Bulldogs capture three wins at Class 4A Mount Zion Sectional
By FRED KRONER
Mahomet-Seymour had IESA champions in three events in the Saturday (May 15) Class 4A Mount Zion Sectional eighth grade boys’ track and field meet.
Blake Dillman was the 800-meter winner, stopping the clock in 2 minutes, 17.62 seconds.
In the pole vault, Ty Clark’s 10-foot, 6-inch effort placed him in first.
The Bulldogs’ 1,600-meter relay was also victorious. Teaming up for the win in 4 minutes, 1.72 seconds were Ian Dobrucki, Kaden Jackson, Ethan Ramirez and Dylan Smith.
In other years, the three M-S winners would have qualified for the state finals. However, due to restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the sectional meet was the final one of the spring.
Dobrucki was the runner-up in the 110-meter hurdles, with a time of 17.91 seconds.
Also finishing second was the M-S 800-meter relay unit of Clark, Dobrucki, Jackson and Smith. Their collective time was 1:47.70.
Mount Zion claimed team honors in the eight-school meet, totaling 106 points. Effingham (92 points) was second followed by the third-place Bulldogs (69 points).
The hurdles, the 800-meter run and the 1,600 meters were the three events where M-S produced double placers.
Joining Dillman as a medalist in the 800 was Joshua Franklin. He took fifth in 2:21.40. Will Slezak joined Dobrucki as hurdling medalists. Slezak’s time of 19.84 seconds earned him a fifth-place finish.
In the 1,600 meters, Ramirez was fourth (5:09.63) and Lukas Nykaza was seventh (5:24.06).
Dobrucki and Franklin were the busiest Bulldogs. They secured top eight placements in all four events in which they participated.
Besides his two relays and the hurdles, Dobrucki finished sixth in the long jump (15 feet).
Franklin carved out a fourth-place finish in the discus (104 feet, 3 ½ inches) to go with an eighth-place ending in the shot put (30 feet, 7 inches). He was also a placer in the 800 meters and with the 400-meter relay.
Additionally, the M-S 400-meter relay grouping of Will Anderson, Franklin, Micah Moser and Slezak was fourth in 56.97 seconds.
Other top Bulldog individual finishers in the eighth-grade division were: Clark (third in the high jump, 4 feet, 8 inches) and Smith (seventh in the 200 meters, 27.17).
“Overall, this was a great season,” M-S coach Bobby Boykin said. “We began the season, like most schools, with very limited experience, due to losing out on our season last year with the pandemic.
“Our goal this year was to continue to get better throughout the season, and all of the boys were able to do that. The excitement of just seeing an athlete beat their personal record was amazing.
“The eighth-grade boys this year continued to set a standard of excellence within our track program for our seventh- and sixth-graders. We are really looking forward to what the future holds for all of our athletes as they move up to high school, or returning next year.”
In the boys’ seventh-grade IESA sectional, also held at Mount Zion, M-S placed third as a team with 53 points.
The sectional championship team was Mount Zion (171 points), followed by Charleston (62 points).
Two M-S relays and one individual earned runner-up finishes.
Ethan Peterka was second in the 1,600 meters, with a time of 5 minutes, 12.40 seconds.
In other years, Peterka would have qualified for state, based on his time. However, the IESA canceled the state finals this spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The sectional meet was the final one of the season.
Peterka also ran a leg on the runner-up 1,600-meter relay. The runners on the foursome were Landen Dowers, Auggie Gaudio, Wade Manuel and Peterka. Their combined time was 4 minutes, 25.96 seconds.
Also taking second was the 800-meter relay unit. Sharing the baton were Dowers, Noah Frank, Manuel and Parker Wilkins. Their time was 1:54.64.
The individual 1,600-meter race was one of three where the Bulldogs had double placers. Joining Peterka was fourth-place finisher Henry McMurry (5:30.15).
In the 400 meters, Justus Vrona placed third (1:06.59) and Gaudio was fourth (1:06.78).
In the 800 meters, Tucker Loven ended third (2:37.08) and Camden Wood was fifth (2:38.55).
Jonathan Franklin was a two-event placer. He registered a fifth-place finish in the shot put (26 feet, 4 inches) and had a sixth-place showing in the discus (73 feet, 8 inches).
The other M-S points came from its 400-meter relay. That group captured fifth. Sharing the baton were Isaiah Benson, Cash Bryan, Jack Meyer and Vrona. Their total time was 1:00.17.
