By Mike Clark
Asia Thomas was physically prepared for a busy Saturday.
Mentally too.
The Kenwood senior won four events, setting three meet records, during the Public League indoor championships Saturday, March 18, at Dr. Conrad Worrill Track and Field Center at Gately Park.
She swept the sprints, running 7.58 seconds in the 60 meters, 58.12 in the 400 and 24.63 in the 200 before anchoring the Broncos to victory in the 1,600 relay at 4:06.12. The 60, 200 and 1,600 relay were meet records.
“I feel good,” Thomas said afterward. “I knew that today was gonna be hard coming in. I mean it’s the championships, of course it is.”
Thomas sits first or second on the Athletic.net state leader boards in all of the sprints, but that hasn’t been a burden.
“No, because I know whoever’s looking at me is looking at me to do well and they’re looking at me as a friend and colleague,” she said. “So no pressure out there. Having fun for the most part but also handling business.”
Thomas and the Broncos have one more indoor meet, the Illinois Top Times next weekend at Illinois Wesleyan. After that, the focus will be on the outdoor season leading up to the IHSA state series.
“I’m going to probably focus more on the (100) and (200 outdoors) considering that’s what I’m going to run in college,” Thomas said. “(And) for sure, relays. The 4-by-4 is my favorite event.”
Thomas wasn’t the only Kenwood sprinter to bring home three individual firsts.
Broncos senior Sidney Morris swept the boys 60 (7.12), 400 (49.98) and 200 (22.29), setting meet records in all three.
“I took the 400 personally because last year I came in second place,” he said.
Morris’ effort helped the Broncos roll to the boys team title, 129-89 over runner-up Lane. It’s a case of picking up where they left off last spring.
“The end of outdoor season last year, it gave us a big confidence boost,” Morris said. “Going into this year, it’s really … more heart. We’ve been hungry. We’ve been working really hard at practice, pushing each other and it’s all love over there.”
Also making a splash was Young freshman Max Warner, who swept the boys horizontal jumps. He went a meet-record 13.14 meters (43-1.5) in the triple jump and took the long jump at 6.38 meters (20-11.25). The latter was a personal best.
Warner, like many other athletes, appreciated the chance to compete at the state-of-the-art Worrill facility.
“I’m grateful because this is like the only good (indoor) track in Chicago,” he said. “And this is one of the best tracks I’ve ever ran on.”
Warner only started doing track and field three years ago with the Windy City Hammers youth program.
“I wanted to be a sprinter, but my coach, he saw the jumper potential in me,” he said. “And he said I’m just gonna be a jumper.”
Lane’s boys were led by Will Kozlowski, who won the 1,600 in 4:27.53 and led off the Champions’ meet record-setting 3,200 relay (8:08.62).
“The goal, at least for my portion of it, was to try to score 20 points in the 4-by-8 and the (1,600), especially since I was coming back from last year winning it,” Kozlowski said.
The 3,200 relay has become a signature event for Lane, which won a Class 3A title in 2012 and is a frequent state qualifier in the event.
“We take immense pride in it,” Kozlowski said. “Every year we’re wondering who’s gonna be on the squad and what’s gonna happen? I’m thankful for coach Tony (Jones) for pushing us hard every year, and hopefully we’ll have a good team.”
Kenwood’s boys had five more winners: Landan Gillespie in the 800 (1:54.46), Elijah Easley in the 60 hurdles (8:50), 800 relay (1:30.88), 1,600 relay (3:31.14) and Julius Washington in the high jump (1.92 meters, 6-3.5).
All were meet records.
Also winning boys titles were Young’s Hunter Whitney in the 3,200 (9:44.27), Taft’s Michael Barretto in the shot put (13.43 meters, 44-0.75) and Lane’s Owen Lee in the pole vault (2.79 meters, 9-2). Whitney and Barretto set meet records. Lindblom’s Kennedy Ross had two girls meet records, in the 60 hurdles (8.86) and triple jump (10.96 meters, 35-11.5).
Young won the girls team title, 111-100 over Kenwood. Jade Lavallee swept the distances for the Dolphins, winning the 3,200 in 11:31.00 and the 1,600 in a meet-record 5:18,52. Teammate Chidiogo Odeluga won the shot put (10.57 meters, 34-8.25).
Kenwood also had wins from Maylah Howard in the high jump (a meet-record 1.52 meters, 4-11.75), Jaliyah Shepherd in the long jump (meet-record 5.57 meters, 19-3.25) and its 800 relay team (1:44.89).
Lane had girls titles from its 3,200 relay team (10:21.78) and pole vaulter Kaylee Kreiner (2,34 meters, 7-8). Taft’s Hannah Diete won the girls 800 in 2:18.77.
