Lemont Sends Two Sectional Champs to IHSA Boys' Track and Field State Finals

Enjoying its finest season in many years, Lemont High School’s boys’ track and field program accomplished something at the IHSA Downers Grove Sectional on May 22 that it hadn’t done in 15 years—winning sectional championships in multiple events in the same year. Junior Chris Thompson won the 400-meter dash, and teamed with seniors Connor Koehler, Eric Whatley and Drake White to capture the 4 x 400-meter relay. The sectional titles earned them an opportunity to compete at the 2015 IHSA Class 3A Boys’ Track and Field State Finals, which will be contested on Friday, May 29, and Saturday, May 30, at O’Brien Stadium on the campus of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Ill. Lemont will be represented in boys’ track and field state finals competition for the first time since 2010.

Thompson crossed the line in the 400 meter dash in 48.05, which was the fourth-fastest time among all IHSA Class 3A sectional competitors. His sectional victory continued a breakout season that has seen him set numerous meet records. In March, he finished second in the 400 meter dash at the Top Times Indoor State Championship in Bloomington with a then-personal best time of 49.58.

During the outdoor season, Thompson is undefeated in the 400 meter dash. He broke a 28-year-old record at the Eisenhower Relays (48.2); set an event record at Lisle’s Carlin Nalley Invitational (48.3), which celebrated its 48th year in 2015; and established a new South Suburban Conference standard with a personal best time of 47.96.

Lemont captured the sectional title in the 4 x 400 relay in a school-record time of 3:23.23. That quartet also captured the SSC title earlier this season. Senior Christian Goushas serves as an alternate on the 4 x 400 squad.

The top two finishers in each of the state’s Class 3A Sectionals advance to the state finals, as do any athletes whose efforts in the preliminaries equal or surpass the designated qualifying marks. The track preliminaries will begin at approximately 12:45 p.m. on May 29. On May 30, the 400 meter dash final is set for 2:55 p.m., while the 4 x 400 relay final will take place at 4:20 p.m.

Head coach Dennis Kennedy’s squad has enjoyed a terrific season. With the two event wins, the Indians finished seventh of 15 teams in a rugged sectional. Lemont was third at the SSC Blue Meet, and the quartet of Goushas, Thompson, Whatley and junior Keshon Steele set a school record in 4 x 200 relay (1:31.57).

Lemont’s boys’ track and field program has earned 14 state medals, with its most recent being a sixth-place finish by pole vaulter Andy Rachwalski ‘09 at the 2009 IHSA Class 2A State Finals. The last time Lemont won multiple sectional titles in the same season was 2000, when Nick Bromberek ‘00 won titles in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dash events and the long jump. With Bromberek as the school’s only competitor, Lemont finished second at the 2000 IHSA Class
AA State Finals. He won the 200- and 400-meter dash and long jump events, and was second in the 100-meter dash. Bromberek set a school record with his 47.5 in the 400 meter dash that year. Bromberek won nine state medals in all.

Lemont has earned two relay medals, with both coming at the 1992 IHSA Class A State Finals. The 4 x 200 relay team earned a third-place medal, while the 4 x 800 squad was seventh.

Boys’ track and field is the ninth Lemont High School sport to be represented in IHSA State Finals competition this year. Senior Kyra Udziela was the individual champion at the IHSA Girls’ Bowling State Finals; the cheerleading squad was fourth at the IHSA Medium Division State Finals; the girls’ cross country team was fourth at the IHSA Class 2A State Finals; the football team was the IHSA Class 6A State Runner-Up; boys’ golf tied for ninth at the IHSA Class 2A State Finals; freshman Alex Knutte competed at the IHSA Girls’ Swimming State Finals; senior Jacque Desmond and junior Taylor Campos took part in the IHSA Class 3A Girls’ Track and Field State Finals; six wrestlers competed as individuals at the IHSA Class 2A State Finals; and the wrestling squad qualified for the IHSA Class 2A Dual Team State Finals.