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Carlinville’s Card makes commitment to Wisconsin

August 11, 2010 By staff Leave a Comment

by DAVE KANE

CARLINVILLE — Kelsey Card always has been far ahead of the field when it comes to high school competition in the shot put and discus. Not surprisingly, the Carlinville High School senior-to-be already is thinking ahead to her college career.

Card, a three-time state champion in both the shot and discus, has decided her college career will unfold at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

Card has made an oral commitment to accept a scholarship to compete for the Badgers. She cannot sign a national letter of intent until February, but she’s glad she has made a decision before the 2010-11 school year begins.

“We wanted to make sure I got to look at all the places I was interested in,” Card said Saturday. “The way things boiled down, it worked out to where I could say ‘Yes’ now. I figured, ‘What’s the point in waiting if I already know?’”

Card said she considered several Big Ten Conference schools along with Kentucky, and then the final choice came down to Wisconsin and Illinois.

“It was hard,” she said. “I love the U of I campus and the school, and their (track) program’s not bad. But I just felt like Wisconsin was better for me.”

In-state connection

Card said she liked the Badgers’ throws coach, David Astrauskas, who’s entering his second year at the school after he was head coach at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville. A Troy native, Astrauskas worked with the Bishop brothers from Athens — Brian and Ben — who’ve also worked with area throwing coach Sean Canaday.

“To Dave’s credit, he drove to Carlinville to watch Kelsey at a meet,” said Canaday, who has worked with Card for several years. “No other (college) coaches did that. They came to indoor and outdoor state, but he came all the way down there.

“He’s from the Troy area, and I think he gives you a local feel. I think that added to Kelsey feeling comfortable. His style is similar to how I approach things with her.”

Card said academics also weighed heavily into her decision. Also an outstanding student, she plans on majoring in biology in hopes of a career in the medical field.

“Wisconsin’s ranked 17th in the world among public universities academically,” she said. “They have everything I want academically.”

Card attended a track camp at Wisconsin earlier this summer, when she got to sample one of the few college facilities that’s used for indoor discus throwing: the Dave McClain Athletic Facility adjacent to Camp Randall Stadium.

She also got to know 2002 Carrollton High School graduate Alicia DeShasier, who’s serving as a volunteer assistant coach with the Badgers. After her softball career at SIU-Edwardsville, DeShasier has become one of the top female javelin throwers in the country.

“She was up there training,” Card said of DeShasier. “It worked out where I got to hang out with her for a while.”

Year to remember

Card finished her junior season in record-setting fashion. On May 22 at Charleston, she won the Class 1A state shot put with a personal-best effort of 48 feet 9¾, which topped the previous 1A state-meet mark of 48-0½ by Greenville’s Lisa Ferry in 1979.

Later that day, on her final discus throw, Card unleashed a new all-time girls state record of 167-4. It topped the mark of 164-5 by Aurora Rosary’s Dore DeBartolo in 1997.

About a week after state, Card suffered a hip-flexor injury that kept her from training or competing for a while. For now, her next athletic assignment is the upcoming volleyball season with the Carlinville Cavaliers. She also has been a key member of the Cavaliers’ basketball team.

And now that Card’s college decision is set, Canaday said she can focus on making her senior track and field season one to remember.

“There were a few little problems that kept her from throwing even farther,” Canaday said of Card’s junior season. “I really think she could’ve gone over 50 (shot put) and 170 (discus) if I’d been able to straighten her out.

“It’s just details. If you want to go to the next level, you almost have to reinvent yourself. If we can do that, it’ll catapult her beyond what anyone’s seen in Illinois.”

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Leaps and bounds

July 1, 2010 By staff Leave a Comment

By JUSTIN CONN

Talk to Zhitavion Shelby and it’s hard to believe that he once had what former MacArthur teammate Zye Boey called, “a freshman attitude.”

Approach Shelby at a track meet now – even if he’s hurt his ankle, or can’t quite hit the jump he’s look-ing for – and he’ll smile, shake your hand and ask how things are going.

Despite the previously immature attitude, Boey was always sure that Shelby would become a track star at MacArthur – and he did. Shelby followed up last year’s three-medal junior season by qualifying for the Class 3A state meet in three events for the second straight year and taking home a fourth-place finish in the triple jump. That earned him the H&R Macon County Boys Track Athlete of the Year honor.

