It’s off to the Class 1-A state meet for the Leo High School track team, which captured its seventh consecutive IHSA Sectional title by collecting 92.5 points at Hanson Stadium on Chicago’s West Side on Wednesday, May 18.
State meet qualifying will take place on the Eastern Illinois University track on Thursday, May 26, with the finals to follow on Saturday, May 28.
Senior Chris Winters won the shot put and qualified for the state meet with a personal best heave of 52 feet, 10 inches. Winters also qualified in the discus, along with teammate De’Mon Fox.
Senior SirLaurence King, an All-State cross country runner, is also state meet-bound following a second-place finish in the 3,200-meter run, easily surpassing the qualifying time. Sophomore Vidal Cargo qualified for the high jump when he cleared the bar at 6 feet. Leo’s other qualifiers are senior David Frye in the 100-meter dash and sophomore Miguel Harrell in the long jump.
Leo will be sending its 4-by-200 and 4-by-400 meter relay teams to Eastern Illinois, but its perennially strong 4-by-100 team missed out when a poor baton exchange led to a fall and a sixth-place finish.