Track and field: Despite breaking record, Kaneland's Hannula 2nd in shot put

BLOOMINGTON - Kaneland senior Clayton Hannula didn't receive the fanfare of taking first place with a record performance in the Class 3A boys shot put Saturday.

There still was more than enough personal satisfaction in breaking a 43-year-old all-time school record.

On the last of six throws, Hannula threw a second-place 59 feet-7 1/2 inches at the Top Times Indoor Championships at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington that surpassed the 59-6 3/4 mark by Jim Bishop in 1975 en route to a state title.

"I've been working at this. I've been waiting a long time. I was just really excited to get out there and pop one," Hannula said.

"All of my coaches, everybody was coming up to me saying, 'Hey, if you're not having fun it's not worth being here. Put everything you've got into that last throw.' I said, 'I'm going to be satisfied. I'm going to put everything I've got.' "

West Aurora junior Dajour Miles, the defending 3A outdoor champion in the 400-meter dash, won that in 55.65 seconds as well as the 200 in 24.82.

Burlington Central's Connor Wagner, Michael Kalusa, Jacob Teets and Adam Kries won the 1,600 relay in 3:31.74.

Kalusa also finished second in the long jump at 21-11.

Rosary and Marmion also enjoyed top-three finishes in the earlier 2A competition.

Hannula, who will throw at North Dakota State, was second to Lockport senior and Michigan recruit John Meyer, who wowed the crowd with a meet-record 68-0 and threw 70-4 1/4 earlier this season.

When Hannula threw 59-5 March 2, he knew Bishop's record was within reach.

"I was kind of like, 'I'm right there. I'm really close to it.' It was just kind of beating at me," Hannula said. "I love being with Meyer. He pushes me. He's just a great competitor. I'm just out there doing my thing and he's doing his thing."

Miles, who ran a sub-55-second 400 at the New Balance Indoor Nationals earlier this month, won Saturday's 400 by 1.18 seconds. Although she felt she ate too much between events, she held off charging Ameia Wilson of Danville to win the 200 by .11.

"I'll try (racing both at state) and I'm probably going to eat less," said Miles, also fifth in the 60 in 7.70 seconds.

"(I'm happiest today with) my 400 most definitely because for school I've been running 56s, 57s but when I get to competition, big meets I run 54s. That's why I'm pleased because I got a 55 instead of a 57."

Marmion senior and Kansas-bound Michael Ronzone was second in an interesting 2A boys 1,600 in 4:27.333 after earlier being part of the third-place 3,200 relay in 8:17.03 with juniors Jake Coffman and Keegan Bennett and sophomore Anthony Zangler.

Ronzone was second to Sterling's Jacob Gebhardt in 4:26.44 in a negative split 2:17-2:10 race. Ronzone moved into the top four by the halfway point.

"Time kind of went out the window the first three laps and then it was about placing," Ronzone said. "My plan was to just sit there the next to last lap and go with 400 meters. Gebhardt ran a great last 200 meters so I stayed two meters behind him and that's how we finished."

Rosary senior and Illinois recruit Brooke Delahanty was second in the 800 in 2:17.65 and part of the third-place 1,600 relay with juniors Melanie Meyer and Julia Bottarini and senior Julianne Hutchinson whose 4:08.69 was .10 from second. Delahanty also ran an indoor personal-best 1:00.83 in the 400.

Delahanty, fifth in the 2A 800 last year, was in fifth with a lap left Saturday before finishing only behind LaSalle-Peru senior Rachel Hickey (2:16.50), second at 2017 state.

"The last lap I was just like, 'I've been racing on this track since seventh grade and it's my last time I've ever going to run the 800 here. I've got to go,' " Delahanty said. "I was really, really happy with it. I know that God was with me the whole time."

Kaneland senior Cierra Kuipers was second in 3A girls pole vault (10-9), senior Matt Richtman was fourth in the 3A boys 1,600 (4:23.54) and West Aurora freshman Victoria Spagnola was fifth in the 60 hurdles (9.17).

Also in 2A, Burlington Central's 800 boys relay was fourth and Rosary's 800 girls relay was fifth.

Hannula, Kuipers and Richtman were 2017 all-staters in 2A but this year they'll be in 3A. Richtman won the 2A boys cross country state title in November.

"I'm excited. I think I'm ready for it. I think my times are getting closer and closer to where they need to be for 3A," said Richtman, who ran a season best by four seconds. "That's really exciting just to keep moving forward and keep getting faster."

In Friday's 1A competition, Harvest Christian senior Nygia Pollard was fifth in the girls 3,200 in 11:40.89 and the girls 3,200 relay was fourth in 10:14.59.