High bar to clear, but Makabu aiming for state title
May 25—CHARLESTON — A different feel exists with this year's Class 3A boys' state high jump competition.
"There's definitely a lot more pressure than before," Centennial junior and reigning state champion Voldy Makabu said. "Last year, it was more about having fun. This year, I actually have a goal, so there's a lot more pressure."
That goal is to repeat.
Makabu only started high-jumping last year as a sophomore, which is why he surprised himself by winning a state title in the event.
"At first, it didn't feel real," Makabu said. "It wasn't until I actually jumped. It's unexplainable."
Now that everyone knows what he can do, his competitors will be gunning for him.
"They most definitely are going to give me a run," Makabu said. "I've got a target on my back."
Makabu won last year's high jump by clearing 6 feet, 81/4 inches, which is right around where his top competition is topping out this year. Good thing he can go even higher now.
Makabu jumped over 6-11 at the Twin City meet on April 30 to make him the top jumper in the state and top 10 in the nation.
Still, he's constantly looking for ways to improve. After clearing each height during Friday's prelims, Makabu would immediately turn to jumping coach Jess Streepy and smile, looking for any feedback.
"She'll be telling me to just have a lot of fun," Makabu said. "I'll feel like I'm doing something wrong, so I'll look back to see her correct me. She told me I was jumping flat and I need to rise up."
Having 6-11 in his back pocket gives Makabu a lot of confidence heading into Saturday's final, and the thing that motivates him the most is clearing that elusive 7-foot mark.
"Of course," Makabu said Friday afternoon of if it'll happen this weekend. "(Saturday's) the day."
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The stage was set. Illini Prairie Conference rivals Unity and St. Joseph-Ogden were ready to battle it out one last time. The Rockets were in lane four, and the Spartans in lane three. Side by side in heat five of the 1,600-meter relay, the last race of Friday's Class 2A state prelims.
"I feel like we race against them every meet," Unity senior Eric Miebach said. "We almost have a bond with them. We shoot some zingers at them, and they come right back at us. It's like a friendly competition, so it's fun every time we get to race."
"Obviously, we want to beat them every time, but we're all cool," SJ-O senior Logan Smith echoed. "There's not really trash talk like there is in other sports. It's a little more friendly, but we still want to compete with them and beat them."
Brock Schlittler got Unity off to a good start, jumping out to second place with his opening leg, while Colin Wayland trailed behind in sixth with SJ-O.
Schlittler handed off to Alex Mowrer, and Wayland gave way to Tim Blackburn-Kelley, keeping their teams in the same position.
Mason O'Neill took over for the Rockets and held steady in second, and Smith moved the Spartans up to third.
The win was out of the picture, but the race for runner-up came down to the anchors, Unity's Miebach and SJ-O's Spencer Wilson. Wilson slowly but surely closed the gap through his first 300 meters and was just a couple steps behind Miebach down the final stretch. But Miebach, who also anchored the Rockets' 400- and 800-meter relays, held on by less than half a second.
"Our conference is one of the better conferences in the state," Miebach said, "so running against that competition really gets you ready for the state level."
When it was all said and done, however, that last race was just for bragging rights, as neither were able to qualify for Saturday's final.
The rivals each brought three relays to Friday's prelims. SJ-O had its distance relay as well as its 800- and 1,600-meter relays, both consisting of the same four guys.
"We all have chemistry outside of track," Smith said of what makes their relays work. "We can joke around at practice and have a good time, but once we get here, all focus is on the race. Just competing and trying to catch the guy in front of you."
The same rings true for Unity. All three of the Rockets' relays were in the sprints, made up of a combination of seven athletes. Their 400-meter relay of Garrett Richardson, Jeremy Wells, Schlittler and Miebach was the only one to make the finals, breaking their own school record in the process with a time of 42.27 seconds. They felt good about their chances coming into this weekend, but that performance had them itching to get back out there.
