By Michael Newman

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Illinois should make their presence known from the small group of 32 entrants that will be stepping into the New York City Armory for this weekend’s New Balance Indoor Nationals. That is small compared to the state with the largest number amount of entries New York with 1060.

Some of the top athletes in Illinois will be seeing what they have in what is a month into the Illinois track season. Most of the other athletes in the states participating have been competing since December.

Megan Marias and Alexis Hyshaw (Lincoln-Way East HS, Frankfort) are two of the top sprinters in the state and showed that they are in great shape after their team’s performance at Monday’s Mustang Relays. They helped their team run a US #6 1:41.36 to win the 4 x 200 Meter Relay. Their quartet is not in meet, but Marias and Hyshaw will be running in both the 60 Meter Dash and the 200 Meter Dash this weekend.

Rock Island traveled all over the state in the past week running some fast times at SIU and then the next day at the Shirk Center last weekend. Their quartet ran 1:43.32 last Friday at SIU. They will look to better that time this weekend at the Armory.

The Girls 400 Meter Dash will be loaded with Illinois athletes. Briyahna Desrosiers (North Lawndale Prep, Chicago) showed the nation she was one of the top 400 runners at meets in January at the Texas A&M and Arkansas. Desrosiers currently has the fifth fastest time in the nation. Also competing in New York will be two time defending 3A champion Brittny Ellis (Warren Township HS, Gurnee). Eliis and Desrosiers will not be in the same qualifying heat, but could meet in the finals. Ellis time of 56.62 is currently 26^th in the nation. Both athletes will also run in the 200 Meter Dash. Miranda Marry (Fisher HS) and Jasmine Berry (West HS, Belleville) will also be competing in the 400.

Emma Spagnola (West HS, Aurora) has the 12^th fastest time in the 60 Meter Hurdles which she achieved in January. Two months later, we could see her run faster than that 8.64 from January in Saturday Morning’s prelims. Spagnola jumped 18-9 in flats at Hononegah on Saturday. She will look to improve on that in the Long Jump finals Saturday afternoon. Maya Neal (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville) will also be in the Long Jump. Her 18-10 ¾ performance at the end of February in Kentucky has her ranked 16^th nationally. Neal’s day will start early on Saturday when she starts her competition in the Girls Pentathlon.

Lena Giger (Highland HS) will compete in a loaded Shot Put championship Saturday afternoon. Her 49-9 performance at the Triad Co-Ed Meet is still #4 nationally.

Cole Henderson (Pekin HS) will start his season a week earlier than usual this year. Pekin usually starts their season at the Charleston Boys Invitational next Saturday. Henderson is fully recovered from a leg injury that he suffered at the end of his football season. He will be busy this weekend. He will start his day in the 60 Meter Dash prelims on Saturday morning. He will then compete in the Long Jump on Saturday afternoon. Then at 5:30 Saturday night, he will be in the 200 Meter prelims.

Ja’Mari Ward (Cahokia HS) will have to wait until Sunday morning to compete in the Triple Jump. Ward’s 50-2 ½ is the longest ever nationally as a sophomore. He will get some stiff competition from national leader John Warren (Prince George VA) who has a jump 1 foot longer at 51-3.

Jack Denby (Carlinville HS) has been hot in his last few meets. It started with a 16-4 ¾ personal best a couple of weeks ago at the University of Missouri. Last Saturday, he was busy vaulting 16-0 at Jacksonville, then 16-3 at the Windy City Pole Vault Summit. He could be pushing his PR higher Saturday afternoon when he competes.

Illinois will have 3 athletes from the Flying Dragons Vault Club in the Girls Pole Vault. Brooke Catherine (Normal Community HS) set a PR clearing 12-6 at the Pole Vault Summit. She will be in the mix for a top finish in this meet. She will be joined by Kassadee Ifft (Prairie Central HS, Fairbury) and Mackenzie Gallagher (Normal West HS) in this event.  

The meet starts with the Emerging Elites competition on Friday morning. There will be a number of Illinois athletes competing. Watch for Jasmine Berry in the Girls 200 Meter Dash, Emily Cowan (Metea Valley HS, Aurora) in the Girls 60 & 200 Meter Dash, Terry McGee (North Lawndale Prep, Chicago) in the Boys 200 Meter Dash, Shabari Bailey (Minooka HS) in the 60 Meter High Hurdles, Taylor McCammon (McNamara HS, Kankakee) in the Girls 60 Meter Hurdles, and Imani Payton (North Lawndale Prep, Chicago) in the Boys Long Jump.

Good Luck to all Illinois athletes this weekend at Nationals!