“I was a senior when he was a freshman and from the first time I saw him run, I thought, ‘This guy has talent,’ ” said Boey, now a two-time Ohio Valley Conference Track Athlete of the Year at Eastern Illinois University. “He could do everything. I remember saying, ‘Coach, mold this one. He’s going to be a great one.’ ”

Shelby has loved track ever since he lined up against cousin LaDarion Shelby for the 100-meter dash in fifth grade. He pulled a muscle in his leg and lost that race – “my little cousin was doing some trash-talking after that one” – but four years later he placed fourth in the long jump and was part of a 400 relay that was seventh at the eighth-grade state meet.

“From that time on, it’s been track, track and more track,” Shelby said. “I played other sports, but track was always my pride and joy.”

As a freshman, the success continued. He was part of a MacArthur 800 relay team that qualified for state. Boey made efforts to steer Shelby in the right direction, but wasn’t sure if he was getting through.

“I tried to give him any tips I could and I tried to lead by example, but he had this freshman attitude where if things didn’t go right, he’d be upset,” Boey said. “I tried to always show him that even when you have a bad meet, you keep your cool. Don’t throw a fit. And I talked to him about being a freshman and getting beat by seniors – of course they were going to be better. They’re older. But he’d just get this atti-tude where he didn’t care about anything.”

Shelby didn’t show it, but he was listening.

“He may not know this, but Zye Boey was a big role model for me,” said Shelby, who plans to reunite with Boey at Eastern next season. “My freshman year, he saw how good I was doing and he kind of gave me a heads up on some things and told me some things to look out for. Whenever I see him now, I give him a handshake to kind of let him know.”

Boey has noticed the transformation.

“I’ve talked to him a few times the last couple of months, and he’s developed into a great young man,” Boey said. “He talks in a professional manner, like he knows the real world is coming and it’s time to face his opportunities.”

Shelby credits Boey for helping him mature as an athlete and a person, but he’s not the only one. Shelby has the enviable knack of taking something positive from each of the people who touch his life.

There’s his step dad, Patrick Tyler, who got him into running in the first place.

“He would get up early in the morning and take me on a jog – even though he smoked cigarettes,” Shelby said. “When we first started, he’d see me behind him, fighting to keep up. But by the time I got into fifth and sixth grade, I started taking off on him.”

When he got into high school, there were his track coaches – Micah Sheppard and Dion Simmons. Sim-mons was his adviser – “I could count on his advice without hesitation,” Shelby said – and Sheppard was his motivator.

“Coach Sheppard is a football coach, so at times he would motivate harshly,” Shelby said. “But I was also motivated by the fact he trusted us. He’d give you the workouts, but he wouldn’t hound us. The work we put in and how good we wanted to be was up to us.”

The maturity it took to dedicate himself to those workouts, Shelby said, developed from the relationships he had with mom (Adair Green) and dad (Elga Shelby).

“My mom is someone who I can trust completely. If there’s something I wanted to talk about, I never had to hold back anything,” Shelby said. “My dad – he showed me how to be a man.”

Filed Under Featured Tagged With decatur mac arthur, Zhitavion Shelby, Zye Boey

CCHS’ Curran caps special year with Pantagraph’s Female Athlete honor

June 26, 2010 By staff Leave a Comment

By Randy Sharer | rsharer@pantagraph.com

BLOOMINGTON — Observe high school sports long enough and you get a feel for the likelihood of a particular star’s level of success being repeated.

If you saw Kelly Curran compete, commit the image to memory because odds are you won’t see anyone repeat it.

The Central Catholic senior kicked things off by defending her Class 1A state cross country title, becoming only the sixth girl to win more than once.

Then she started for the Saints’ 32-1 Class 2A state championship basketball team, averaging 7.7 points on 49 percent shooting to go with 4.2 assists and 2.9 rebounds.

The best was saved for last as she became the first person to win Class 1A state titles in the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter events to help her track team finish second.

“In this age of specialization, you may not see many more athletes like her,” said Tim Connelly, who will coach Curran at the University of Notre Dame.

Curran’s one-of-a-kind year in which she was also a valedictorian has made her an easy choice for the Pantagraph Area’s Female Athlete of the Year Award.

“She’s definitely the best female athlete we saw at Central,” said Saints track coach DeWayne Griffin, who watched Curran win a state 3,200 title in 2008 and help his 2009 team win a state title.

