Litchfield 7th-Grade Boys Lead the Pack in Rain-Shortened Five-Team Meet

LITCHFIELD, Ill. — The Litchfield Middle School track and field teams made their presence known early and often during a five-team meet on their home turf Monday afternoon. With several events still in progress as weather conditions paused the action, the Litchfield 7th-grade boys jumped out to a commanding lead in the team standings, while the 7th- and 8th-grade girls’ squads sat tightly in second place.

Competing against Carlinville, Vandalia, Springfield Christian, and Jacksonville ISD, Litchfield capitalized on strong field event performances to build early momentum.

The 7th-grade boys were paced by a pair of dominant wins in the field. Miles Fleming captured first place in the discus with a personal-best throw of 22.36 meters, adding a third-place finish in the shot put (7.65m). In the high jump, Clark Cress cleared 1.57 meters to claim the top spot, while teammate Omarr Robinson secured second place with a 1.37-meter leap. Through five completed events, Litchfield’s 7th-grade boys held first place with 46 points, edging out Carlinville’s 38.

In the 8th-grade boys’ division, Tevin LeNard provided a major highlight for Litchfield, overpowering the field to win the shot put with a toss of 12.29 meters. Despite his effort, Carlinville controlled the overall 8th-grade boys’ standings with 60 points, driven by victories from Evan Hergenrother in the discus (40.56m) and Brysan Edwards in the high jump (1.57m). Litchfield sat in second place with 29 points.

The Litchfield girls showcased their depth on the track, highlighted by a stellar victory in the 7th-grade 1600-meter sprint medley relay. The team of Avery Barcum, Maia Neuhaus, Emma Stauffer, and Aaliyah Jones crossed the line first in 4:48.07. Barcum also secured an individual gold in the 400-meter dash, clocking a 1:09.09.

In the 8th-grade girls’ distance events, Litchfield’s Tinley Birkenkamp delivered a composed run to win the 1600 meters with a time of 6:15.57. Teammate Aubrie Boston added crucial points with a runner-up finish in the 200-meter dash (27.92) and a third-place showing in the 100-meter hurdles (17.37).

Through eight completed events, Carlinville led the 7th-grade girls’ standings with 80 points, followed closely by Litchfield at 61. Vandalia held a narrow lead over Litchfield in the 8th-grade girls’ division, 62 to 59.

Game Summary

Score by Quarters

Note: Meet was marked in progress with 5 of 15 boys events and 8 of 15 girls events completed.

Scoring Drives

• First Quarter (7th Grade Boys Winners)

  • Shot Put: Layton Smith, Jacksonville ISD (9.10m)

  • Discus: Miles Fleming, Litchfield (22.36m)

  • High Jump: Clark Cress, Litchfield (1.57m)

  • Pole Vault: Henry Frericks & Thane Peterson, Carlinville (1.98m – Tie)

  • Long Jump: Case Diekemper, Vandalia (4.03m)

• Second Quarter (8th Grade Boys Winners)

  • Shot Put: Tevin LeNard, Litchfield (12.29m)

  • Discus: Evan Hergenrother, Carlinville (40.56m)

  • High Jump: Brysan Edwards, Carlinville (1.57m)

  • Pole Vault: Johnathon Whitlock, Carlinville (2.97m)

  • Long Jump: Keaton White, Vandalia (5.40m)

• Third Quarter (7th Grade Girls Winners)

  • 100m: Emerie Dilley, Vandalia (14.27)

  • 200m: SofiaSimone Lane, Carlinville (29.32)

  • 400m: Avery Barcum, Litchfield (1:09.09)

  • 1600m: Sofia Hellums, Carlinville (6:14.18)

  • 100m Hurdles: SofiaSimone Lane, Carlinville (17.47)

  • 4×100 Relay: Vandalia (1:00.07)

  • 4×200 Relay: Springfield Christian (1:58.81)

  • 1600m SMR: Litchfield (4:48.07)

• Fourth Quarter (8th Grade Girls Winners)

  • 100m: Sydnee Nestrick, Vandalia (12.95)

  • 200m: Sydnee Nestrick, Vandalia (27.50)

  • 400m: Rosie Maurer, Springfield Christian (1:08.09)

  • 1600m: Tinley Birkenkamp, Litchfield (6:15.57)

  • 100m Hurdles: Rosie Maurer, Springfield Christian (16.66)

  • 4×100 Relay: Vandalia (56.10)

  • 4×200 Relay: Springfield Christian (1:57.50)

  • 1600m SMR: Jacksonville ISD (4:48.74)

Individual Statistics

LITCHFIELD BOYS: Miles Fleming – 1st in 7th Discus (22.36m), 3rd in 7th Shot Put (7.65m); Clark Cress – 1st in 7th High Jump (1.57m); Tevin LeNard – 1st in 8th Shot Put (12.29m); Omarr Robinson – 2nd in 7th High Jump (1.37m); Bryce Pollard – 3rd in 8th Long Jump (4.86m).
LITCHFIELD GIRLS: Tinley Birkenkamp – 1st in 8th 1600m (6:15.57); Avery Barcum – 1st in 7th 400m (1:09.09); 7th Grade 1600m SMR – 1st (4:48.07); Aubrie Boston – 2nd in 8th 200m (27.92), 3rd in 8th 100m Hurdles (17.37); Caris Vaughn – 2nd in 7th 1600m (6:23.49); 7th Grade 4×200 Relay – 2nd (2:02.71); 8th Grade 4×200 Relay – 2nd (1:58.87); 8th Grade 1600m SMR – 3rd (5:15.33).