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CHARLESTON - Devonte’ Tincher just concluded his Edwardsville High School track and field career in style, placing with the 4 x 100 relay and the long jump in the IHSA Class 3A state meet.
Tincher was a very well liked member of the team by coaches and the other athletes and was considered a leader this past year.
He said qualifying for the state finals felt amazing and is something he will never forget.
“It is one of the best feelings in the world that I am able to come here and compete,” he said at the meet. “To be one of the top-level athletes in Illinois and for Edwardsville to again be a threat in track and field is amazing.”
Tincher was pleased with his performance in the long jump and thought the 4 x 100 relay also ran a solid time at state. Tincher was seventh in the long jump (22-3) and the 4 x 100 relay of Seth Jacobs, himself, Travis Anderson and Tommy Giacobbe was sixth (42.14).
The EHS athlete said head coach Chad Lakatos inspired him to better himself on Saturday with a brief motivational talk before he competed.
“Coach Lakatos told me before the meet that I had nothing to lose,” he said. “He said I needed to approach the meet as a hunter and attack. I played leap frog and took his advice and just went out and jumped and ran to the best of my abilities and it worked.”
Lakatos said Tincher was one of the guys who stepped up at state in the long jump and 4 x 100 relay and helped push the team to the second-place finish.
“The kids did what we needed to do to get the second-place trophy,” Lakatos said.
