Granjean Captures State Hurdles Championship

CHARLESTON, IL --- Miles Granjean lived up to his No. 1 billing in a big way here Saturday afternoon on the blue oval track at Eastern Illinois University.

Just 7 months after he took up the event, the Evanston senior showed that the cream always rises to the top, capturing the state championship in the 110-meter high hurdle race at the Class 3A Illinois High School Association state finals.

The unflappable senior didn’t just shake off the pressure that comes with owning the state’s best times in that event all of the outdoor season --- he embraced it.

Now he’s alone at the top after posting a winning time of 14.36 seconds to beat out Jonathan Tegel of Crystal Lake Central, who was clocked in 14.53.

“It feels great! I’ve been waiting for this moment all year,” said Granjean, who added a 5th place finish in the 100-meter dash (10.96) and a 9th place effort in the 200 (22.62) as part of his medal haul over the weekend. “But making it a reality is really just indescribable.

“When I won the Prep Top Times race (indoors) I thought wow, the best of the best hurdlers were here --- and I beat them! I came here to win today. I really wanted to be a state champion. I felt like I wanted it more than anyone else today. This is all I could ask for, to make my dream come true.”

Granjean’s triumph in the high hurdles race left the ex-hockey player --- he only joined the school’s track team a couple of years ago --- as part of a short list of Evanston’s state champions in that event. He joins George Watson (1947), James Ashmore (1958), Lamont Frazier (1984), Kalil Johnson (2021) and Bob McGee (1978 and 1979) as gold medalists.

Granjean is just the second Wildkit athlete to earn a state medal in three different individual events at the same state track finals. McGee won both the long and short hurdles, and the open 100, in 1979 and also ran on a championship relay team.

Granjean led Evanston to a tie for 19th place in the team standings Saturday with 16 points, same as Naperville North. Homewood-Flossmoor (58 points), Neuqua Valley (42) and Champaign Centennial (40) claimed the team trophies.

“There was pressure on Miles all year, and he just owned being No. 1,” said Evanston head coach Don Michelin. “You could see it after he won, though, that he was light as a feather because a big weight was lifted off him. The expectations were on him just like they were on (former state champs) Kalil Johnson and Matt Cless. That’s our program.

“When did I think this was possible? When he ran fresh at Minooka and blew them away with a (state’s best time) 13.99. I thought, who’s going to touch him? And nobody did. Flat out, I’ve never had a guy improve that much that fast. It usually takes years to be proficient with those lead leg, trail leg skills and Miles not only became proficient, he became a state champion --- and in 7 months time.

“When he showed up (after quitting his hockey career due to a wrist injury) we knew we were getting a high level guy academically and guys like that have the self-discipline to succeed. He’s been such a pleasure to work with. He invested in himself and partnered up well with the coaches. He came to us and told us what he wanted to do this year, and he did it.”

Granjean’s preliminary qualifying time of 14.48 on Friday wasn’t as fast as Tegel’s 14.26 effort. But the Wildkit captain wasn’t going to settle for 2nd place when the chips were down.

“I beat him at the Top Times meet. You can run a good time, but what matters is what you do when the pressure’s on you,” said Granjean. “I just trusted my training. I know what I can do and I made it happen. I knew I had it in me. I put my heart into this and I worked hard to be a state champion. I wanted to be the best, and nothing was going to stop me.”

Granjean did hit one hurdle early in the race but all that did was keep the final gap a bit closer between the Evanston runner and Tegel.

He came back less than 15 minutes later to move up from his 7th best qualifying effort coming out of the prelims to 5th place, quicker on Saturday (10.96) than he was on Friday (11.02) despite little recovery time.

He did run out of gas at the end of the day in the 200, after landing a qualifying spot in that race with a prelim time of 21.79, a personal record.

“I put it all out there in the 100 because I knew I could place better. And that 200 was one of the best races I’ve ever had (Friday),” said Granjean. “Breaking 22 (seconds) was definitely a great feat for me.”

Granjean plans to follow former ETHS state champ Johnson to the University of Iowa next season and will likely major in biochemistry. And after making program history with 3 medals in 3 events, he was more than ready to pass the baton to junior teammate Oliver Hassard, who tied for 14th in the high jump Saturday and is expected to add both hurdles races to his repertoire after focusing mainly on the high jump and triple jump this year.

Evanston’s other state qualifier, senior long jumper Myles Kye, bowed out of the competition during the prelims, able to muster a best jump of just 6.00 meters.

“It feels good to bring home all these medals, but I’m confident that Oliver will medal in 4 events next year and do some good stuff here,” said Granjean.

Hassard was one of 18 finalists in the high jump after clearing 1.90 meters on Friday. But after soaring over 1.85 on his second attempt Saturday, he missed on all 3 tries at 1.90 on Saturday and was eliminated. Champaign Centennial sophomore Voldy Makabu ruled that event at 2.04 meters.

“My approach was off today, and it was off yesterday, too,” Hassard admitted. “I was either too close or too far away. I couldn’t get it together.

“I’ve probably cleared 1.90 10 times this year, so it’s not something I saw as a big hurdle. I’m disappointed, but my goal was to make it to the finals today, and I did that. Next year? I’ve been a 4 event person already (running relays) and it will just be 4 individual events, I think. I’m looking forward to that.

“I’m hoping I’m the next Evanston high jump --- and triple jump --- state champion.”