RBHS seniors head to another Class 3A state track meet

Riverside Brookfield High School’s all-senior 4 x 400-meter relay lineup of Hayden Marrs, Will Kallas, Evan McMullen and Jack O’Brien will be graduating with boys track and field honors.

Instead of being at the school’s graduation ceremony this Friday, they’re returning to the Class 3A state meet at Eastern Illinois University. They qualified by winning the Lyons Township Sectional May 16 in a school-record 3:24.39. 

“Hopefully my mom [school board president Deanna Zalas] will be able to bring our diplomas down and our caps and gowns,” Marrs said. “We’ll do a little ceremony, just for the five of us [along with Luke Smithing].”

The Bulldogs earned five state berths and second-place host Lions four automatically with top-two finishes or by achieving state cuts at the meet.

O’Brien (800 in 1:58.85) and LTHS senior Nick Strayer (1,600 in 4:28.02) and the 4 x 800 with Strayer, senior John Barrette and juniors Charles Ciesla and Tate Pavelka (8:05.49) also were sectional champions.

Kallas (4.01 meters/13 feet-1 3/4 inches in pole vault), RBHS junior Brady Norman (3,200 in lifetime-best 9:29.94) and the Lions’ 4 x 400 with senior Jack McMahon, sophomore Gustavo Mojarro, senior Adrian Llerenas and Strayer (3:24.97) were second. Third-place LTHS junior Ben Wuggazer (3,200 in 9:33.15) and fourth-place Smithing (300 intermediate hurdles in 40.78) beat 9:33.35 and 41.10 state cuts with lifetime bests.

The Bulldogs’ 4 x 400 broke the school record of 3:24.70 from 1982. 

“I feel like when the pressure comes on, RB responds very well. We have great coaches who don’t let us shy away from the moment,” O’Brien said. 

Marrs, Kallas and O’Brien were part of last year’s state 4 x 400 with graduated Zack Gaynor. The lone downstate 2023 senior also had an impromptu graduation ceremony at the Charleston stadium with cap and gown.

“Honestly, it beats sitting in an auditorium for three hours,” Marrs said. “As long as seniors keep qualifying, I think it’s a great tradition.” 

McMullen is starting a new tradition. The former alternate will be competing for the first time at state.

“It just means a lot,” McMullen said. “Sophomore year, I had no idea I’d ever be a 400 runner. Freshman year I thought I was a (1,600 and 3,200) runner. It’s crazy how it’s changed.”

Kallas began training pole vault off-season at RISE in Joliet and now holds the 14-0 school record. At sectionals, he needed his third and final attempt to clear his opening height of 12-8.

“If I didn’t make that third one, I wouldn’t have gone [to state]. A lot of pressure,” Kallas said. 

Norman and Smithing are state returnees in their events. Smithing last qualified in 2022. Norman beat his previous best of 9:33.72 from indoors and came 2.24 seconds from winning. After a lifetime-best fourth-place 15.45 in the 110 high hurdles, just .14 from qualifying, Smithing ran faster than his 41.48 sectional title time of 2022 for the first time. 

“I was covering my eyes because I didn’t want to see the time. I was worried I wasn’t going to make the cut but then someone told me I got it,” Smithing said. “I came in pretty cocky last year and was pretty lazy in practice. Since I messed up, I was able to realize I had to push myself every practice if I was going to make [state]. It all just built up to this.” 

Wuggazer advanced barely by beating his previous best of 9:41.04 indoors. 

“I was worried. I didn’t think I was going to hit (qualifying),” Wuggazer said. “I just sprinted at the final and I got it, but it was way too close.” 

Strayer seeks his first individual top-nine, all-state honors after being the lone returnee from last year’s fifth-place 4 x 800. His 4:15.29 from April 6 ranks No. 15 in Illinois for 1,600s this outdoor season. 

“It’s been a good season so far but it all comes down to this,” said Strayer, who also is the lone state returnee from the 4 x 400, which ran a season best using this lineup for the first time. 

Llernas competed at state in 2023 with the 4 x 100. McMahon was an alternate for two relays.

“It felt relieving. I’m glad we made it,” Llernas said. “It just kind of made sense that we all ran together. We were kind of the dream team.” 

LTHS girls track and field

LTHS senior twins Kristina and Madison Findley will continue running track races and cross country together at Lewis University. They competed together for the Lions one last time Friday at the 3A state prelims with seniors Shannon Cranny and Anna Bylsma in the 4 x 800. Their 14th-place 9:27.45 missed the 12-team finals by just .88.

Other LTHS state competitors were seniors Julianne Melby (17th, 11:16.88) and Lauren Bohringer (29th, 12:07.12) in the 3,200, junior  Leigh Ferrell (26th in pole vault, 3.10m/10-2), the 4 x 400 (31st, seniors Sam Girgis, Kristina Findley, Katie Garrity, Natasha Lumb in 4:11.08) and the 4 x 200 (43rd, junior Jordyn Hoffenberg, sophomore Gwen Smith and freshmen Mia Toulios and Lucy Laux in 1:48.72).