Curran was among six female candidates nationally for the Wendy’s High School Heisman Award.

“It’s a tribute to her and what she gave Central Catholic,” said Saints basketball coach Debbie Coffman. “I can say I’m very proud to have coached her and gotten to know her.”

Curran knows the road to success ran two ways between her and Central Catholic.

“I think when I look back on it I’ll realize the great opportunities that have come to me this past year and just what the school has provided and how that has affected my success,” she said.

One person affecting Curran’s running career since seventh grade was assistant coach Emily Shoopman.

“She was phenomenal,” Curran said. “We’ve really become good friends now.

“Throughout all the years she has coached, I have seen the other girls immediately respect and trust her for everything she provides.”

The pressure of high expectations often provides athletes a reason to fail, but not Curran, who won 15 career state meet medals in cross country and track, including relays.

“I trusted the training my coaches put into me,” she said. “They knew what they were talking about so I went with it.”  

Some thought she went too far in attempting a distance triple at the state track meet in addition to helping her 1,600 relay place seventh.

“The fact that she was willing to try that schedule, let alone pull it off, shows that she is not only really brave, but also extremely unselfish and team oriented,” said Notre Dame’s Connelly, who is getting a girl with school records of 2:12.29 in the 800, 4:55.5 in the 1,600 and 11:03.3 in the 3,200.

“Given that she has never been a full-time, year-round runner because of basketball, nor had the chance to race consistently against high-level competition, I think that she has just begun to scratch the surface of her potential.”

Female Athletes of the Year

2010 — Kelly Curran, Central Catholic

2009 — Stephanie Brown, Tri-Valley

2008 — Olivia Klaus, Eureka

2007 — Megan Laughlin, Flanagan

2006 — Stacey Miller, Central Catholic

2005 — Chandra Golden, University High

2004 — Ashlee Pistorius, University High

2003 — Jessie Shay, Olympia

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Leaps and bounds

June 23, 2010 By staff Leave a Comment

BY LES WINKELER, THE SOUTHERN 

No, Zack Riley isn’t faster than a speeding bullet. No, he can’t leap tall buildings in a single bound.

He can, however, come close.

The Herrin senior jumped 6-foot-8 in the high jump, went 24-3 in the long jump and anchored two state championship relays while leading the Tigers to the Class 2A state championship this year. Those credentials made Riley an easy choice for The Southern Illinoisan’s Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year award.

Riley, who will attend Rend Lake College next year, also won the award last year.

“I knew coming into this season I wanted to make a statement as a team at state, but I wanted to make sure the team was consistently good all season,” Riley said. “Everything this year was just for the team.

“The record for the high jump (7-2 held by Eric Thompson) – I wanted it, but tying it was alright. It’s one of those things you want, but if you can’t get it and you can achieve a state championship in the same season, the record is nothing compared to that team trophy.”

That selfless attitude is for real.

“Sometimes when you’re coaching athletes who are elite, sometimes you get some attitude,” said Herrin coach Rob Long. “Zack has none of that. He just does what it takes. He does it, and he does it willingly. He’s very coachable.”

Riley went to the state track meet with huge expectations. He was the defending long jump and high jump champion. He wasn’t fazed by the pressure of repeating.

“Not really,” he said. “I came into the meet knowing what I had to do. I just tried to do what I could to win. I didn’t really want to overdo it in the long jump or the high jump because I just wanted to focus on the relays to make sure we did good in those.”

And, he went about his business in workmanlike fashion. However, Riley did allow himself small emotional displays, primarily brief fist pumps, after crossing the finish line first in the 400 and 800-meter relay prelims and finals.

“I don’t really do too much with that,” he said. “I don’t really try to put myself out there. I definitely did in the 4 X 200. I was excited. I was nervous for the first time in three years at a track meet. There was so much on the line.”

The victory in the 800-meter finals essentially wrapped up the team title for the Tigers.

“Aside from being a great high jumper and long jumper, he’s a great sprinter,” Long said. “I don’t think he’s reached his full potential yet. He can do about anything you ask him to do.

“If I would pick four different events, he’d probably excel in them. He’s that kind of athlete.”

Riley expects to concentrate on the jumps as a collegian.

“The coach at Rend Lake told me I’d probably just be doing the long jump and high jump and maybe get into the triple jump,” he said. “I think I’ll miss being on a relay team and trying to do something with four amazing guys like we did this year.

