Valley View Sends Dozens of Middle Schoolers to State Track Meet

Nearly 80 Valley View School District 365U student-athletes qualified for the Illinois Elementary School Association state track championships with outstanding performances in sectionals over the weekend.

In addition, Brooks Middle School won the 8th grade boys sectional title and finished second in both 7th grade girls and boys, while Jane Addams Middle School won the 7th grade boys sectional crown.

Brooks 8th graders won three individual events and two relays.

Chris Bavaro, Gordon Martin, Kunmi Olatunde and Jordan Pringle combined to win the 4x100 relay on the boys side, while Amber Armstrong, Alexis Lewis, April Lowery, Kayla Perry and Brooke Patterson won the girls 4x100.

Shawn Showalter won the 100 meter dash also qualified in the long jump,  Gordon Martin won the 400 meter dash, and Bavaro was the 800 meter run champ.

Other Brooks individual qualifiers included KeAira Jones in the shot put, Pringle in the 100 meter dash, Lowery in the long jump, and Patterson on the 400 meter dash.

Bulldog relays that also qualified included Bavaro, Martin, Tysen Noble and Oletunde in the boys 4x400 and Patterson, Kayla Perry, Emily Romero and Sonia Stachurski in the girls 4x400; and Francesca Aniceto, Autumn Armstrong, Ngozi Edeh, Carleia Smith and Jones in the 4x200.

Brooks 7th grade event winners included Katelyn Johnson in the high jump (also qualified in the 100 meter hurdles and 100 meter dash); Sophia Plummer in the long jump (also qualified in the 100 meter dash; Quentin Pringle in both the 100 and 200 meter dashes; Joceyln Cisneros in the long jump; Johnson, Kyra Williams, Aaliyah Woodyard, Elisha Dunlap, and Plummer in the 4x100 girls relay; and Benz Hoffmeyer, Logan McCadd, Cameron Mitchell, Tayveun Williams and Pringle in the boys 4x400 relay.

Addams 8th grader Juwan Robinson won the 200 meter dash and joined Alex Arce, Lean Nepomuceno, and Andrew Otto to win the 4x400 relay. Nepomuceno, Otto, Cameron Pettiford and Elijah Porter won the 4x200 relay and Lynesse Johnson qualified in the high jump.

On the 7th grade side for Addams, Joseph Yesufu won the long jump and also qualified in the 100 meter dash, while Tariq Griffin, Kalyii Kyles, Jordan Martin and Brendan Turner won the 4x200 relay. Damia Patton qualified in the discus and Tyler Porter qualified in shot put.

Two Humphrey 8th graders were event champions. Dashawn Mallory won the shot put and Marshaun Brown was the high jump winner. In 7th grade Cameron Jackson won shot put, qualified in high jump and was on the winning 4x100 relay team along with Jesus Bravo, Jack Davidek and Joshua Haralson. Briyanna Robinson qualified in discus.

Lukancic 8th grader Alena Hood won the discus. Xavier Jones and Datwone Burge qualified in the long jump, Arianna Lampkins qualified in discus and Jahnetta Jones won the 100 meter dash and qualified in the 200 meter dash. 7th grade qualifiers included Marc Wallac in the long jump, high jump and 100 meter dash; Amiri Buchanan in the shot put; and Elias Secreto, Christian Stevens, Joseph Vasquez and Wallac in the 4x100 relay.

Two Martinez 8th grade relays qualified for the state finals including Kylie Barney, Idara Anyang, Peyton Lockhart and Katie Kerwin in the girls 4x100 and Jalen Lynch, Greg Guillen, Chris Kerwin and Anthony Adauto in the boys 4x100. In 7th grade Paris Jones won the shot put and Kylie Barney qualified in the 100 and 200 meter dashes.