By Dan McGrath
State qualifiers in five events carried the Leo Lions to a third-place finish in the IHSA Class 2-A Sectional Track and Field Meet at Thornridge High School on Wednesday, May 20.
Leo earned 97 points in the meet to 174 for sectional champion Southland College Prep and 137.5 for runner-up Simeon. Marian Catholic (83 points) and host Thornridge (58.5) rounded out the top five.
The state meet will be held May 28-30 at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. Sectional winners and runners-up in each event qualify, along with competitors who meet the IHSA qualifying standard.
Sophomore Amir Adams will be a busy man for the Lions in Charleston after winning the 100-meter dash in 10.74 seconds and running on relay teams that placed first at 4-by-100 meters (:43.26) and 4-by-200 meters (1:33.17). Adams, a wide receiver on the Leo football team, also contributed to the 4-by-400 relay team’s third-place finish (3:42.80).
Steven Gordon, Byron Stephens and Kyiell Pierce joined Adams on the 4-by-100 team, while Marcus Reddick replaced Gordon on the 4-by-200 team. Reddick, Jordan Watkins and Mehki Baysinger were his 4-by-400 teammates.
Junior Daquan Brumfield, who took the discus with a throw of 144 feet, 7 inches, and sophomore Cam’Ron Thomas, who cleared 10-feet-7 in the pole vault, were Leo’s other first-place finishers and will join Adams and his fellow sprinters in Charleston.
Thomas contributed another six points to Leo’s team total by placing third at 1,600 meters (5:12.94). He also ran a leg on the 4-by-800 relay team with Baysinger, Gabriel Sims and Keion Long, finishing fourth in 9:44.66.
Brumfield’s fourth-place finish in the shot put (39 feet six inches) gave the Lions an additional five sectional points, and teammate Ian White-Holmes earned four points with a fifth-place showing (37-1.25).
Also contributing points for the Lions:
• Sophomore Steven Gordon, fourth in the high jump at 5 feet, 5.75 inches;
• Sophomore Kyiell Pierce, fourth in the triple jump at 41 feet, 7 inches;
• Sophomore Jahad Smith, fifth in the discus at 98 feet 6 inches;
• Sophomore Jamari Wilks, sixth in the 110-meter hurdles (:20.29) and the 300-meter hurdles (:45.45);
• Senior Khamari Carter, eighth in the 110-meter hurdles (:20.95).