.
Metro East boys’ schools will be participating in sectional competition on Friday. Cahokia will begin its quest for its sixth consecutive Class 2A state championship when it heads to Carterville.
All of the Class 3A Metro East programs will be over at Collinsville on Friday afternoon. Defending state champion Edwardsville and East St. Louis will head the field of teams. The top qualifiers in each event will be headed to Charleston next weekend to compete in the IHSA State Championships at Eastern Illinois.
In a preview of this week’s sectional meet, Edwardsville won the Southwestern Conference championship last week. The Tigers outlasted East St. Louis for the team championship. Junior A.J. Epenesa won the shot put and discus while Travis Anderson won the 110-meter high hurdles and 300-meter intermediate hurdles to lead the Tigers.
East St. Louis was dominant in the sprints, winning the 4×100, 4×200 and 4×400. Marlow Moseby won the 100, Roosevelt Jones won the 200 and Deonte Anderson won the 400 for the Flyers. Kenny Roberson also took home a first-place medal in the high jump.
