COLLINSVILLE – Edwardsville’s boys track and field team showed its depth throughout the lineup Saturday, capturing the 25-team Collinsville Invitational.
Edwardsville won the meet with 90.5 points, ahead of East St. Louis (82.33), Cahokia (79.33) Lyons Township (67), Alton with 42 points, then O’Fallon with 37. Triad was 18th with 11 points, Jersey was 19th with nine points, Roxana was 20th with eight points, Highland was 23rd with six points and Carlinville posted three points for 25th place.
The Tigers were without headliner Travis Anderson, a returning state 110-meter hurdle champion, but in that event Matt Griebe came through with a first, cracking 15 seconds with a time of 14.85. A.J. Epenesa captured first in the discus (180-4) and was second in the shot put (56-0) to add to the Tigers’ points. DeVonte Tincher scorched the track in the 200 meters with a first (21.98). Max Hartmann was first in the 3,200 (9:53.95), smashing the 10-minute mark.
“It was a great day with great weather,” Edwardsville head coach Chad Lakatos said after the meet. “The Collinsville Invitational is always a good meet and all kids performed well. I was well pleased overall with our performance.”
Lakatos singled out Hartmann for his sensational effort in the 3,200 and said Tincher was dominant in the 200, setting him up for a strong placing in the upcoming conference, sectional and then state meets. Tincher was also fourth in the long jump (21-7). The Tigers’ Bruce Wachowski was fifth in the discus (162-6) and third in the shot put (51-7.5). Daval Torres was third in the 110-meter high hurdles (15.13)
Blake Neville was third in the pole vault (13-7), Roland Prenzler was sixth in the 1,600 (4:32.88), the 4 x 100 relay for Edwardsville was third (42.78), Lovantis Hairston was fifth in the high jump (5-11).
The Southwestern Conference Boys Track and Field Meet has been moved from Wednesday to Tuesday afternoon because of weather predictions.
