Boys track and field: West Aurora's Donatlan state high jump champ

CHARLESTON - West Aurora had fallen heartbreakingly close in two earlier quests for a Class 3A boys state track and field individual championship.

But Camron Donatlan completed a truly remarkable chapter to his first year in the sport.

After starting off the season on the Blackhawks' frosh-soph team, Donatlan took the high jump by storm since his season debut at the Upstate Eight Conference indoor underclass championship.

The physical and technical maturation came to a dramatic conclusion Saturday at Eastern Illinois University.

Donatlan did not have a single miss in clearing every obstacle between 6 foot, 1 inch and his championship clearance of 6-10.

But it proved somewhat bittersweet for West Aurora: DaQuan Cross was seventh in the event for the Blackhawks, but the squad missed out on a trophy by 5 points in settling for fourth place with 35 points.

East St. Louis had two sprint-relay titles to defeat defending state champion and two-event titlist Edwardsville 54-42.

Sandburg crowned three champions, including its 3,200-meter relay breaking Jacobs' state record (7 minutes, 37.36 seconds), to place third with 40 points.

"The (West Aurora) coaches didn't know what to do with me," Donatlan said of his late arrival to the team following basketball season. "They had been trying and trying to get me to come out."

Donatlan and O'Fallon senior Aaron Smith were engaged in a spirited game of one-upmanship as neither missed on their three initial attempts between 6-7 and 6-9.

But Smith failed on all three attempts at 6-10; Donatlan had two quality looks in his three attempts at 7-0.

"I knew coming into the track meet that my legs were feeling good," said Donatlan, a sophomore.

Earlier in the afternoon, DaVion Cross and Chris Walker were poised to recreate - albeit in opposite order - their sweep of the triple jump from last year for West Aurora.

DaVion Cross extended his opening-day lead with a personal-best of 49-9.25 on his second attempt; Walker moved into second on his final try with another career-best of 49-2.

But Lakes' Cameron Ruiz soared 50-6 on the penultimate attempt of the competition to overcome both Cross and Walker.

"Everything is a blur right now," Walker said.

"I have to give it to (Ruiz)," DaVion Cross said. "(Walker and I) knew we weren't going to have it easy. (Ruiz) blew my mind with that jump."

Connor McCue also had to settle for a runner-up position for West Aurora.

The Blackhawks' standout 800 runner showed his competitive tenacity to the end, passing four runners in the final 60 meters of his signature race.

But Sandburg junior Sean Torpy was too much to overcome as he won in 1:50.88.

McCue was timed in 1:53.38.

"I would have liked to get the gold, obviously; everybody would," McCue said. "There is no shame in second place."

South Elgin and Huntley were the other notable achievers among local Class 3A programs.

South Elgin sprinter Jaurice Thomas powered the Storm by anchoring the 400 relay to third; the senior added the same medal in the open 200.

Huntley sprinters Jeremie Allen and Dubem Anikamadu were the bookends of the Raiders' two seventh-place finishes in the two shortest sprint relays.

"It's kind of disappointing," Allen said. "We just didn't perform today based on our seed times and lane positions."

Huntley thrower Tim McCloyn passed five competitors to earn third in the discus with his 179-10 throw.

In Class 2A, Burlington Central, with back-to-back trophy campaigns, was seventh behind Nick Harvey.

The senior was runner-up in the 800 and propelled the 1,600 relay to sixth.

"I gave it everything I could (in the 800)," Harvey said. "I was .14 (seconds) away from being a state champion."

Jared Trupp and Keegan Whitmer were third and fifth, respectively, for the Rockets in the pole vault and Dionte Smith placed eighth in the triple jump.

"We were seeded 15th," said BC coach Mike Schmidt. "Not bad for what was supposed to be a rebuilding year for us. It was a great day for Central boys track."

Cahokia won its sixth consecutive Class 2A team title, 61-55, over Geneseo.