GHS boys track team makes history with second place finish
By Joe Pritchett
Clarion Editor
Six months to the day that the Glenwood football team fell in the Class 5A state championship game to Lombard Montini last fall, the
GHS boys track team stood at the precipice of school history last Saturday at the IHSA Class 2A boys state track and field meet in
Charleston.
A strong showing in the prelims the day before offered hope, but what followed on Saturday put the 2011 Glenwood team on a new
and unparalled level.
In the end, the Titans finished in second place as a team, earning the first team trophy in school history. In addition, Glenwood’s
4x200 meter relay team pulled off the first single event state championship in school history.
The Titans ended up with state placers in eight events, including all four relay teams. Three school records were set and one state
record was shattered.
Senior Raz Harris earned state medals in four events, with a first, third, fourth and fifth place finish, and teammate Joey Giovannelli
also earned four state medals. Tony Giovannelli and Jiarre Jackson each collected three state medals.
“This was a really great accomplishment for these kids,” GHS head coach Len Onken stated. “And they are pretty darn good kids. We
felt good after Friday, but we had been in that position before last year. This year’s team learned from last year. You have to be prepared
to run faster on Saturday, and the kids were more prepared and kept a low-key attitude.”
The final team standings had Cahokia way out in front with 62 points, followed by Glenwood at 44 and Glen Ellyn Glenbard South with
40. The Titans’ clinched second place on the day’s final event, surpassing Glenbard South with a fifth place showing in the 4x400 meter
relay.
Heading into Saturday’s finals, the Titans had the top preliminary time in the 4x100 relay, and the second-best time in the 4x200.
When asked who he thought had the best chance to break through for a state championship on Saturday, Onken said, “I knew the
4x200 was good, but I thought that the 4x100 hadn’t run much together this season, and something special could be coming. Dustin
(Bilbruck, assistant coach) said the 4x200, and it was. They beat the state record by a half-second.”
The 4x200 team of Jackson, Tony Giovannelli, Harris and Joey Giovannelli posted a time of 1:27.93 in the prelims, then came out and
ran a 1:27.29 in the finals. Runner-up Midlothian Bremen came in at 1:27.61.
“It was flawless,” Onken described. “Jiarre ran an unbelievable leg, making up the entire stagger on the outside by the first
exchange. Tony caught the guy in Lane 6, and those guys had the fastest time in the prelims. Raz ran a great leg, and Joey finished it.
The exchanges were great. It was the fifth-fastest time posted in the entire state this year, including all classes, and the 41st best time
nationwide. That’s pretty good for a school here in central Illinois.”
Earlier in the day, the Titans’ 4x100 relay team also broke the state record, but so did two other teams. The same foursome finished
in 42.39 seconds, just behind Rock Island (42.27) and Glenbard South (42.36). Glenwood had posted a 42.75 to achieve the top
preliminary time on Friday.
The Glenwood distance guys also showed their muscle, with sophomore Marc Maton, seeded 11th going in, taking fifth place in the
3200 with a time of 9:31.55.
“Never did we think he was gonna go out there and amaze all of us like that,” Onken added. “If he only gets seventh, we tie for second
place. Those points were early in the meet, but they were important.”
Then there’s the 4x800 meter relay team, which came to Charleston seeded second but instead posted a time of 8:09.19 in the
prelims. Still, that mark was good enough to qualify for the finals, and there was still time to regroup.
One day later, the same foursome of Whitt Kinley, Michael Zink, Andrew Bacon and Ryan Anderson charged to a sixth place finish with
a time of 7:58.67, setting a school record in the process.
“That’s pretty amazing for those guys, to shave off 11 seconds in 24 hours,” Onken explained. “And Ryan Anderson had run the 4x800
and the 1600 the day before, then just came out an ran a phenomenal race on Saturday. Those guys were so excited; they are the first
distance relay team to place at state in school history. Coach (Jay) Rogers does a great job with those guys, and we’ve got a nice core to
build with for the future.”
•In the 110 high hurdles, Harris posted a school record time of 14.50 seconds, finishing in fourth place. Taylor Andrews of Maple
Park Kaneland won the race in 14.27, setting a new state record. Harris posted a mark of 14.72 in the prelims.
The 4x400 meter relay team ended up with a fifth place finish in 3:22.05, securing the final team points for Glenwood. The group of
Harris, Kinley, Tyler Brinkman and Tony Giovannelli had posted a time of 3:22.66 in the prelims.
The Titans also placed in the sprints, with Jackson taking seventh in the 100 (10.98) and Joey Giovannelli finishing eighth right next to
him in 11.03. Joey G was eighth in the 200, posting a time of 22.48 seconds.
Senior Tom Cooper qualified for the finals in the discus, setting a mark of 146’ 8” in the prelims. He ended up 10th on Saturday with
that same distance.
•In other events, Donovyn Hammonds hit 19’ 11” in the long jump but did not qualify for the finals, and Jon Calvin set a mark of 12’ 6”
in the pole vault. Anderson posted a time of 4:37.83 in the 1600 on Friday and did not qualify for the finals.
“It’s kind of odd for Glen-wood, we’ve always had field event guys qualify for state,” Onken explained. “This year, we had a true team
effort. Everybody on the track was scoring.”
The last Springfield-area team to earn a state trophy (top three) at the boys state track meet was Rochester in 1982, Onken added.
