EAST PEORIA — The Polo Aplington Middle School track and field team sent several athletes to the 2024 IESA 1A State Championships at East Peoria High School earlier this month.
Among the award winners were seventh-grader Abram Garcia, who won the 800-meter run with a time of 2:08.13 and the 1600-meter run with a time of 4:40.75. Polo Aplington’s seventh-grade 800-meter relay team of Abram Garcia, Carter Quaco, Ryder Faivre and Landry Mumford took third with a time of 1:42.64. The same foursome took third in the 1600-meter relay with a time of 4:14.80. Polo Aplington’s seventh-grade boys track and field team finished third in the state.
Other notable finishers for Polo Aplington include Bentley Sturtz, who finished 20th in the seventh-grade 200-meter dash with a time of 28.17 seconds. Ryder Faivre placed 14th in the seventh-grade 400-meter dash with a time of 1:03.35 and Polo Aplington’s eighth-grade 400-meter relay team of Reese MeKeel, Zandra Vock, Ella Gonzalez and Cassady Helfrich finished 11th in 56.86 seconds.
Macie Mandrell took 18th in the eighth-grade shot put with a mark of 7.85 meters and Cassady Helfrich took 13th in the seventh-grade long jump with a mark of 4.16 meters.
