Watseka, IL – The IESA Sectional Track and Field Meet held at Watseka High School on Friday, May 16th, saw impressive performances from PBL Junior High athletes, with several qualifying for the IESA 3A State Meet. The 8th Grade Boys Track & Field Team showcased their talent, securing a strong 3rd place finish at the Sectional. Click on the following link for pictures from the PBL Junior High School Track & Field - IESA Sectional - Watseka High School.
Leading the charge for the 8th Grade Boys is returning state qualifier Hunter Shedd. Hunter dominated his events, qualifying in the 100-meter dash with a blazing time of 12.04 seconds, the 200-meter dash with an impressive 24.42 seconds, and the long jump with a remarkable leap of 18 feet, 9.25 inches. Shedd will look to improve upon his excellent 2024 State Meet results, where he placed 8th in the 100m, 3rd in the 200m, and 6th in the long jump.
On the girls' side, 7th grader Grace Johnson had a standout performance, qualifying for state and winning the 100-meter dash at Sectionals with a time of 13.38 seconds. This exceptional run not only secured her spot at State but also broke her own school record, previously set at 13.54 seconds. Grace will also be heading to East Peoria as part of the 7th Grade Girls 4x100 meter relay team, which qualified with a time of 55.97 seconds. She'll be joined by Ella Withers (6th grade), Anna Reber (7th grade), and Morgan Loschen (6th grade) for the relay event.
The 7th Grade Boys also had a state qualifier in Tomasi Suaava (6th grade), who impressively won the shot put at Sectionals with a massive throw of 32 feet, 2 inches.
The IESA 3A State Meet will take place on Friday, May 23rd, and Saturday, May 24th, at the Eastside Centre in East Peoria, IL.
To celebrate these outstanding achievements and send off our state qualifiers, there will be a special send-off and celebration for all junior high students in the PBL Junior High School Gymnasium on Wednesday, May 21st, at 7:50 AM. Students are asked to go directly to the gym upon arrival instead of the Commons Area, as the high school will be utilizing the Commons for their Senior Tea event and graduation practice. Junior High breakfast on Wednesday, May 21st, will be served in the Art Room, and students can enter through their grade-level wings to keep the Commons clear for the high school event.
We eagerly anticipate cheering on our talented track and field athletes as they represent PBL Junior High at the IESA State Meet!