“It’s a whole different story when you get to that level.”

And, the sky could yet be the limit.

“(His potential) is endless,” Long said. “Two years ago, we wouldn’t have thought he’d go 7-2. I think he still has some growing to do. He’ll train at a different level. They’ll bring out the best in him. He’s capable of all kinds of great things.”

Riley plans to study physical training at Rend Lake and eventually pursue a degree in kinesiology.

Filed Under Featured, Spotlight, Team Tagged With Brian Pankey, DeMarlo Harris, herrin, Marshall Anderson, Rob Long, zach riley

Centralia’s Whitelow stars at Class 2A meet

May 31, 2010 By staff Leave a Comment

By Les Winkeler, The Southern  

CHARLESTON – Centralia junior DeVantre Whitelow introduced himself to the Illinois track community in a big way Saturday, sweeping the Class 2A sprints. 

This is Whitelow’s first full season of track. 

Whitelow ran a 10.82 100 meters, nipping Kelvyn Park’s Brian Carter by .04. He got Carter by a more comfortable .18 in the 200 meters. Whitelow’s winning time was 21.77.  

“I was confident about it,” Whitelow said of his 200 meter victory. “I just had to push as hard as I could.”  And, although he won by just a fraction of a second, Whitelow said he felt he had the race in the bag coming out of the turn. ”I knew I had a finishing stride, like a fourth gear,” he said. “I kicked it in.”  Whitelow’s victory thrilled a vocal fan base in the stands.  ”That’s my family from Centralia and Chicago,” he said, flashing a big grin. “I probably couldn’t have done it without them. I im-pressed them. They didn’t know I had it in me.” Despite winning two state titles in his first appearance at Charleston, Whitelow was remarkably composed.   ”I guess it hasn’t hit me yet,” he said. “I guess when I get home and see those signs …” 

 Whitelow’s freshman and sophomore seasons were cut short by hip injuries.   ”This is his first full season,” said Centralia coach J.J. DeMattei. “I think he can get better.” 

 The day’s other Class 2A highlight was Carbondale’s performance in the 800-meter relay. The team of Jeremy Lomax, Karl Borgsmiller, Kendell Edwards and Seth Erickson finished second in 1:27.92. 

 Thornton Fractional North won the event in 1:27.59.   ”We had pretty good handoffs,” Borgsmiller said. “That’s the fastest we’ve ever run. We did the best we could. I’m proud of the way we ran.”   Borgsmiller said Lomax got the team off to a good start and Erickson put the finishing touches on the race.  ”He got them on the curve,” he said.  Erickson was Carbondale’s lone individual entry in the state finals. He placed sixth in the 200 meters at 22.44. 

 The only other 2A entries were Carbondale’s 400-meter relay team (seventh) and Centralia’s 800-meter relay team (sixth).  Country Club Hills won the 2A team title. Cahokia finished tied for second. 

 Lake Park won the 3A championship.

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SHS’ 4×800 team of Michael Simon, Matt Havey, Nick Moore and Justin Lee won in a 2A state meet-record 7 minutes 47.92 seconds, bettering the mark of 7:51.85 set by Galesburg last year.

May 30, 2010 By staff Leave a Comment

SHS sets relay record; Lions’ Farley wins shot

 from Springfield by MARCIA MARTINEZ

CHARLESTON — Less than 1½ hours into the Class 2A State Boys Track and Field finals Saturday, the city of Springfield had claimed a pair of championships at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Stadium.

The Springfield High School Senators took the 4×800-meter relay title with a record-setting performance, and Lanphier junior Kevin Farley stunned the field with a win in the shot put.

SHS’ 4×800 team of sophomore Michael Simon, senior Matt Havey, junior Nick Moore and senior Justin Lee won in a 2A state meet-record 7 minutes 47.92 seconds, bettering the mark of 7:51.85 set by Galesburg last year.

SHS was in third place with 100 meters to go when Lee ran to the outside, took off and pulled away from the field. Oak Forest was runner-up in 7:49.01.

“I thought on our best day that we’d maybe run 7:45 or 7:55,’’ SHS coach Trae Cotner said. “I never thought 7:47. That time could have put us right there in 3A. Everything fell together with Havey coming on and getting a second shot (after a stress fracture canceled his cross country season) and Nick Moore running great.

