ALAH Knights Track and Field Competes at Illinois Top Times Championships

Heading to Indoor State!!  These seven ALAH high school track and field athletes who qualified for the Illinois Top Times Championships are ready to load up the bus to head to Illinois Wesleyan’s Shirk Center in Bloomington for the meet. This meet is often referred to as Indoor State and features the best Class 1A competitors in the state from the 2025 indoor track and field season. With their coaches, from left to right are Girls Head Coach Ryan Jefferson, Jacob Tighe, Justin Schrock, Cruz Hale, Easton Frederick, Payton Warrior, Daylon Doggett, Ruby Burton, and Boys Head Coach Mitch Wilson. Photo was submitted.

By SALLY McCARTHY

On Friday, March 28 seven ALAH high school track and field athletes, who qualified for the Indoor Top Times indoor track and field meet traveled to Bloomington to the Illinois Wesleyan’s Shirk Center, the site of the meet. This meet is often referred to as the Indoor State meet.

Qualifiers for the boys’ team were Jacob Tighe in the shot put and the 4 X 200 relay of Cruz Hale, Daylon Doggett, Payton Warrior, Easton Frederick and alternate Justin Schrock. Ruby Burton qualified in the girls’ 400 meters.

Jacob went into the competition ranked eighth in the shot put out of the eighteen qualifiers. He would come away with a fifth place medal. His best throw of the competition was a PR of 51’ 1”. Five of his six throws in the event were over 50 feet.

Although the 4 X 200 relay and Ruby didn’t return with medals, they had successful endings to their 2025 indoor seasons. The relay came in ranked fifteenth out of sixteen teams. They lowered their high school record to 1:36.80, and finished in tenth place. Ruby moved up a couple of places from her ranking and recorded a season best time of 1:03.99.

Congratulations to all the Knights and am looking forward to see more improvements during their outdoor season.