Edwardsville's dominance of Wednesday's Southwestern Conference Boys Track Championship at O'Fallon Township High could be summed up in three performances:
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Those of A.J. Epenesa, Wes Schoenthal and Travis Anderson.
Sophomore Epenesa has uncorked several huge efforts in the discus throw this year, did it again in taking the event, bouncing back from a 137-6 toss in qualifying to win the event in record-shattering fashion with a 180-4 mark on his last throw of the day to win the event and shatter a 43-year-old record at the same time. The previous mark was 176-5, set by Granite City's Tim Robbers in the 1972 SWC meet. He also took second in the shot put with a toss of 51-2.5.
Schoenthal, a senior, won twice, covering the 800 meters in 1:55.77 and the 1,600 meters in 4:17.07. Schoenthal appears primed for the sectional and state meets. Anderson came way with double wins in both hurdles events, the 110 in 15.78 seconds and the 300 in 39.20 seconds and also seems on top of his game for the sectional and state competition.
The 50 points for Epenesa, Schoenthal and Anderson boosted the Tigers to win their second straight SWC crown and fifth in six years, scoring 192 points to outdistance the host Panthers, who took second with 125 points. Belleville West finished third at 113 points, Collinsville was fourth with 108, Granite City was fifth with 53, East St. Louis sixth with 49, Alton seventh with 37 and Belleville East brought up the rear with 14.
The Tigers also dominated the concurrent junior varsity meet as well, racking up 208 points to outdistance the Flyers, who had 145 points. O'Fallon was third with 118, West fourth at 52, Granite fifth at 36, East sixth with 31, East St. Louis seventh at 25 and Alton brought up the rear with 14.
“A.J.'s grown a lot this year,” said Tiger coach Chad Lakatos. “He had a 137-foot throw in the preliminaries but really stepped up in the finals, throwing 157 and then 177 and 180 in his last two throws.
“He's really getting his consistency down, and that's good to see.”
When it comes to meets like this, the focus changes on scoring points, and that was something Lakatos made a point of emphasis. “At meets like this, it's really about scoring points,” Lakatos said, “and we emphasize to the kids that a second or a third gets us points as well. We tried to get people into the right events to score points.
“Next week (at the IHSA Class 3A regional), we may have to change up our strategy, but as I said, it's about getting points.”
Epenesa, Schoenthal and Anderson weren't the only individual champion for the Tigers; Fontez Davis came away with the long-jump crown with a leap of 22.7.5.
Points were paid to teams on a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis in individual events and on a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2 basis in relays. Other Tigers who finished in points-paying positions included Justin White, second in the high jump at 6-3; Sam Griffin, second in the pole vault at 12-3; Blake Neville, fifth in the pole vault at 10-9; Devonte Tincher, second in the long jump at 21-0 and third in the triple jump at 43-10.5; Tariq Minor, second in the triple jump at 44-0; Neil Gutterman, seventh in the discus with 139-9; Desmond Chappel, third in the shot put with a toss of 49-7; the 4x800 relay team, fourth in 8:28.86; the 4x100 relay, second in 42.06; Brydon Groves-Scott, second in the 3,200 in 9:42.20 and fifth in the 1,600 in 4:36.08; Kain Pyarall, fourth in the 3,200 in 9:55.68; Matt Griebe, fourth in the 110 hurdles in 15.54 and sixth in the 300 hurdles in 41.73; Davis, second in the 100 in 11.06; Joe Shannon, eighth in the 800 in 2:03.83; the 4x200 relay in 1:32.27; Suleman Bazai, third in the 400 in 51.04 seconds; Jack Levez, sixth in the 400 in 51.37; Kendell Davis and Seth Jacobs, seventh and eighth in the 200 in 23.26 each; and the 4x400 relay, second in 3:25.38.
Tiger JV champions included Levon Hendricks, 40-2.5 in the triple jump; Derrick Whitehead, 44-5 in the shot put; Kris Moore, 15.78 in the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles in 41.73; and the 4x200 relay in 1:33.98.
Other individual champions on the day included Collinsville's Bailey Krone in the high jump; O'Fallon's Mason Hewitt in the pole vault; East St. Louis' James Smith in the triple jump; Belleville West's Ricky Nelson in the shot put; Granite City in the 4x800 relay; Belleville West in the 4x100 relay; O'Fallon's Dorian Gorman in the 3,200; Demonte McCary in the 100, 200 and 400; Collinsville in the 4x200 relay; and East St. Louis in the 4x400 relay.