“For Michael to lead off and outkick all the pure 800 runners to hand off in first, then Justin wanted to win that for his teammates. He sacrificed himself in the open 800 for that.’’

Strong effort
Farley also rose to the occasion. He claimed the shot put championship with a personal-record throw of 56 feet 7.

“We say go out there, put that first throw out there and put the pressure on everybody else,’’ Lanphier coach Mike Garcia said. “That’s exactly what he did.

“I never would have believed he’d be a state champ two years after we got him out for track as a freshman.’’

Farley later placed fifth in the discus with a personal-record throw that measured 154-4.

Lanphier has left the state meet with at least one state title every year since 2006. Farley’s win gives the Lions seven state titles in five seasons.

The Senators’ victory is the first championship for a SHS relay since 1913.

Simon, Havey, Moore and Lee ran splits of 1:55.8, 2:01.3, 1:57.9 and 1:52.7.

“When I saw Nick come around, make up ground with 100 to go and get right in the pack, I was getting antsy,’’ Lee said. “I was ready to take off. I knew if he was there it would be a race.

“They all tried to take off with 300 (meters remaining). I just kept with the move and with 200 I set myself up and got to the outside. We were all packed up with 100 to go, then when I broke out and took off everybody in the crowd just came to their feet. That last step when no one was around me, a smile hit my face. I’m so speechless about that race. We all did exactly what we were supposed to do. Running it was exciting. I would love to see what it looked like. Hopefully, I can see it somewhere.’’

Lee earned a third-place medal in the 800 to go with the third-place medal he won at the Class 2A state cross country meet in November. In the 800 finals, he finished in 1:58.08. Lee’s rival, Jerseyville senior Ryan Todd, won in 1:56.15.

Late bloomer
Farley’s performance was impressive for someone who never participated in a sport prior to high school. He went out only for track and field after Garcia asked him to during gym class his freshman year, and Farley has since joined the wrestling and football teams.

“The first thing I did ever in my life was shot put and discus,’’ Farley said. “Now, it’s my junior year and I’m three feet away from the school record. That’s a big deal for me.’’

“I didn’t think I was going to place at all. I came in (ranked fifth). Our trainer told me, ‘It doesn’t matter what happened yesterday. Today is a new day.’’

Farley threw nearly four feet farther in the shot put finals than he did in Friday’s preliminary.

“If you work hard and have some ability, you don’t have to be an eighth-grade star or phenom,’’ Garcia said. “I’m really proud of him to have done it. He is what sports are all about. He’s a good student. He’s a hard worker. He’s a three-sport athlete. He doesn’t specialize in track. He does three sports and participating in those three sports has paid off. He can still get better. We’re going to try to get him to a higher level.’’

Springfield and Lanphier shined in the finals, whereas Chatham Glenwood found high finishes hard to come by. The best Glenwood could muster was fifth-place finishes in the 4×400 and 4×200 relays as well as senior Caleb Cox’s tie for fifth in the pole vault.

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CCHS’ Curran wins Triple Crown at 1A state meet

May 2, 2010 By staff Leave a Comment

By Randy Sharer

CHARLESTON — Kelly Curran turned mission impossible into a stroll in the park and helped Central Catholic High School earn its third trophy in three years at the 38th girls state track meet Saturday.

The Notre Dame recruit did what no girl in state meet history has, winning the 800-, 1,600 and 3,200-meter events to lead the Saints to second in Class 1A with 45 points. Only Byron’s 46½ kept Central from defending its 2009 title. Eureka’s 44.33 points nipped Sherrard (44) for third.

“Kelly just looked phenomenal,” said Coach DeWayne Griffin, whose 2008 team took third.

Griffin labeled Curran the best female athlete in school history.

“Notre Dame is getting a special athlete,” he said. “These girls she beat run all year long.”

Curran also helped her 1,600 relay place seventh to provide three key points. The Saints moved up when Walther Lutheran fell in the closing meters.

“If we get eighth (in that relay), we’re not even in second,” said Griffin, who also got a state title from freshman pole vaulter Sarah Bell. “I told her all year she’s the best vaulter in Class 1A in the state.”

Curran’s three wins helped the Pantagraph area collect seven in 1A. Sophomore Kalla Gold won the 400, fainted on the awards stand, but recovered in time to anchor Eureka’s winning 1,600 relay. Eureka also won the 800 relay and took second in the 400 relay.

