The East St. Louis Flyers boys track and field team took the baton from its state championship girls’ team by bringing home a trophy of their own.
One week after the East Side girls won the Illinois Class 2A state championship, the boys followed up with a dominant performance in winning the state championship last weekend at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.
The Flyers scored 84 points as they doubled the score of second-place finisher Marengo, which scored 42 points.
Juniors Willie Johnson and Marcus Lampley finished first and second in the 400-meter dash. Johnson posted a winning time of 47.65 seconds while Lampley finished in 48.17. Lampley and Johnson also finished second and fifth in the 200-meter dash respectively.
The Flyers also won state titles in the 4×100- and 4×400-meter relays. The team of Jashawn Anderson, Keontez Lewis, Nathaniel Robinson and Lampley won the 4×100 in 41.81 seconds. The 4×400 crew of Lewis, Andrew Johnson, Lampley and Johnson took the state title in 3 minutes 18.13 seconds. The Flyers also picked up a second-place finish in the 4×200.
Senior basketball standout Terrance Hargrove finished third in the high jump with a clearance of 6 feet, 7 inches. Andrew Johnson was fifth in the 110-meter high hurdles while Jamariantte Burgess finished ninth. In the 300-meter intermediate hurdles, Burgess finished in second place while Johnson was fifth.
The state championship performance by the East St. Louis boys completes an incredible 2018-19 season for the Flyers’ athletic program. The Flyers won a total of three state championships in boys and girls track and field and boys’ basketball.
