Mahomet-Seymour’s Jayvon Irwin Commits to Millikin University
By FRED KRONER
It’s a common cliche for coaches and – for that matter – parents before a competition of any kind.
As they offer encouragement, they add, “Do your best.”
For Mahomet-Seymour senior Jayvon Irwin, he gets feedback on whether he accomplished that quest almost as soon as he finishes running.
He just needs to glance at the scoreboard and check his time.
“I like the idea of beating my PR (personal record) and the competition with the lane next to me,” Irwin said. “One of the things I like about the individual races is that I compete against myself, always going for a PR.
“I can measure my own improvement.”
He is not the only one noticing his times. College coaches have as well. Irwin had overtures from more than three dozen coaches throughout the Midwest before he committed to the track and field team at Millikin University, in Decatur.
M-S track and field head coach Keith Pogue believes Millikin will be an ideal fit for his standout sprinter.
“Last year, he showed signs of being an elite sprinter, but I don’t think we suspected he would be as good as he is,” Pogue said. “He is on the cusp of understanding how good he can be.
“He is so smooth and good at maintaining speed. It is very difficult for a high schooler to maintain speed through 100 or 200 (meters), but his form is exemplary, and he has a gift.
“I think there is a lot of untapped potential there.”
Irwin is rapidly moving up on the list of all-time M-S record board leaders.
His PR in the 100 meters (10.96 seconds) places him third on the all-time Bulldog sprint list, trailing only Wade Rippy (2003) and Adam Kesler (2005). They were both timed at 10.6.
Irwin’s top mark in the 200 meters – also attained this spring – is 22.81 seconds and has him on the verge of making the school’s top 10. He currently stands 11th.
Irwin – also a four-year member of the M-S football team – burst onto the track scene as a senior in the Illinois Prep Top Times indoor state meet in March.
He secured two top-20 finishes in Class 2A and just missed one top-10 placement. He ran 11th in the 200 meters (23.45 seconds) and was 20th in the 60-meter dash (7.27 seconds).
That meet, at Illinois Wesleyan University in Normal, was a turning point. It was when he started to believe that running in college was a realistic goal.
“I didn’t really think it was an option until I got my first email from a college recruiter this year after the Top Times Meet,” Irwin said. “I then began to see it as a more serious option.”
From the list of suitors, he narrowed his short list to two schools: Millikin and Illinois Wesleyan University. He felt like he had two good choices.
“I liked both track programs a lot and there are Mahomet graduates on each team so that wasn’t really a factor,” Irwin said. “Both schools have great facilities.
“It basically came down to two things. Academically, I believe Millikin will offer me the most flexibility and support in a study area that I am excited about with internships and early employment options.
“In the track program, I believe I will be on the track in 2025, helping the Big Blue win some races and getting my times faster.”
Former M-S assistant coach Carrol Whitehouse is in his second year on staff at Millikin. He works with pole vaulters and high jumpers.
“He has a confidence level with Coach,” Pogue said.
Irwin had other details to work through beyond picking the school to attend.
“This was a tough year for athletes because schools require the FAFSA form to be completed for all financial offers and the form was revised and not available until late December,” Irwin said, “so everything was pushed back.”
Irwin’s academic interests are in Art Technology and Graphics Design, especially in sports.
“I am already making some recruiting highlight films for some high school seniors,” he said. “I really enjoy sports and video editing. I would love to combine the two (for a career).”
His running career took off as a sixth-grader, the first year track was available for students at M-S.
Though he tried high jump and long jump along the way, he said, “sprinting is where it’s at for me. I have always liked the running part.”
His track career didn’t get off to a fast start, however.
“I was slow when I first started, especially when we started with blocks,” Irwin said.
His enjoyment in running is matched by the camaraderie with the other competitors.
“I really like getting to know the sprinters from the other schools and pushing each other,” Irwin said.
Pogue has seen a tremendous progression since Irwin joined the high school program and established himself as a solid relay runner (on the junior varsity) as a freshman.
“He is a kid who stuck with it and kept at it,” Pogue said. “He’s a guy who listens to coaches, and that was true in football. He likes guidance and to know what he should do.”
Irwin’s potential became a reality a year ago when Pogue placed him in the 100 meters to help score points for the team in the Apollo Conference meet.
M-S finished 1-2 in the event with DeAngelo Hughey edging Irwin for the top spot.
“He wasn’t that far behind DeAngelo, and you could see his confidence grow,” Pogue said. “This year, he has embraced the open races.”
Irwin credits Pogue for helping him to flourish.
“Coach Pogue and teammate Matthew He (a fellow senior) were both key,” Irwin said. “Coach Pogue helped a lot with drills, form, foot placement and handoffs.
“Matthew helped a lot with drills to strengthen my shins and block starts. I’ve just been having a lot of tough competition this year and recognizing this is my last high school season, so I’m really pushing myself to reach my goals.”
Until recently, Irwin also had Hughey – last year’s state runner-up in the 400 meters – to push him in workouts and meets. Hughey has been sidelined much of his senior season with an injury.
“DeAngelo’s performance at state changed the expectations for sprinting at Mahomet-Seymour,” Pogue said. “It’s very sad he has been injured, but he has been supportive.
“He keeps Jayvon’s feet on the ground.”
In his self-analysis, Irwin regards “speed and acceleration,” as his strengths, and added, “I am working on getting out of the blocks faster.”
Over the years, Irwin has participated in a variety of sports. When he was younger, he saw himself as a college athlete in a sport other than track.
“Like most kids I did all the sports growing up. I honestly thought I’d play soccer in college as I played it through sixth grade,” said Irwin, who has also wrestled and played basketball in addition to football.
Irwin is looking forward to making a contribution at Millikin next year.
“I have talked with the players and the coaches and we are all excited about the potential I bring to the team as an individual and as part of a relay,” he said. “I anticipate running my freshman year.”
As for the more immediate future – the remainder of his senior year – Pogue believes Irwin could match what Hughey did a year ago as a two-event Class 2A all-state runner.
Irwin is a potential finalist in both the 100 and 200 meters individually and could also compete with both sprint relays at Charleston.
And yet, Irwin is not one to toot his own horn.
“He’s very quiet and not braggadocio,” Pogue said. “He just does the work and is willing to do what he can for the team.”
A veteran M-S coach in two sports, Pogue places Irwin in a special category.
“We’ve developed a deep trust,” Pogue said. “He understands what we’re trying to do in practice.”
Pogue may have a workout plan set for a particular practice, but is confident that when he asks Irwin if he should back off on a set of repetitions or keep the pace going, he can count on the answer he receives.
“He’s a kid I can go to and I can trust him completely to make those judgments,” Pogue said. “I can count on one hand the number of athletes I’ve had like that.”
The proximity of Decatur to Mahomet was one factor that helped Irwin feel comfortable in his college decision. The distance is about 45 miles.
“That is one of the reasons I chose Millikin,” he said. “I do not want my parents to have to travel very far to visit me and I am very close with them and with my dog, Zeke.
“I also want to get home to see some of my friends that are attending Illinois and attend some M-S HS football games.”
