ALAH 8th Grade Boys – Class 2A IESA Sectional Champions; Knights Boys and Girls Qualify 21 for State Meet

By Editor | May 13, 2025 |

Knights Are IESA Sectional Champions! The ALAH eighth grade boys track and field team won the Class 2A IESA Sectional meet at Tuscola on Saturday, May 10. They scored 120 points to take the title. Pictured here with the Sectional plaque are: in front Greyson Yoder, Anthony Graham, Nolan Bartley, Carson Lane, and Jase Kingery. In back are Dustin Snyder, Bentley Hutson, Beau Green, Donovan Vanausdoll, Griffin Hilton, and Colton Snyder.

By SALLY McCARTHY

The ALAH eighth grade boys track field team won the Class 2A IESA Sectional meet on Saturday, May 10 at Tuscola. The boys scored in every event they were entered in and scored both places in six of those events for a total of 120 points. Season rival Villa Grove was second with 63. Fifteen teams scored in the eighth grade boys’ division.

The sectional is the qualifying meet for the IESA state track and field meet with first place finishers and those meeting qualifying standards set by the IESA advancing to the state finals. Nine eighth grade boys advanced to the state meet from Saturday’s sectional.

Beau Green won the high jump at a PR of 5’ 9”, which also tied the Knights’ jr. high record, the 800 meters with a PR of 2:11.64; the 1600 in 4:48.99 and with Jase Kingery, Bentley Hutson, and Donovan Vanausdoll took first in the 4 X 4 relay at 3:56.02. Colton Snyder is the alternate for that relay.

Vanausdoll won the discus with a 139’ 8” throw and qualified in the shot put at 42’ 8.25”.

The Knights 4 X 2 relay with Kingery, Griffin Hilton, Carson Lane, and Hutson won with a time of 1:42.32. Anthony Graham is the alternate for that relay.

Other qualifiers who met the standards were Hutson, third in the 400 with a PR of 55.81; Colton Snyder who took fifth in the 1600 with a PR of 4:59.89; Kingery in the 110 meter hurdles at 17.53; and Nolan Bartley in the high jump with a PR of 5’ 5”.

The seventh grade boys will send seven athletes to state in one individual event and two relays. All of the seventh graders advanced by besting the qualifying standards.

Abel Lat qualified in the 110 meter hurdles with a third place finish and a PR of 18.63.

The 4 X 2 relay with Eli Burket, Kael Ward, Brodie Carter, and Lat with Bowyer McGrath as their alternate ran a PR of 1:53.29 and finished in second place.

Taking fifth place was the 4 X 4 relay of Micah Burket, Lat, Carter, and Ward with Camden Casteel as the alternate ran a PR of 4:24.40.

For the girls, the eighth grade girls also qualified in one individual event and two relays.

Zoey Mendoza placed third in the high jump at 4’ 11” to move on. Mendoza plus Macee Boddy, Gwen Herring, and Kyndall Crist ran both the 4 X 1 at a PR of 55.2 to a fourth place finish and the 4 X 4 to third in a PR of 4:40.76. Payton Tinkle is the alternate for both relays.

While the seventh grade girls didn’t have anyone advance to state, Kyndall Crist did score a third place in the 100 meter dash with a time of 14.32. This group of mostly sixth graders gained valuable experience in this meet and throughout the season that will help them next year as seventh graders.

The Class 2A State Track and Field Championships will be held next Friday and Saturday, May 16 and 17 at the Eastside Centre in East Peoria.

Good luck to all the ALAH Jr. High Knights at State!!!

Other seventh grade girls’ results from sectional:

100M: Natalie Peralta 15.52, PR

200M: Natalie Peralta, 32.03, PR

400M: Chloe Lawson, 1:20.08

800M: Kylan Hall, 2:51.88, PR; Brianda Calvillo, 3:04.53

1600M: Brianda Calvillo, 6:48.10

4 X 4 Relay: Chloe Lawson, Natalie Peralta, Brianda Calvillo, Kylan Hall, 5:26.54

Shot Put: Ivy Binion, 13’ 6”; Iris Binion, 13’ 5.5”

Discus: Ivy Binion, 44’ 0”; Iris Binion, 29’ 0”

Long Jump: Chloe Lawson, 11’ 9”