“I was having a heart attack,” said Eureka coach Don Samford after Gold fainted. He rated the trophy the toughest to win of the four the Hornets own. “We had so many girls step up.”

Curran’s school year included a state cross country individual title, her second, and a state basketball crown.

“The great Catholic school I go to has provided a lot of support,” she said. “The team aspect of everything has really been encouraging.”

Curran regained the 3,200 title she won as a sophomore by clocking 11 minutes, 12.03 seconds, almost eight seconds ahead of the runner-up.

“I kind of tried to hold back and run a paced 3,200,” said Curran, who didn’t crack the top 10 until the last half of the race.

Ninety-five minutes later she returned for the 800. She led the 12-girl field, half of which was made up of area runners, through a 65.1 first lap. El Paso-Gridley freshman Julie James made a late rush, but Curran had another gear the final 100. The official timing system failed, but the Pantagraph’s manual time had her in a school record 2:12.0, which ranks sixth in area history.

“She definitely made me work,” Curran said. “Julie James is a great runner.”

A hundred minutes later in the 1,600, Curran paced herself as she did in the 3,200, passing the first 800 in 2:44.4, but finishing in 2:25.2 for a 5:09.75 that put her well clear of GCMS runner-up Sydni Meunier (5:16.27).

“We kind of went out at a slower pace than I thought we would,” Curran said. “I just kind of pushed myself at the 800.”

Curran ended with a 59.9 anchor leg for the seventh-place 1,600 relay (4:06.75) that included Bell (61.1), Emily Beoletto (61.2) and Cristin Neill (64.6). The Saints also got two points for eighth in the 800 relay (1:48.56) thanks to Bell, Kayla Shanks, Neill and Beoletto.

“Being so close to first (in the standings) is a little bit of a disappointment, but knowing that we only had six girls come down here it’s a really good accomplishment for all of us,” Curran said. “There are only a few of us leaving so they’ll be really good in the years to come.”

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Kelly Steffen leads Bloomington to 2nd place in 2A

April 29, 2010 By staff Leave a Comment

By Randy Sharer 

CHARLESTON — Four years ago, Bloomington High School girls track coach Roland Brent saw the makings of a powerful squad featuring Kelly Steffen and Condia Smith. 

His long-range dream for glory came true Saturday as the Purple Raiders captured the second-place trophy in Class 2A at the 38th state meet. 

Steffen provided 31 points and Smith 13 as BHS tallied 48 to trail only Springfield Southeast’s 57. Danville, which kept the Raiders from Big 12 Conference and sectional titles, finished third with 46. 

Pontiac, led by pole vault champion Emily Grove, placed 16th with 16 points. Grove cleared a Class 2A record 12 feet, 6 inches. 

“It’s a reflection of all the work we put into it,” said Brent, whose team was fourth a year ago. “We knew if we could put a few people around (Steffen and Smith), then we’d be OK. We did all the things we knew to get the team ready.” 

Steffen’s medal haul featured three seconds and a third. 

“It’s been a great end to my senior year,” said the Indiana State recruit. “I’m ecstatic.” 

The best of her efforts was a Pantagraph area record time of 14.67 seconds for second in the 100-meter hurdles to trail only the wind-aided 14.17 by Amber Farrell of Aurora IMSA. 

“That was my best race ever,” Steffen said. “I was even hitting hurdles so it was an ugly race, but I just felt good. Last year I let the stress of all the events get to my head. This year I came in with a different plan — just be calm — and it worked for me.” 

She improved on Friday’s marks in the triple jump and long jump by spanning 38 feet, 3 inches and 18-0.5, respectively, to place second and third. It took 38-5.5 and 19-3.25 to win. 

“Even though (38-3) was so close to getting that first-place medal, I am not at all upset,” Steffen said. “I’m grinning ear to ear.” 

In the high jump, she tied her outdoor season best of 5-4 to place second to Springfield’s Sarah Maxson (5-9.5). 

Smith, an Eastern Illinois recruit, moved from fifth after the shot put prelims to second with a toss of 39-1 Saturday and later took fifth in the discus thanks to Friday’s throw of 120-11. It took 41-5 to win the shot put. 

“It was nice to know that I improved,” said Smith, third in the 2009 shot put. “My coach told me to just go out there and have fun so that’s exactly what I did.” 

