A championship showing in the IHSA Class A sectional track meet has the Leo Lions contemplating a record eighth state track title in the upcoming IHSA state meet at Eastern Illinois University.
A 10-man Leo contingent will compete in the prelims on Thursday, May 24, with the finals scheduled for Saturday, May 26.
First-place finishes in five individual events and three relays helped the Lions to 120 points and a first-place performance in the Sectional at Chicago’s Hanson Stadium on May 16. Sophomore Dorian Woods was a double winner, with placing first in the 100-meter dash (11.26 seconds) and the long jump (20 feet, 6 inches).
Senior Vidal Cargo (high jump; 6-3), senior Kenny Taggart (shot put; 48-9) and junior Devin Flakes (triple jump; 42-6) were Leo’s other sectional champions. First-place finishes in the 4-x-100, 4-x-200 and 4-x-400 relays helped the Lions to a 19-point advantage over runner-up Hope Academy.
Sophomore Tobias Sample (11.37, 100 meters) and senior Chris Reno (51.81, 400 meters) were runners-up in their respective events but met the IHSA qualifying time and will be competing in Charleston. The runner-up 4-x-800 meter relay team also qualified for state.
Leo’s 4-x-100 relay team consists of Sample, Chris Reno, Romell Reno and Dorian Woods. The 4-x-200 team features Sample, Romell Reno, Jalen Harris and Rod-Shad Woods. The 4-x-400 team consists of Chris Reno, Rich’ard Coleman, Cargo and Rod-Shad Woods. Freshmen Coleman, Damen Ward and Ed Harris join senior Rod-shad Woods on the 4-x-800 meter team.
Only two other schools exceeded Leo’s 120-point total in sectional competition throughout the state. The last of Leo’s seven state track championships came in 2012.