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EDWARDSVILLE - Senior sprinter Brandon Battle set a new school record in the 200 meters with a time of 21.64 seconds hand-timed as the Edwardsville boys track team got off to a successful start in an informal triangular meet with Belleville West and O'Fallon Thursday afternoon at the Winston Brown Track and Field Center.
No scores were kept during the meet, but the Tigers had a very good showing in their first competition of any kind in two years after the 2020 season was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It was definitely a great day," said Edwardsville head coach Chad Lakatos. "It was a good feeling to get out, and the kids really ran hard, they competed. We saw lots of good things, but we also know that there's still a lot of work to do."
Besides Battle's record breaking run int the 200, the distance runners fared very well, with Ryan Luitjohan and Geo Patrylak going one-two in the 1,600 meters with times of 4:33 flat and 4:37.5 respectively, and Jacob Grandone winning the 3,200 meters at 10:42 flat. The distance relay teams also had great times for early in the season, with the first 4x800 meter team, led by Drew Stover and Patrylak, having a time of 8:24.8, and the second team. led by Ryan Watts and Luitjohan, coming in at 8:18.7. All runners on both teams team set personal records for their splits.
A pair of 4x400 meter relay teams also ran very strong times for early in the season as well. The first team had a time of 3:32.7, while the second team had a 3:49.9. In the pole vault, Ethan Stukenberg set a personal record with a jump of 10 feet, six inches.
The big highlight was Battle's record in the 200, but was withheld from his specialty, the 400, in which he'll compete in in the Belleville West Invitational meet next Saturday, the first big meet of the season.
"He's been competing indoors," Lakatos said, "and we'll run him in the Belleville West Invite next week, and see how he goes there."
The team will also be reinforced by the return of many of the players from the Tiger football team, who will finish their season Friday night in the Southwestern Conference championship game at East St. Louis. All in all, it was a very good opening meet for Edwardsville. Both Lakatos and the Tigers are very happy to be back on the track, and are looking ahead to the upcoming competitions.
"They all seemed to have a good time," Lakatos said, "there was good weather, a good atmosphere and good competition. And after missing a season, it was like a breath of fresh air."
- Colin Feeney contributed to this story/photo package.
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