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Edwardsville High School won its first-ever state championship in boys' track and field Saturday, battling difficult weather conditions to sail to 55 points for an easy win over Evanston Township and Naperville Neuqua Valley, each with 37 points, and Plainfield (Central) with 36 points.
Edwardsville head coach Chad Lakatos labeled it a "total team effort." Edwardsville scored points in multiple events and each of those contributions resulted in the state championship.
"The kids worked so hard," Lakatos said of his group's effort, despite a few-hour rain delay and wet, slippery conditions. "We just kept fighting and fighting."
Edwardsville athletic director said the tentative plan is to welcome the state championship team home at 4 p.m. Sunday at Cassens Elementary in Glen Carbon.
Fontez Davis brought home the Tigers' lone gold medal in the long jump with a leap of 23-6. Davis also was a member of multiple relays that scored.
Sophomore A.J. Epenesa placed in both the shot put and discus. He was ninth in the shot put (53-9.25) and second in the discus on his final throw of 191-07 to earn nine points for the team. Belleville West's Ricky Nelson won with a toss of 192-03, also on his last throw.
One performance that thrust the Tigers to the title was Isaiah Michl, who battled back from an injury to post a third-place finish in the 300-meter low hurdles (38.0) and earn seven points.
The Tigers' Wes Schoenthal posted the performance of his career in the 800 meters with a school record time of 1:51.91, narrowly behind Ty Moss of Naperville Neuqua Valley. Edwardsville's Travis Anderson was second in the 110-meter high hurdles (14.45) for eight points.
Tigers' high jumper Justin White was ninth with a jump of 6-2.
The Tigers' 4 x 100 relay of Devonte Tincher, Davis, Travis Anderson and Rene Perry was fourth with a time of 42.30 for six points. The 4 x 200 relay of Davis, Anderson, Tincher and Perry was seventh (1:28.73). The 4 x 400-meter relay of Davis, Darryl Harlan, Jack Lever and Suleman Bazai was seventh (3:19.43).
