Repeat champs: Lutheran jumper, Auburn hurdler reclaim 1A boys track state titles
CHARLESTON — Mason Kooi added the long jump to his list of pursuits at the boys track and field state finals at O’Brien Field on Saturday.
The Lutheran senior won last year’s Class 1A state title in the high jump and triple jump but demurred on the long jump due to a stress fracture in his left heel.
Kooi ultimately settled for third in the long jump and fourth in the triple jump at this year’s state meet, but a second straight gold medal in the high jump more than sufficed.
Kooi reached 2.05 meters (6 feet, 9 inches) for first place in his primary event.
“I was running back and forth basically the whole time,” Kooi said. “Thankfully, I had a lot of people to help me out with that and get me from place to place. My long jump and triple jump wasn't as good as they could have been, but I'm also not upset.”
He jumped a personal best 6.37 meters (20-10 ¾) in the long jump and 13.42 meters (44-0 ½) in the triple jump. Litchfield’s Keenan Powell was third in the triple jump with a distance of 13.43 meters (44-0 ¾) as well.
Kooi doesn’t have to deal with the pain of doing three events anymore. He will squarely focus on the high jump at University of Nebraska. He committed to the Cornhuskers about three weeks ago after setting a personal best 7 feet at the start of the outdoor season.
He overcame Robinson junior and second-place medalist Noah Gilmore, who snapped Kooi’s unblemished 18-0 streak in the high jump at the Illinois Top Times indoor meet in late March.
“Coming in I knew I was going to have a lot of competition especially from Noah Gilmore,” Kooi said. “I saw him at indoor and he was my first ever loss in the high jump, so I knew that he was going to definitely pose a threat.
“I love the kid, I've seen him a couple of times. I'm super happy to jump with him. He's definitely going to be scary next year for anyone jumping against him.”
Kern wards off challenger
Auburn senior Jackson Kern similarly defended his 1A state title in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles.
He nipped Champaign Judah Christian’s Daryl Okeke in 37.80 seconds as the latter spilled across the finish line in 38.42.
Kern previously lost to Okeke in the indoor state meet in the 60 hurdles and trailed slightly in their outdoor showdown until the final homestretch.
“The best part of my race is the finish and as long as I kept him in finishing distance, I could take him and it's exactly what I did,” Kern said.
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Kern also earned second in the 110-meter high hurdles in 14.33 just narrowly behind Catlin Salt Fork senior Nathan Kirby’s 14.28. He also anchored the third-place 4x400 relay in 3:25.52 alongside brothers Nathan and Jacob Barth as well as teammate Carter Hunley.
Pleasant Plains followed with sixth place in 3:27.36 and included Cayden Donnelly, Nathan Dahl, Barnett Glisson and Cole Payne.
Kern set new school records in all three of his events and Auburn finished fifth overall as a team.
“I definitely wanted to defend my title,” Kern said of the 300, which he won last year in 38.14. “Nothing more than I wanted to do. I really wanted to beat the 110 to be state champion (but) Kirby ran a great race, so props to him. I did everything I could to defend my title.”
Other area top finishes
In Class 1A, Carlinville sophomore Mason Gilpin tied for second in the pole vault at 4.20 meters (13-9) while Rushville-Industry senior Charlie Terry was sixth (4 meters, or 13-2).
Pana junior Connor McGlauchlen achieved third in the discus throw with a throw of 163-3 ¾.
Williamsville picked up fourth in the 4x800 relay in 8:04.59 and included Drew Mirabile, Daniel Giacomini, Avery Glasgow and Nolan Bates.
North Mac senior Cooper Starks, an offensive lineman committed to Vanderbilt University, also garnered fourth place in the shot put. He threw a distance of 52-8 ¾.
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Litchfield junior Camden Quarton was sixth in the 3,200 with a time of 9:42.23 while Rushville’s Tyler Bickerman took seventh in the 800 at 1:57.85.
In Class 2A, Lincoln teammates Ben Crombie, Luke Jones, Jude Toft and Brenden Heitzig raced to second in the 4x800 in 7:54.94 behind Chicago Payton’s 7:53.59. The Railsplitters won the relay last year.
Rochester senior Evan Alexander was fifth in the pole vault at 4.35 meters (14-3).
Contact Bill Welt: 788-1545, bill.welt@sj-r.com, Twitter.com/BillWelt
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: IHSA boys track and field: Mason Kooi, Jackson Kern remain state champs
