The Sparta boys track and field team wrapped up the 2010 campaign by tying for ninth place at the IHSA Class 1A state meet held this past weekend at Eastern Illinois University.
The Bulldogs finished with 20 points. Herrin won the team title with 61.5 points followed by Winnebago (43), Rochester (36), St. Thomas More (27), Chicago Leo (26), Canton (22), Illini West (22), Sesser-Valier (21), Sparta (20), Rockford Christian (20), Beecher (20) and Kewanee-Wethersfield (20). A total of 83 schools managed to score points at the state meet.
“We had some kids medal but we just didn’t medal high enough,” said Sparta coach Mark North. “It was a disappointment because we had a chance to bring home a trophy and we just didn’t have a great day. We were just a few points away from being able to hang a banner at the gym.”
Cody Klein led the Bulldogs by clearing 16 feet in the pole vault. That vault tied for best at state, but Klein received second place by having more misses. Matt Bane, a senior from Rochester, won the event.
Wade Reeves took sixth in the 3200 meter run with a time of 9:40.27, while Wesley Bradshaw took 36th in the same event with a time of 10:35.14.
Preston Nance took eighth in the high jump by clearing 6’4.
Sparta also took seventh in both the 400 meter and 800 meter relay events. The 400 meter relay team consisted of Nance, Seth Buch, London Oliver and Maurice Austin. The 800 meter relay team included Buch, Austin, Oliver and Luke Nurnberger.
Other Sparta state qualifiers who did not advance past the preliminary round included Corey Hale in discus, Jon Hill in the 1600 meter run, Tyler Bierman in the 300 meter hurdles and Austin in the 200 meter dash. Sparta’s 3200 meter relay team of Nurnberger, Hill, Trevor Morgan  and Michael Hall also did not qualify past the preliminary round.
“Overall it was an awesome season,” added North. “We were undefeated in meets for the last month of the season and have some great accomplishments.”
Other local athletes who qualified for state but did not advance to the finals included Chester’s Chad Koenegstein in the 110 meters  and the 300 meter hurdles, Jon Baughman in the pole vault and Kyle Landon  in the high jump.