"After that, our confidence is even higher than it already was," Miebach said. "We're feeling better, and that's the most fun we've had all year."
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Danville's D'Mario Jackson was one of only two freshman in four heats of Friday's 3A 200-meter dash prelims and one of just three freshmen in eight heats of the 100-meter dash prelims.
He won his heat of the 200 to make the final with the third-fastest time (21.68), and he was just 11-hundredths of a second away from qualifying for the 100 final.
"It's a huge accomplishment to come in as a freshman and compete at such a high level. I'm pretty happy about it," Jackson said. "That is amazing to me to be able to run that fast. To be one of the top freshmen is very cool. I love it."
Jackson dominated the local competition this season, and he couldn't wait to get to the state's biggest stage to finally see how he stacked up.
"I was waiting for state," Jackson said. "It's the amazing meet I wanted, finally seeing everyone all over Illinois."
Jackson has gotten plenty of praise this season for his abilities, especially as just a freshman. That includes Big 12 Conference foe Travion Wilson from Centennial.
"He's really good. He's been showing out," Wilson said of Jackson. "I'm proud of him, and he's got a lot more to show. Three more years to show out."
Wilson, a junior, competed right alongside Jackson on Friday, placing 17th in the 200 and 22nd in the 100. He didn't qualify for any finals, but he ran a personal-best 10.89 seconds in the 100, which motivated him to keep improving for his senior season.
"It made me feel like I accomplished a lot and can do a lot in the future," Wilson said. "I can do more. A lot more. I'll be back next year to get to the finals and do everything I can."
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When Jayvon Irwin crossed the finish line for his heat of the 2A 100-meter dash prelims, everyone else kept running. He was worried for a moment before realizing he was the only one in the right.
"I was the only one who knew where the line was," Irwin said. "I was so confused why everyone wasn't slowing down. I was scared because I saw all the cameras all the way down there."
Irwin finished 25th in the 100 and 20th in the 200. Not fast enough to make any of Saturday's finals, but he was grateful for the season he had.
"I didn't expect to win, but I tried my best," Irwin said. "I thought that if I got out really hard at the start, I would come in and try to win it. Turns out that's not God's plan for me."
Irwin, a senior, signed his letter of intent to continue his track career at Millikin University this past Monday. Other than having success on the track, getting a college scholarship was his main goal for the year. He achieved it and repped a Millikin arm sleeve during the state meet.
"It was amazing. I felt so good. I was so happy," Irwin said of his signing day. "My dream as a little kid was to run track or play football in college. Football wound up not being my thing, so I went straight to track, and here I am."
The Bulldogs brought 13 athletes to the state meet this year, the most of any area team regardless of class. Irwin and his fellow seniors wanted to make sure they went out with a bang for coach Keith Pogue.
"We really wanted to win that sectional championship for coach Pogue," Irwin said. "As the seniors are leaving, we're really sad to leave coach Pogue, so we were like, 'We've got to take everybody this time.' We wanted coach to be happy and feel good about us getting to state."
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This is Brock Schlittler's second weekend in a row at O'Brien Field. Last week, he was in the stands to watch his younger sister, Jillian Schlittler, win a 2A state championship in the long jump for the Rockets with a distance of 17 feet, 103/4 inches.
"I was very emotional. Very emotional," Brock Schlittler said. "My family wasn't prepared for it."
A week later, he's the one competing.
Schlittler was one of only two Rockets competing in an individual event, finishing 10th in the 400-meter dash at Friday's 2A prelims, just five-hundredths of a second away from qualifying for the final.
But he still has a chance in the 400-meter relay, as the Rockets head into Saturday with the fifth-fastest time. He doesn't care if it's an individual medal or a relay medal. He just wants to win a title.
"I've been thinking about it all week," Schlittler said. "My one goal is to be a state champion. That's all I want. After my sister got a state title in the long jump, I have lots of confidence through her. It's just really boosting my ego. I just want that gold medal."
