Brandon Miller races to U.S. Olympic Trials

Former Burroughs star standing out

Former John Burroughs track and field star Brandon Miller concluded a stellar freshman season at Texas A&M by finishing second in the 800-meter run on June 12 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, OR.

Miller and winner Isaiah Jowett of USC broke away from the pack early in the race and staged a great dual during the final 150 meters. Jowett edged in front with just a few meters remaining to claim the for the victory.

For Miller, it was an outstanding performance as he posted a personal best time of 1 minute 44.97 seconds.

The runner-up finish at the NCAA Championships adds to Miller’s freshman season in which he won the 800-meter run titles at both the Southeastern Conference Indoor and Outdoor championships.

Next for Miller is the USA Olympic Trials meet, which begins June 18 at Hayward Field in Eugene. The qualifying races for the 800 will be held that afternoon. 

Miller graduated from John Burroughs as one of the greatest middle-distance runners in the history of the state. When it came to the 800, he was the best. As a sophomore in 2018, he broke a 31-year-old state record while winning the state title in 1 minute 49.55 seconds at the Class 3 state meet.

*Martin, Lang All-Americans

Congratulations also go out to former Hillsboro standout Isaiah Martin, who earned Second Team All-American honors after finishing 10th in the men’s decathlon at the NCAA Nationals.

A sophomore at Purdue, Martin scored 7,542 points, which is third all-time in Boilermaker’s history. Martin has compiled three of the top four scoring totals in the decathlon in Purdue track and field history.

Former McCluer North standout Lance Lang also earned All-American honors as a member of the University of Kentucky’s 4×400-meter relay team that finished in eighth place. Lang also earned NCAA All-American indoor track honors in the respective 4×400 and the 200-meter dash. The Wildcats’ 4×400 relay team also won the championship at the SEC Outdoor Championships.

*Althoff girls are state champs

Belleville Althoff made history at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston when it won its first Illinois High School Association Class 1A girls state championship.

Without an individual champion, the Crusaders garnered points in several events, and the team’s 50 points clipped second-place Winnebago’s 49.

Senior Nariah Parks’ tremendous meet included a fifth-place finish in the 100-meter dash, fourth in the 200-meter dash and third in the 400-meter dash. She also anchored the Crusaders’ 4×400 meter relay team to a seventh-place finish, which gave the team the three points needed to win the state team title.

Other Crusaders who earned All-State honors were freshman Alaina Lester, who was second in the 100; junior Caitlin Conrad, who was fifth in the 200 and sophomore Eris Nelson, who finished second in both the 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs.

*IHSA Boys on state stage

Boys take center stage this weekend in Charleston. East St. Louis and Mascoutah are taking large contingents of athletes to the June 18 Class 2A state meet.

Senior Devonte Ford will lead East Side’s bid to challenge for another state championship. Ford was a sectional champion in the 200-meter dash, the 110-meter high hurdles and the 300-meter intermediate hurdles. He also ran a leg on the Flyers’ 4×400 relay team that also won a sectional championship.

Mascoutah will have four relay teams. The Indians’ 4×100-, 4×200 and 4×800 relay teams were also sectional champions while the 4×200 team finished second behind East St. Louis.

 The Edwardsville Tigers are the metro east area’s top entry in the Class 3A state meet, which will be held on June 19.