Prep Track & Field: Bulldogs run win record to six in invitationals

For once the Harrisburg boys' track and field team got the better of Mother Nature.

The Bulldogs blew away the competition at Friday's Harrisburg invite, claiming 10 first place finishes and winning by more than 100 points as Harrisburg scored an even 200 to beat 10 other teams.

Anna-Jonesboro was a distant second with 100 points, while Fairfield (73), Herrin (52) and Hamilton County (40) rounded out the top five.

West Frankfort (36), Cisne (26), Vienna (13), Massac County (10), Eldorado (6) and Cairo (1) completed the field.

Dustin Lane continued his season dominance in the 100 and 200 meter dash, taking first place with a time of 11.3 in the 100 and crossing the line in a time of 22.83 in the 200. Michael Victoria ran the 800 meters in a time of 2:07.0 for a first place finish and Corbin Crim won the 400 meters with a time of 51.88. Cody Rightnowar grabbed a first place finish in the 300 intermediate hurdles, setting a personal record with a time of 40.3. Austin Lowry had the lone first place finish in the field events, clearing 13-feet in the pole vault.

Harrisburg had ever relay team take home a first place finish as the 400 meter relay of Aaron Stephens, Crim, Victoria and Lane had a time of 44.14, while the 800 meter relay team of Stephens, Branden Duffield, Hunter Smith and Adarsh Manawa had a time of 1:35.8. The 1600 meter relay team of Victoria, Manawa, Rightnowar and Tylor Marler finished with a time of 3:39.5 and the 3200 meter relay team of Daniels, Manawa, River Jordan and Donny Hicks also won first place.

The event as a whole was the sixth overall invite that Harrisburg had won this year as they prep for a conference championship at Sparta later this week as the Bulldogs go for their third straight title.

"It was nice to get our meet in considering the storms that moved through earlier on Friday," HHS head coach Zach Cox said. "We had cancelled this same meet the last two years and I really wanted to get it in, but I think it's important to thank all the people that came out and supported us and especially those who helped us work the meet. Putting on a meet can be one of the most stressful things of the year. My wife (Heather) is a few days shy of nine months pregnant and she has been a trooper. Coach (Chris) Berry and Coach Herren are always reliable and can be counted on. Coach (Greg) Langley and is always on top of everything and these people made it a successful meet today among others.

"We didn't have our best performance today for the most part," Cox added. "I was unable to prepare us like I normally do and the weather really threw us for a loop. It's hard to come back and get focused when it looks like you're going to cancel. Honestly, we took care of business and I'm not worried about it. There were some performances worth mentioning though as Tylor Marler had a huge PR in the 300's at 40.5 and Cody Rightnowar edged him in the race for a small PR at 40.3. Also Jared Barger upped his PR in the shot to 48' 4.5" and Jordan Bartok became one of the best freshman discus throwers in the state with a 14' PR at 137' 0". I could not be more proud of those guys today."

Harrisburg had five second-place finishes as Marler had that PR in the 300 intermediate hurdles finishing in a time of 40.5 and finished second in the 110 high hurdles with a time of 15.25. Carrigan was second in the shot put with a toss of 49-feet-7, while Duffield was second in the triple jump, clearing 37-feet-10. Jordan was second in the 1600 meter run with a time of 5:00.0 and Rivers was second in the pole vault, going 11-feet.

The Bulldogs finished the meet with six third-place finishes as Aiden Blades turned in a time of 11:26.3 in the 3200 meters and Jordan Bartok had a toss of 137-feet in the discus, claiming the distinction as the best freshman discus throwers in the state. Rightnowar was third in the 110 high hurdles with a time of 16.28, while Crim had a third place finish in the 100 meters with a time of 11.59. Daniels took third in the 800 meters with a time of 2:11.59 and Duffield cleared 19-feet-3.5 in the long jump for a third place showing.

Earlier in the week, Harrisburg won the Chuck Oyler Meet in Benton, knocking off 12 other teams.

The Bulldogs ran away from Sparta with 144 points, while Sparta was second with 105. Pinckneyville was third with 80 points, while Benton was fourth with 54 points. Nashville rounded out the top five with 49 points.

Murphysboro (46), Herrin (43), Du Quoin (26), Okawville (17), Cisne (10), West Frankfort (8), Christopher (6) and Johnston City (1) rounded out the field.

The highlight from Benton was the 4x200 relay team of Crim, Victoria, Stephens and lane that broke a meet record by 1.6 seconds, blistering the competition with a time of 1:29.8 for a first place finish.

The 4x400 relay team of Victoria, Lane, Rightnowar and Crim broke Harrisburg's own meet record from last year, taking first place with a time of 3:25.8

The other highlight was the 4x100 relay team of Crim, Victoria, Stephens and Lane that tied a meet record with Cairo back in 1989, finishing in first with a time of 43.1

Carrigan won first in the shot put with a toss of 48-feet-10, while Carrigan had a PR in the discus with a heave of 158-feet-11. Lowry had another first place showing in the pole vault, going 13-feet and the 4x400 freshman relay team of Chandler Bowling, Hunter Smith, Chris Williams and Cole Ferrell had a time of 3:50.

Barger had a PR in the shot put with a distance of 47-feet-3, while Rightnowar had a PR in the 300 intermediate hurdles with a time of 40.4 and Stephens had a PR in the 200 meters, crossing the line at 23.5 all three efforts were good enough for second place finishes.

Crim had a second place finish in the long jump, clearing 20-feet-7.5, while Marler had a time of 15.2 in the 110 high hurdles. Marler set a PR in the 300 intermediate hurdles, finishing at 41.2 for a third place finish and Rightnowar had a time of 15.9 in the 110 high hurdles.

"The three sprint relay times were all season bests for us," Cox said. "Carrigan had a nice PR in the discus today which is one of the top throws in 2A right now and Barger is also getting up there in the shot put with a 47' foot throw. Both of our hurdlers ran outstanding today in the 300's with PR's. Rightnowar's time was a full 1.2 second improvement. The impressive thing about the team score was we didn't run our two best sprinters in a single individual event on the track. Something we preach everyday is how every kid on our team matters and can contribute in some way or another.

"After (Wednesday) I hope the boys will see how much potential we have as a group," Cox added. "We just broke all three sprint relay records and this meet has been going for at least 25 years now. "Both of our hurdlers are getting very close to being quality events for us at the sectional and that will give us 7 or 8 events we could possibly send to state. Im just very excited right now...we still have to take one meet at a time."