PREP BOYS TRACK: Brysen Vasquez goes for individual hardware

May 24—CHARLESTON — Some sports are all about the team like football, basketball and baseball, while others like golf and tennis are all about the individual.

Track and field is a sport that is both a team and individual sport. In 14 of the 18 events in a standard IHSA track meet, it's all about the individual competition but there are four relays (400, 800, 1,600 and 3,200) that require four runs working together as a team.

Salt Fork senior Brysen Vasquez has had a lot of success the past two seasons at the IHSA Class 1A State Track and Field Meet as a member of the Storm's 400 and 800 relay teams, winning four state medals — a first, two seconds and a fifth.

This year, it's a little different for Vasquez. He qualified for state in three individual events (100, 200 and 400) and on Thursday, he advanced to the finals in the 200 and 400 races.

"This year, we didn't have the depth that we've had in previous years, so the plan was for me to go all individual," said Vasquez, noting the graduations of guys like Ben Jessup and Ethan McLain. "I've always wanted to do individual events, but at the same time, I miss being on a really great relay team like we had the past two years."

So, what's the difference between being in a relay and being in an individual event?

"In a relay, you have to worry about the baton, making a good pass to your teammate. There's the pressure of wanting to do well for your three teammates," Vasquez said. "As an individual, it's all about what you do. You don't have anyone to blame if something does go well and you can't change the time that is on the clock."

While he will be running in the finals of the 200 and 400 today, Vasquez was noticeably disappointed in his 400 time of 51.08 seconds — his slowest since the Salt Fork Invitational on April 9.

"I didn't do what I wanted to in either the 400 or the 200," he said. "I really thought I missed the finals in the 400. I went out too hard and I started dying because I ran out of energy that I thought I had in me.

"(Today) is definitely a second chance. After today, I know how fast this track feels. I will start out a little slower and finish strong."

Vasquez noted the 'Big Blue' track at O'Brien Field is quite a bit different than most high school tracks.

"It's a huge adjustment with this track being harder and the longer curves," said Vasquez of the 9-lane collegiate track compared to an 8-lane high school track. "We also ran a whole different direction in the 200 that normal. It just felt pretty weird."

Vasquez isn't the only Vermilion County athlete looking to medal again this weekend.

Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin senior Ayden Ingram and Westville senior Tyler Miller are looking to close out their careers with their second straight all-state performance.

For Ingram, it will come in a different event.

Last year, he was fifth in the long jump, but he failed to make the finals this year as his best jump of 6.17 meters of 20 feet, 3 inches was only good enough for 17th. Instead, the Blue Devil will try to medal in the high jump as he cleared 1.85 meters (6 feet, 0.75 inches). He is one of 17 still alive in the high jump.

"I didn't do exactly what I wanted to do, but I came here and competed," said Ingram, who also failed to qualify in the 200 and 400 races. "I wanted to reach the finals again in the long jump, but it seems like there is a lot more talent this year and honestly, I didn't jump very well.

"I've been doing a lot more running events this year than jumping, so I think my form was a little off."

But, he is taking solace over being in the high jump finals, even if he didn't clear the 1.85 meters until his third and final attempt.

"I think the high jump in one of the events that most people like to watch," he said. "I knew it was a do-or-die situation. Once I got over it, I knew I would be back (today)."

Ingram is the fifth and final son of Rich and Angelina Ingram to be involved with high school athletics in Vermilion County. The others have been Rich, David, Krystin and Dustyn.

"Next year is going to be the first time in like 20 years that my parents won't have a high school athlete," said Ayden, the only one to medal in the state track meet.

Miller is not only looking to improve upon his 6th-place finish from the finals of the 300 hurdles from last year, but he has also set a goal of running the event in less than 40 seconds.

And for a while on Friday, it looked like he was going to do that in the prelims. But the Tiger clipped the sixth of eight hurdles, knocking him off-balance for a few steps. He regained his composure in time to stop the clock at 40.57 seconds.

"My first four hurdles are usually really good for me. That's my strong point," he said. "I'm just trying to clean up hurdles five and six, so that I can sprint to the end.

"I really like to get into the 30s (today), but I need to clean up the back half of my race."

Miller acknowledges that running the curve and going over a hurdle isn't the easiest thing to do.

"Everything that you do in this race has got to be about technique," he said. "I've had great coaches, great teammates, great friends and great parents. They have all helped me work really hard to get to this point."

Miller said the best thing about this year's state meet is the fact that Westville has gone from taking a car to Charleston last year to now needing a van as the Tigers 800-meter relay team punched their ticket for Saturday with a win in their heat race.

"All year, we talked about taking a bus to state," he said. "We didn't quite get that many people to state, but we are taking a van."

And he thinks it will help him in the finals.

"It's going to be more calming have someone else with me warming up and competing for a state championship," he said.

Members of the Tigers 800-meter relay team are Evan McMasters, Garrett Hatcher, Lincoln Cravens and Ja'Den Whorral. All four were also teammates this fall for the Westville football team and that experience has helped them this spring. It's also a reason why McMasters added track as a junior after being on the football and wrestling teams during his first two years.

"I decided to add track because my coaches (Devin Gay and Dylan Allen). They wanted to do track and they convinced me that track would make me faster for football," McMasters said. "Coach Allen pointed out that nearly every NFL player did track in high school and that kind of persuaded me into doing it."

Vasquez is one of four Salt Fork individuals to advance to today's finals. Joining him are Ty Smoot in the 800, Kamden Keller in the triple jump and Maddax Stine in the discus.

Smoot ran a personal best time of 1 minute, 59.28 seconds to take the seventh best time into the finals.

"Making the state finals was a big goal of mine after making state last year and choking in the prelims," said Smoot. "Now that I've qualified for the finals, the job is not finished. I want to do out and do something (today)."

Keller also set a personal best in the triple jump with a leap of 12.71 meters (41 feet, 8.5 inches) which is good enough for 10th place entering today's finals. The top nine in each event earn state medals.

That's something that Stine knows all too well from last year's state meet. He wound up 10th in the discus event as a freshman. He will enter today's finals in fifth with a toss of 47.64 metes (156 feet, 3 inches).