LHS High Jumper Reaches State Finals

LEMONT, IL — Making his state finals debut, Lemont High School sophomore David Lehenbauer reached the final round of the high jump at the 2017 IHSA Class 3A Boys’ Track and Field State Finals, which were contested on May 26-27 at O’Brien Stadium on the campus of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. According to a release from the school, he became the second student-athlete in program history to advance to state finals competition in the high jump.

LHS said in the preliminary round, Lehenbauer cleared the 6’04.00” mark, which not only tied for the best effort of the day with 21 other competitors, but also established a new personal best. In the final round, he cleared the 6’03.00” mark to place 15th of 22 in the event.

According to a release, Lehenbauer advanced to the state finals thanks to his third-place effort at the IHSA Lockport Sectional on May 18. He cleared the 6’03.00” mark, which was a personal best at the time as well as the IHSA’s qualifying mark in the event. 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.

Lemont’s boys’ track and field program, which is coached by Dennis Kennedy, has earned 16 state medals in its history, the school said.

The only other Lemont student-athlete to qualify for the state finals in the high jump was Scott McAdam ‘06, who did so in 2006.

Photo provided by Lemont High School.