Carlinville Sweeps SCC Fresh/Soph Meet, Litchfield Posts Strong Showing

The Carlinville track and field program secured a commanding double-championship on Thursday, April 23, winning both the boys’ and girls’ team titles at the SCC Fresh/Soph Meet. Despite Carlinville’s home-track advantage, the Litchfield underclassmen turned in a strong performance, finishing third in the boys’ competition and sixth on the girls’ side in a highly competitive conference battle.

The Carlinville boys overpowered the field with 175 points, holding off runner-up Hillsboro (124.5) and third-place Litchfield (92). In the girls’ division, Carlinville earned 109 points to edge out Gillespie (96) for the team championship, while the Litchfield girls amassed 59 points.

Litchfield’s boys were anchored by dominant sprinting and jumping from sophomores Jaxon Ray and Lukas Paine, alongside standout performances from freshman Brylan Marten. Ray claimed gold in the 200-meter dash, blazing to a winning time of 23.28, and ran the anchor leg for Litchfield’s victorious 4×100 relay team (45.64). Paine secured an individual title in the 400 meters, crossing the finish line in 53.76, and contributed to the 4×100 win.

Marten showcased his explosive talent in the horizontal jumps. The freshman bounded to a first-place finish in the triple jump with a leap of 12.09 meters and secured silver in the long jump (5.81m). Distance runner Nolan Engstrom added critical points for the Purple Panthers, securing a runner-up finish in the 1600 meters (5:04.67).

Carlinville’s boys’ championship was fueled by distance specialist Henry Truax and a deep hurdle crew. Truax won the 800 meters in 2:04.93 and finished third in the 1600 meters. Joel White took home gold in the discus with a heave of 43.16 meters and added a victory in the 100-meter dash (12.09). Carlinville also racked up relay points, winning both the 4×400 and 4×800 events.

On the girls’ side, freshman Lana Cress continued her remarkable debut season to lead the Litchfield scoring. Cress set a personal record to win the 200-meter dash in 26.92 and ran the second leg of Litchfield’s runner-up 4×100 relay team (51.66).

Freshman Maggie Schwab delivered a massive point-scoring performance in the distance events, taking silver in the 800 meters with a personal-best time of 2:34.13. Ava White also set a personal record to finish second in the 300-meter hurdles (49.95), and Jennah Longwell secured a pair of third-place finishes in the shot put (9.43m) and discus (25.04m).

Carlinville’s girls won the team title through dominance in the relays and field events. The Cavaliers captured gold in the 4×400 and 4×800 relays, while Emma Suttles cleared 1.52 meters to win the high jump. Sola Lane added a victory in the triple jump with a personal-best mark of 8.93 meters.

Game Summary

Score by Quarters

(Note: Track and Field total team points reflect final standings)
| Team | Boys Points | Girls Points |
|—|—|—|
| Carlinville | 175 | 109 |
| Hillsboro | 124.5 | 74 |
| Litchfield | 92 | 59 |
| Pana | 81 | 38 |
| Gillespie | 59.5 | 96 |
| Staunton | 40 | 61 |
| Vandalia | 35 | 18 |
| Piasa (Southwestern) | 31 | 19 |
| Greenville | 21 | 63 |
| Virden (North Mac) | 13 | 37 |

Scoring Drives

(First-Place Event Finishes – Boys)

• 100 Meters: Joel White, Carlinville (12.09)

• 200 Meters: Jaxon Ray, Litchfield (23.28)

• 400 Meters: Lukas Paine, Litchfield (53.76)

• 800 Meters: Henry Truax, Carlinville (2:04.93)

• 1600 Meters: Chase Kallal, Piasa Southwestern (4:51.70)

• 3200 Meters: Chase Kallal, Piasa Southwestern (11:12.14)

• 110m Hurdles: Micah Meadows, Pana (16.44)

• 300m Hurdles: Micah Meadows, Pana (43.47)

• Relays: Litchfield (4×100), Hillsboro (4×200), Carlinville (4×400, 4×800)

• Shot Put: Dace Jones, Pana (13.11m)

• Discus: Joel White, Carlinville (43.16m)

• High Jump: Noah Satterlee, Hillsboro (1.83m)

• Pole Vault: Dane Diesselhorst, Gillespie (3.81m)

• Long Jump: Tyree Taylor, Staunton (6.17m)

• Triple Jump: Brylan Marten, Litchfield (12.09m)

(First-Place Event Finishes – Girls)

• 100 Meters: Sophia Watkins, Hillsboro (13.41)

• 200 Meters: Lana Cress, Litchfield (26.92)

• 400 Meters: Megan Weidemann, Greenville (1:05.60)

• 800 Meters: Sylvee Gibbs, Carlinville (2:32.43)

• 1600 Meters: Halle Bredel, Carlinville (5:47.19)

• 3200 Meters: Paige Swank, Gillespie (14:39.80)

• 100m Hurdles: Kaelin Cress, Hillsboro (17.07)

• 300m Hurdles: Kaelin Cress, Hillsboro (49.78)

• Relays: Hillsboro (4×100, 4×200), Carlinville (4×400, 4×800)

• Shot Put: Milan Hustedde, Greenville (9.85m)

• Discus: Audrey Podwojski, Staunton (28.99m)

• High Jump: Emma Suttles, Carlinville (1.52m)

• Pole Vault: Ella Brawner, Gillespie (3.20m)

• Long Jump: Lydia Collins, Hillsboro (4.67m)

• Triple Jump: Sola Lane, Carlinville (8.93m)

Individual Statistics

• LITCHFIELD MULTI-EVENT MEDALISTS: Brylan Marten (1st in Triple Jump, 2nd in Long Jump); Lana Cress (1st in 200m); Lukas Paine (1st in 400m); Jaxon Ray (1st in 200m); Maggie Schwab (2nd in 800m); Ava White (2nd in 300m Hurdles); Jennah Longwell (3rd in Shot Put, 3rd in Discus).

• LITCHFIELD RELAYS: The Litchfield boys won the 4×100 relay (45.64). The Litchfield girls took second in the 4×100 relay (51.66).