IHSA state track and field finals: Tuscola boys win another runner-up team trophy

CHARLESTON In case you didnt hear Tuscola senior Kam Sweetnam when he said it the first time on Thursday, Were definitely still here.

The Tuscola boys track and field team made headlines last year with a Class 1A runner-up trophy, the highest team placement in program history.

The Warriors found themselves in the same exact spot Saturday at Eastern Illinois Universitys OBrien Field, matching that historic finish with another second-place trophy.

Anytime we come to the state meet, we want to accomplish something.

We dont want to just be excited about being here, Tuscola coach Ryan Hornaday said.

Its never a given.

This state meet has a way of ripping our hearts out.

In 2015, I thought we had enough to win, but some weird things happened, and we wound up fourth.

In 2023, I thought we had enough to win, and we were 1.5 points away from second but finished fourth.

The math is unbelievable.

You never know whats going to happen.

Leading the way for the Warriors was senior thrower Sawyer Woodard, who earned a pair of third-place finishes in the discus and shot put with respective throws of 170 feet, 7 inches and 54-9 14.

It was amazing, man, Woodard said.

At the beginning of the year, I was really focusing on discus and getting on the podium.

Later in the season, I realized I could place in both.

Ive been racking up state medals, and this year was the most Ive ever gotten.

Getting points in both events really helped the team place.

It was a near-perfect way to end his final high school competition.

Woodard will be throwing for EIU next year, and hes hoping showing out at his soon-to-be home track will propel him into a strong start to his college career.

It feels amazing ending on a high note here, Woodard said.

I started the season here, and Im ending the season here.

I just cant wait to see what college holds for me.

Im going to do my best and ultimately raise the bar.

Following Just behind Woodard in the point totals was Sweetnam, who placed sixth in both the long jump (20-11 34) and triple jump (43-7 34) and led off the runner-up 800-meter relay with Carter Simpson, Kamden Flenner and Kade Wilcox that finished in 1 minute, 28.40 seconds.

Simpson added an eighth-place finish in the 110 hurdles (15.38), and Blake McLeese finished seventh in the 3,200 (9:54.62).

Incredibly happy for our seniors, Hornaday said.

The run we were on last year was absolutely awesome, and it was driven by a really talented group of seniors.

But in the midst of all that, we had an incredible junior class, which you saw this weekend.

They were overshadowed.

We believed in them, but they werent as well known outside of our tight circle.

They certainly made themselves known on Saturday.

Simply put, revisiting another of Sweetnams gems from two days earlier, Thats how Tuscola does it.

*** Tanner Thomas, Braden Phillips and Jayden Henson-Stice didnt expect their high school athletic careers to end on Saturday.

Sure, it was the last day of the boys track and field season, but they had every intention of returning to Arcola later that day to help their baseball team win a sectional title and continue their historic run to the state finals.

Instead, the Purple Riders lost 1-0 to Argenta Oreana in the regional championship on May 24, which made their fourth-place finish in the 1A 400-meter relay that much sweeter.

Were pretty excited, Thomas said.

We knew he had a chance to place in the top nine, and to get fourth is pretty impressive for us because we didnt really get to work on track that much this season.

We needed this.

We needed it to get our minds off that game because it took a toll on a lot of us.

Being able to do this helps us forget about that.

That regional baseball loss will undoubtedly still eat at them for a while.

Not only had the Purple Riders beaten A-O 12-2 earlier in the season, but they hadnt lost a single game all year until then.

They werent able to complete the perfect season, but it was still one for the books.

It was definitely a special season, Henson-Stice said.

It sucks how it ended.

Definitely could have made a run, but I still loved it.

And to have all the success, both on the diamond and the track, alongside the same guys theyve competed with for the last decade made it all the more memorable.

A lot of us have played sports together for like 10 years, Phillips said.

Coming from that small community, the relationships weve built together have been something special that well always remember.

Even though it didnt end the way we wanted it to, we got a lot out of it.

Brody Phillips, Bradens sophomore brother, was the fourth member of Arcolas state-placing relay team, and hell be the one to carry the torch into next year.

But hes not ready to think about that just yet.

Im just going to enjoy the moment, Brody said.

Ill enjoy the last two years Ive had with this senior class and all weve been able to accomplish, and Ill look forward to next year when next year comes.

*** If you turn the calendar back a few months to November, youll remember Mahomet-Seymour juniors Henry McMurry and Augustus Gaudio leaning together at the finish line of the Class 2A state cross-country meet.

One was 25th, and the other was 26th, but it was so close that you couldnt make the call.

Neither could the timer, as the teammates wound up with the exact same time of 14 minutes, 55.0 seconds.

They had to go to a video review to determine who placed where, and it was a big decision, seeing as only the top 25 finishers could earn All-State honors.

It was originally called in McMurrys favor, which sent both of them into opposite waves of emotion.

A little later at the awards ceremony, however, Gaudio was the one walking onto the stage and receiving an All-State medal, and McMurry was the one proudly cheering him on from the crowd.

Obviously, there were a lot of emotions that went through that, McMurry said.

At the lean, it was so close.

I was pretty sure Auggie had me.

They had me first in the results, so I was obviously happy to take it, but they switched it at the last second.

Definitely not salty about it.

Its amazing to see my teammate who works just as hard as me, if not harder, get that.

Ever since the end of cross season, weve worked hard together, and it was nice to see us both do well (Saturday).

McMurry and Gaudios cross-country success translated to the track just fine, as they both earned All-State honors at Saturdays Class 2A state finals.

McMurry finished sixth in the 1,600 (4:26.66), and Gaudio took seventh in the 800 (1:56.37).

They were also both on the Bulldogs runner-up 3,200-meter relay team with Ethan Ramirez and Blake Dillman (7:55.22).

We just have a strong culture.

We have a whole lot of heart on our team, and its just a love for the sport, McMurry said.

Auggie, all the guys on the 4x800 and further down the roster, its amazing to train with these great guys every day.

The majority of the reason Im here and able to get on the podium is because of them.

*** Sullivan senior Mason Booker only started hurdling a couple years ago because the team needed someone to fill a role.

Kind of like how he became a lineman for the football team.

Booker was a strong kid, and the Redskins needed someone to block.

The rest is easy enough to figure out on your own.

Same deal on the track.

I just loved it, and it was something I was just good enough at to keep pushing myself, Booker said of starting hurdling This year, I wanted to go above and beyond, and Id say thats exactly what I did.

Yeah, you could definitely say that.

Booker placed second in the 300 hurdles and third in the 110 hurdles at Saturdays Class 1A state finals with respective times of 39.12 and 14.81 seconds.

He was shooting for a pair of wins, but he couldnt complain with where he finished.

It means the world, Booker said.

Ive worked my butt off since football season.

Ive been cutting weight.

Ive been training all I know about hurdles, which isnt much.

Just been training my butt off, so to get a second and third means the world.

Booker went from running a season-best 110 time of 16.07 seconds a year ago to consistently running in the 14s and even dipping into the 13s a couple times this season, breaking his own school record seemingly every meet.

He could finally appreciate all the work hed put into it when he stepped on the podium, as he looked up to his supporters in the crowd with a proud smile on his face.

Seeing all my family and friends up there, the Sullivan community is unmatched, Booker said.

Everybody loves everybody, and you always have somebody in your corner.

Thats pretty awesome.

My season is not possible at all without God.

He made everything happen, and it was all through His glory and His grace.

Im just beyond blessed..

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