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Edward places second in 1A triple jump

CHARLESTON - Last name Edward. First name Dasani.

Du Quoin High School sophomore Dasani Edward likes to listen to Drake while he's getting focused at a track meet and like the title of the rapper's first hit song, Edward has put his name in the record books forever with his performance at the IHSA Class 1A boys state track and field meet.

Edward went his best-ever distance in the triple jump during Thursday's preliminaries to advance to the finals in great position, then went even farther to move even further up the standings in Saturday's finals and finished in second place with a mark of 44 feet, 4.25 inches at O'Brien Stadium.

Edward finished behind Galva's Peyton Sopiars, who went 45-0.75, and ahead of Hume Shiloh's Ramsey Hunt, who topped out at 44-3.25.

"I felt a lot of pressure because all three of us sophomores," Edward said. "We're going to see each other for the next two years."

Edward was in third place after setting a PR with a lead of 44-1.5 on Thursday. That mark carried over - jumpers don't have to start from the bottom again during finals - but Edward bested it on his first jump on Saturday morning.

"I can't describe it. It's insane," he said of jumping at the state meet. "There are so many people from everywhere in Illinois. It's just an honor."

Edward said his goal was 44-5, but that he hasn't ever even gone 44 feet in practice. He did twice at state.

After such a strong mark Thursday, and with an extra day before finals, Edward got a lot of rest and practice on Friday.

"My strategy was to lengthen out my second phase," Edward said. "I did it on the first jump. On the second and third jumps, I couldn't do it for some reason."

Du Quoin coach Derek Beard was just happy Edward was on the team this season, something that was in doubt for a moment.

"He's got a lot of talent. I told him that last year but I don't think he believed me," Beard said. "This year, to be honest, I didn't know if he was going to come out for track or not. He missed our first meeting because he was involved in other things. I thought, 'Well, he's not coming out.' Then he came to me and asked why I hadn't talked to him about track yet."

Beard tells that story with humor and hindsight, and now he has a state medalist with two more years to climb the podium. And as good as he is now, Edward still has visible ways to improve.

"On Thursday, he was probably a foot off the board on his first jump," Beard said. "We talked about getting out on the back of the approach and after the second one he still wasn't on the board so we moved him up a foot. He was finally on it and jumped 44-1. Then today everything worked out.

"If he hit it perfect, he'd be pushing 45 feet. And he'll get there. With some time in the weight room and working on mechanics a little bit, he'll get there."

Like one of the songs in his earbuds, Edward now waits to see what is in God's plan.

"He's worked hard," Beard said. "He's does everything we ask him to do. He put everything together at the right time."

* * *

The Indians sent six events to the state meet but Edward's mark in the triple jump was the only one to advance to Saturday's finals. Pinckneyville fared even worse as the Panthers sent nine events and eight were eliminated Thursday; the two-mile is only held Saturday and Liam Oliver posted the slowest time of the day.

Du Quoin's 4x100 relay ran its fastest time of the year in the preliminaries - 44.75 - but finished fifth in the first heat and did not advance. Running were Edward, Ethan Zettler, Kyle Robinson and Westly Milam.

Dasani Edward Justin Walker Photo
Dasani Edward wears his medal from placing second in 1A triple jump at the IHSA state meet. Justin Walker Photo
Dasani Edward Joe Lewnard / Daily Herald
Kyle Robinson Joe Lewnard / Daily Herald
Shamar Adams Joe Lewnard / Daily Herald
Dasani Edward Joe Lewnard / Daily Herald
Westly Milam Joe Lewnard / Daily Herald
Ethan Zettler Joe Lewnard / Daily Herald
Darian Edward Joe Lewnard / Daily Herald
Garrett Johnson Joe Lewnard / Daily Herald
Pinckneyville's Stetson Lappin takes the baton from teammate Devin Kitchen Joe Lewnard / Daily Herald
Zach Obertini takes the baton from teammate Lucas Downard Joe Lewnard / Daily Herald
Stetson Lappin Joe Lewnard / Daily Herald