By Joe Pritchett
Clarion Editor
Six months to the day that the Glenwood football team fell in the Class 5A state championship game to Lombard Montini last fall, the
GHS boys track team stood at the precipice of school history last Saturday at the IHSA Class 2A boys state track and field meet in
Charleston.
A strong showing in the prelims the day before offered hope, but what followed on Saturday put the 2011 Glenwood team on a new
and unparalled level.
In the end, the Titans finished in second place as a team, earning the first team trophy in school history. In addition, Glenwood’s
4x200 meter relay team pulled off the first single event state championship in school history.
The Titans ended up with state placers in eight events, including all four relay teams. Three school records were set and one state
record was shattered.
Senior Raz Harris earned state medals in four events, with a first, third, fourth and fifth place finish, and teammate Joey Giovannelli
also earned four state medals. Tony Giovannelli and Jiarre Jackson each collected three state medals.
“This was a really great accomplishment for these kids,” GHS head coach Len Onken stated. “And they are pretty darn good kids. We
felt good after Friday, but we had been in that position before last year. This year’s team learned from last year. You have to be prepared
to run faster on Saturday, and the kids were more prepared and kept a low-key attitude.”
The final team standings had Cahokia way out in front with 62 points, followed by Glenwood at 44 and Glen Ellyn Glenbard South with
40. The Titans’ clinched second place on the day’s final event, surpassing Glenbard South with a fifth place showing in the 4x400 meter
relay.
Heading into Saturday’s finals, the Titans had the top preliminary time in the 4x100 relay, and the second-best time in the 4x200.
When asked who he thought had the best chance to break through for a state championship on Saturday, Onken said, “I knew the
4x200 was good, but I thought that the 4x100 hadn’t run much together this season, and something special could be coming. Dustin
(Bilbruck, assistant coach) said the 4x200, and it was. They beat the state record by a half-second.”
The 4x200 team of Jackson, Tony Giovannelli, Harris and Joey Giovannelli posted a time of 1:27.93 in the prelims, then came out and
ran a 1:27.29 in the finals. Runner-up Midlothian Bremen came in at 1:27.61.
“It was flawless,” Onken described. “Jiarre ran an unbelievable leg, making up the entire stagger on the outside by the first
exchange. Tony caught the guy in Lane 6, and those guys had the fastest time in the prelims. Raz ran a great leg, and Joey finished it.
The exchanges were great. It was the fifth-fastest time posted in the entire state this year, including all classes, and the 41st best time
nationwide. That’s pretty good for a school here in central Illinois.”
Earlier in the day, the Titans’ 4x100 relay team also broke the state record, but so did two other teams. The same foursome finished
in 42.39 seconds, just behind Rock Island (42.27) and Glenbard South (42.36). Glenwood had posted a 42.75 to achieve the top
preliminary time on Friday.
The Glenwood distance guys also showed their muscle, with sophomore Marc Maton, seeded 11th going in, taking fifth place in the
3200 with a time of 9:31.55.
“Never did we think he was gonna go out there and amaze all of us like that,” Onken added. “If he only gets seventh, we tie for second
place. Those points were early in the meet, but they were important.”
Then there’s the 4x800 meter relay team, which came to Charleston seeded second but instead posted a time of 8:09.19 in the
prelims. Still, that mark was good enough to qualify for the finals, and there was still time to regroup.
One day later, the same foursome of Whitt Kinley, Michael Zink, Andrew Bacon and Ryan Anderson charged to a sixth place finish with
a time of 7:58.67, setting a school record in the process.
“That’s pretty amazing for those guys, to shave off 11 seconds in 24 hours,” Onken explained. “And Ryan Anderson had run the 4x800
and the 1600 the day before, then just came out an ran a phenomenal race on Saturday. Those guys were so excited; they are the first
distance relay team to place at state in school history. Coach (Jay) Rogers does a great job with those guys, and we’ve got a nice core to
build with for the future.”
•In the 110 high hurdles, Harris posted a school record time of 14.50 seconds, finishing in fourth place. Taylor Andrews of Maple
Park Kaneland won the race in 14.27, setting a new state record. Harris posted a mark of 14.72 in the prelims.
The 4x400 meter relay team ended up with a fifth place finish in 3:22.05, securing the final team points for Glenwood. The group of
Harris, Kinley, Tyler Brinkman and Tony Giovannelli had posted a time of 3:22.66 in the prelims.
The Titans also placed in the sprints, with Jackson taking seventh in the 100 (10.98) and Joey Giovannelli finishing eighth right next to
him in 11.03. Joey G was eighth in the 200, posting a time of 22.48 seconds.
Senior Tom Cooper qualified for the finals in the discus, setting a mark of 146’ 8” in the prelims. He ended up 10th on Saturday with
that same distance.
•In other events, Donovyn Hammonds hit 19’ 11” in the long jump but did not qualify for the finals, and Jon Calvin set a mark of 12’ 6”
in the pole vault. Anderson posted a time of 4:37.83 in the 1600 on Friday and did not qualify for the finals.
“It’s kind of odd for Glen-wood, we’ve always had field event guys qualify for state,” Onken explained. “This year, we had a true team
effort. Everybody on the track was scoring.”
The last Springfield-area team to earn a state trophy (top three) at the boys state track meet was Rochester in 1982, Onken added.
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Issue Date: June 2, 2011
