Minooka’s chances at collecting some team hardware at the IHSA Boys Track and Field State Meet in Charleston took a little bit of a hit after Friday’s preliminaries.
The Indians advanced five individual performers into the final events but likely will need more than that to stay in the team mix.
Those who did advance seem to have good chances at standing high on the podium. Hurdler Collin Forrest turned in the preliminaries’ best time in the 110-meter hurdles, clocking in at 14.09. Forrest also qualified in the seventh position in the 300 hurdles (39.81).
Tyler Colwell turned in two prime performances in the sprint events, posting the third-best time in the 100 (10.78) and the fourth-best effort in the 200 (22.06).
Emerson Fayman also moved onto the finals for Minooka in the 800.
One of the top individiual efforts of the day was turned in by Bolingbrook’s Brett Wasick in the 800. Wasick’s 1:54.56 time was the best of the day, almost two seconds better than anyone else in the 3A field.
Lockport’s Gabe Czako also qualified in two events, the 110 hurdles and the 300 hurdles.
The high jump pit will be full of local competitiors in the 3A finals, as Joel Anyan of Romeoville, Mason Delaney of Plainfield North and Peter Weygandt of Lincoln-Way East all made the final grouping.
Joliet West’s Marcellus Mines will be in the 1,600 final, while Plainfield North’s 4x200 relay also qualified. Plainfileld North also will be represented in the finals by shot putter Colin Wojtkiewicz.
Lincoln-Way East turned in several strong field event performances beyond Weygandt’s high jump qualification, as Arnie Grunert was one of only six pole vaulters to clear the highest qualifying height and Dedrick Richardson also made the finals field in the long jump.
Plainfield South’s Kyle Eppenstein rounded out the local qualifiers from the area as he reached the finals in the pole vault.
The area’s lone qualifiers to the Class 2A finals were Joliet Catholics’s Adrian Washington in the long jump and Coal CIty’s Christian Micetich in the 300 hurdles.
Boys Tennis
IHSA State Tournament: Local players at the state tournament had a rough go of it, as all qualifiers were bounced from the field.
Lincoln-Way West’s Jacob Stermin and Milan Miskovic were the area’s lone competitors to win an opening-round match, but the duo dropped their second-round matchup in the championship bracket and then bowed out of the tournament with a loss in the consolation bracket.
Lincoln-Way Central’s Tommy Belka and Dom Evans also won a consolation match on Day 2, but also were ousted in their next match.
Baseball
Joliet West 4, Thornwood 3 (8 inn.): At the Class 4A Joliet West Regional, Joliet West didn’t need a hit in the bottom of the eighth inning in a semifinal win.
A couple of walks, a hit batsman and one more walk proved to be good enough as the Tigers walked into the regional final with victory over Thornwood. West (23-13) will face Homewood-Flossmoor in the regional final at noon Saturday.
Joe Lukancic forced in the winning run with his walk-off walk and also contributed a pair of triples for West. Manny Rincon added two more runs driven in, and James Love knocked in one.
The bullpen for West pitched just over six innings and didn’t allow a run while striking out six.
Plainfield Central 3, East Moline United 0: At the Class 4A Moline Regional, Josh Stratton was dominant for the Wildcats in the regional semifinal. His complete-game gem included 11 strikeouts.
At the plate, the Wildcats (26-10) got all the offense they needed with a two-run double from Chris Suchoski and an RBI from Taylor Kujak. Central will face the host Maroons in Saturday’s regional final at 11 a.m.
Softball
Lincoln-Way East 13, Homewood-Flossmoor 3 (5 inn): At the Class 4A Homewood-Flossmoor Regional, Katie Stewart picked a good day to have a good day. She homered as part of a four-hit day and drove in four runs as the Griffins took home the regional title. Danielle Stewart doubled and drove in three runs for East (25-2).
Maddie Pomykalski homered and drove in three for East, who will face either Lincoln-Way West or Shepard in a Class 4A Sandburg Sectional semifinal at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Girls Soccer
Benet Academy 4, Lemont 1: At the Class 2A Wheaton Academy Sectional in West Chicago, Lemont (19-5) saw its season come to an end against top-seeded Benet in the sectional final.
Boys Lacrosse
Neuqua Valley 12, Lockport 4: At the Andrew Sectional in Tinley Park, Neuqua captured its fifth consecutive sectional title by eliminating the Porters. Lockport closed out its season at 13-7.
Girls Lacrosse
Lincoln-Way Central co-op 18, Lockport 14: At the Lockport Sectional, Central captured the sectional title while handing Lockport its first loss of the season. The Knights (17-13) will move on to Tuesday night’s Washington Supersectional to face Marist.
Lockport ended its season 22-1.
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