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The Enterprise, Thursday, May 24, 2012
Winder keeping up with tradition By Mark Gregory Sports Reporter
In the past 10 years, there have only two seasons where there was not a Winder pole vaulting at O’Brien Stadium on the campus of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.
BOYS TRACK This year, that representative is Plainfield Central sophomore Luke Winder, who cleared 15feet, 9-inches to win the sectional title. His height is the top height of all qualifiers. “This was an awesome day,” Luke said.“I trust my training. All of this comes from the summer when my brothers drag me out and tell me if I work hard I will vault higher than they did sophomore year.” Over the years, the Winder brothers, Josh and Jake, have combined for five state medals, with each one winning a state title.That is not lost on Luke. “This is awesome. Making 15-9 today and doing what my brothers knew what I could do and having my brothers here to cheer me on is a blessing,” Luke said. “Every single day I think about when I was young and I would go with my brothers and I would go with them and I knew I wanted to do this.The first time I cleared 15-feet, it was a surreal moment because I had just done what my brothers had done and what I had dreamed about doing. Sometimes when I am at the end of the runway and everyone is clapping, I get choked up because I am so lucky to be able to do this every day.” With the top seed height, Winder is looking for good things, but has his goals in check. “I want to go there and have fun and go high,” he said. “My main goal is just to make it to the second day, because I didn’t last year. If I qualify for the finals, I know I can do some damage there. To just get there and attempt 15-feet would be great, because I think 15 will place.” Also qualifying for District 202 in pole vault was Plainfield North senior Rick Funk, who cleared 13-9. The Tigers paced all Plainfield schools with seven events heading to the state meet. Senior Caleb Ivey advanced in the long jump with a distance of 22 feet, 06.5-inches. Senior Caleb Donaldson finished fourth in the discus with a throw of 156-00. In the track events, the Tigers 400-meter relay team of Marquis Flowers, Quest Young, Jacob Clayton and Derick Suss took first in 42.22. “We got a good start from Marquis and Quest always gets us in the lead and Jacob coming around strong, I just knew I had to take it home,” Suss said. Suss needed his kick at the end of the 800 relay (1:28.51) to hold off Joliet West’s Calvin Edwards,
Mark Gregory/Enterprise Staff
Plainfield Central’s Luke Winder cleared 15-9 in the pole vault, which earned up him the top seed heading into the state meet.
who came out of nowhere to challenge for the win. “You always have to expect them coming up behind you,” Suss said.“You can’t give up.” The Tigers also qualified the 1600 relay (3:22.95) and Zion Mason in 110 high hurdles, with a time of 15:05. “I saw myself in dead last and I just told myself keep running,” Mason said. “By the fourth or
fifth hurdle, I caught up and I saw state in ahead of me. I have been trying for so long for this. I broke my own school record and I made state, that was all I wanted to do.” East junior Jalil Manson won the 110 hurdles in 14.90 “I just had to stay confident and stay calm,” Mason said. “I See WINDER, page 18