Special to the American
The Cahokia Comanches are on the verge of making history by winning their first ever state championship in boys track and field.
The East St. Louis Flyers would love to postpone that history for at least another year and hold on to the state title that they won last year. After battling all season on metro east tracks, the neighborhood rivals are taking their show to the biggest stage that the state of Illinois has to offer.
The drama will unfold this weekend at the IHSA Class AA boys state championships in Charleston, Ill. on the campus of Eastern Illinois University. Friday’s prelims will begin at 11 a.m. with the finals beginning on Saturday at 11 a.m. It’s going to be hot in Charleston again this weekend, and for the second year in the row, it will be this part of the state generating the most heat.
Both teams are taking large groups of athletes to the state meet. Cahokia, which fields one of the top teams in country, has been dominating all season in all events. The Comanches are taking 15 individuals and all four relays.
Cahokia coach Leroy Milsaps is the man in charge of this emerging track and field power. He is quiet man, but his confident demeanor rubs off on his athletes and you can tell by how they perform. After finishing third at the state meet a year ago, Milsaps has brought the Comanches to the next level with his young and talented crew.
Leading the way for Cahokia will be senior All-American jumper Kali Jackson, who was the Marion Sectional champion in the long jump, triple jump and high jump. He has the nation’s top triple jump mark at 52 feet 5 inches.
On the track, Cahokia has been on fire with its talented corps of sprinters. At last week’s Marion Sectional, they posted times of 41.2 seconds in the 4×100-meter relay, 1:26.4 in the 4×200 and 3:14.0 in the 4×400.
Freshman Darien Donald posted a time of 47.2 in the 400, which is the fastest time in the area this season. Top athletes such as Jerdo Williams, Greg Williams, Martavis Hines, Clyde Young, Exzabian Jackson and Earnest Winters figure in the sprints, hurdles and relay events.
East St. Louis will put up a stern defense of its state title with 10 individuals and four relays going to Charleston. The Flyers have an excellent 4×800 team that posted a 7:45.6 at the Collinsville sectional. The Flyers also went 3:15.9 in the 4×400.
Among the top individuals to watch for East Side are Mario McCottrell in the 800, Jerrell McDaniels in the long jump, Bikal Hameed in the 400 and hurdlers Artavious Kizer and Bernard Fowler.
Congratulations Nino Fennoy’s East St. Louis Flyerettes on bringing home a third-place trophy from the girls Class AA state meet last weekend.. Ronecia Nash finished fourth in the 100 and fifth in the 200 to earn two medals while Andrea Brimmage finished seventh in the triple jump. Brittany Allen was also seventh in the 300-meter low hurdles. East Side also had three of its relays earn All-State status.
Belleville East senior Mikeya Nicholson was the area’s lone individual state champion. She won the triple jump with an effort of 39 feel 3 inches. Edwardsville’s 4×400 team of Kacie Smith, Eryn Stepherson, Lea Sanders and Leah Bateman won the state title in 3:51.72. Freshman Yolanda Suggs of Belleville West finished sixth in the 100 and eighth in the 200 in her first state meet.