Smith, whose squad will be honored at a reception in the BHS cafeteria at 5 p.m. Tuesday, called the team trophy “the biggest accomplishment of my life.” 

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Cavaliers’ Card sets all-time discus record

April 20, 2010 By Roland Leave a Comment

Photo Courtesy of: www.sj-r.com

By DAVE KANE (dave.kane@sj-r.com)

THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER

CHARLESTON — Kelsey Card has, for the most part, been an athlete who lets her impressive performances speak for her. But the Carlinville High School junior got a little vocal Saturday afternoon, and it put exclamation marks on Year 3 of her weight-throwing reign.

When you’re essentially competing against yourself, you need to find something that helps you dig a little deeper. Or throw a little farther.

“We told her she needed to let it all hang out today,’’ Carlinville coach Shelly Wills said after Card won her third straight Class 1A girls state titles in the shot put and discus, including the all-time best discus throw by an Illinois high school girl: 167 feet 4.

“Yelling’s what she needed to do; she knows that’ll improve her throws. We were waiting for her to unleash it, and she finally did it on her third (last) shot put and the last (discus) throw here.

“It makes a difference. It brings the adrenaline up. It was fantastic.’’

In the early going Saturday, Card gave out a very audible yell on her last shot put attempt. The result was a personal-best 48-9¾, which also topped the Class 1A state-meet record of 48-0½ by Greenville’s Lisa Ferry in 1979.

“My parents (Tom and Andrea Card) and everybody says, ‘You’ve got to yell at the end!’’’ Card said after her shot-put win. “So I’m like, ‘OK, I’m going to give it a go.’’’

After she set a Class 1A girls discus record with a 153-7 in Thursday’s soggy prelims, Card’s first two tosses Saturday went 153-1 and 151-6. Her personal best, set earlier this spring, was 164-4 — one inch off all-time Illinois mark (regardless of class or time of the season) set by Aurora Rosary’s Dore DeBartolo in 1997.

“I said, ‘OK, I have to do it on this last one,’’’ Card said of a more primal scream that helped her launch Saturday’s last throw.
“I wanted to make sure to get it out there, so it counted. It felt better. I didn’t have a good finish on the first two today, but this one felt strong to the end.’’

Sean Canaday, a state champion during his high school days at Riverton, has worked with Card and many other area high school throwers — including Taylorville freshman Claire Nolan, who finished third in the Class 2A shot put on Saturday.

Canaday had a good feeling as soon as the discus left Card’s hand.

“We just talked before her last throw, about what she was doing wrong,’’ Canaday said. “I said, ‘You need to tear it loose.’ As soon as she let it go, I knew. It shot out there like a rocket.

  “Pretty exciting stuff. It was a great day.’’

  “I really did want the record,’’ said Card, who came away from last year’s state meet somewhat disappointed after failing to get personal bests in either event.

  “I always try to go for personal bests. Even if I didn’t win and threw farther than before, I’d be happy with that.’’

Filed Under Featured Tagged With carlinville, kelsey card

Sophomore Baumgarten finishes 10th at IHSA Finals in Long Jump

April 12, 2010 By Roland Leave a Comment

Alex Baumgarten, Sophomore at Stewardson Strasburg High School, finished a banner year with a 10th place finish
at the IHSA State Finals at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston in the long jump. While disappointed he didn’t place higher,
he’s looking forward to an even stronger season next year as a Junior. Baumgarten broke a total of 5 school records in the spring 2010 season. Baumgarten jump 20′- 11.5″ at the State Final this year.

Photos by Ed Baumgarten

5/27/10 -  Qualifies for the IHSA State Final in Long Jump prelim jump 20-11.50.

5/21/10 - Wins the long jump at Shelbyville Sectional with a leap of 21′-4 1/4″.

4/22/10 - Taylorville Invitational – Alex Baumgarten takes first in the long jump with a leap of 20′-6″.

4/20/10 - Bi-County Meet at Sullivan takes first with a jump of 20′-9 1/2″.

4/17/10 - Pana Open takes first with a jump of 20′ 2″.

4/8/10 - Neoga Dual Meet **SCHOOL RECORD**  21-7

Filed Under Athlete, Featured, Spotlight Tagged With Alex Baumgarten, Long Jump, school record, Stewardson-Strasburg
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