A fourth-place finisher at Tokyo 2020, Garrett Scantling joins the Illinois track staff under longtime coach Petros Kyprianou.
CHAMPAIGN - The University of Illinois has added an Olympian to its coaching roster as director of track, field and cross country Petros Kyprianou announced the hiring of Garrett Scantling as an assistant coach Tuesday. Scantling will work closely with Kyprianou, focusing on the jumps and combined events squads.
A fourth-place finisher in the decathlon at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Scantling brings a wealth of high-level competitive and coaching experience to the Illini program. His Olympic run was highlighted by a score of 8,611 points, which included personal bests in the 400-meter dash (48.25) and 1500-meter run (4:35.54). He qualified for Tokyo by winning the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, with 8,647 points.
“Garrett is an ultra-positive person who brings world-class Olympic experience,” said Kyprianou, who has coached Scantling since 2011. “He has a special ability to relate to student-athletes because he’s walked in their shoes. I believe his impact will be felt immediately.”
Scantling’s collegiate career at Georgia, where he was coached by Kyprianou, was marked by steady excellence. He medaled three times at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the heptathlon, earning bronze as a freshman in 2013, silver in 2015, and another bronze in 2016. His top collegiate mark came in 2015 with 6,068 points in the heptathlon.
After his NCAA career, Scantling continued to compete at the highest level. In 2022, he claimed two national titles, winning the U.S. Indoor Championships in the heptathlon with 6,382 points and later dominating the USA Combined Events Championships with a personal-best 8,867 points in the decathlon.
His coaching background includes a stint as an assistant coach at Georgia under Kyprianou from 2019 to 2021. Most recently, he returned to his alma mater, the Episcopal School of Jacksonville, where he served as the strength and conditioning coach while also leading football, girls weightlifting, and track and field.
Now, Scantling brings that experience to Champaign.
“I’m super excited to be a part of what Petros has built here for the Illini,” said Scantling. “I can’t wait to share my experience and expertise with all the different student-athletes I’ll get to work with.”
The addition of Scantling comes as Illinois continues building depth across its program. His arrival strengthens an already ambitious push to elevate the Illini’s performance in multi-events and jumps on the Big Ten and national stages.
More stories worth reading ~
Tags: Garrett Scantling Illinois track and field coach, University of Illinois hires Olympic decathlete coach, Illinois track and field jumps and combined events coaching staff, Petros Kyprianou reunites with Garrett Scantling at Illinois, Garrett Scantling coaching career after Tokyo Olympics
Smith became just the third individual state champion in school history for North Shore Country Day. Senior medaled in three events at Saturday's state track finals.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
North Shore Country Day's Brian E. Smith turns to acknowledge the roar of the crowd after winning the Class 1A 400m Dash title on Saturday at the IHSA Boys Track & Field State Finals in Charleston. CHARLESTON - North Shore Country Day senior Brian E. Smith II closed out his high school track career with a historic finish at the IHSA Track and Field State Finals, held May 29–31 at Eastern Illinois University. Smith claimed the Class 1A state championship in the 400-meter dash, turning in a winning time of 48.47 seconds, good for the third-fastest 400m time across all three IHSA classes.
With the title, Smith became just the third individual state champion in school history for North Shore Country Day, a private school of just over 500 students in Winnetka. His performance came during what proved to be one of the driest and mildest weather weekends the state finals have seen since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Smith advanced to the 400m finals after posting his personal-best time of 48.12 seconds in Thursday’s qualifying round. In the championship race, he outran Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley’s Evan Landers-Kristensen, who placed second at 49.06 seconds, and Casey-Westfield’s Hayden Parcel, who took third in 49.36.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Running past Cumberland's Reid Carlen, Smith runs to a second place finish in heat 2 of the 100m Dash prelims on Thursday. He qualified for the championship race with the sixth fastest time at 10.89 after running a 11.10 at sectionals. Read more 2025 Sentinel state track coverage here.
Smith also competed in the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes, placing in both to cap a rare triple-threat showing. In the 100m final, he finished fifth with a time of 10.99 seconds. Morrison junior Brady Anderson won the event in 10.74, followed by Lena-Winslow’s Alec Schlichting (10.78), Morrison’s Levi Milder (10.92), and Red Bud’s Gavin Baldwin (10.96).
Later in the day, Smith took on the 200m dash and finished seventh with a time of 22.19. Milder secured his second gold medal of the meet with a personal-best 21.44 in the event.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Smith stands above the 400m Dash finalist during the awards
Smith was one of only two athletes in the state to place in all three sprint events—an accomplishment that underscored his consistency, versatility, and determination in a highly competitive field.
North Shore Country Day’s representation at the state meet wasn’t limited to Smith. Sophomore Kaeden Ackley advanced to compete in the triple jump, gaining valuable experience on the big stage. On the girls’ side, junior Reese Meyers earned a sixth-place finish in the Class 1A 400-meter dash a week earlier, clocking in at 57.94.
“We’re incredibly proud of all three student-athletes for representing North Shore on such a competitive level,” said Athletic Director and coach Patrick McHugh. “It was truly an amazing performance.”
Smith’s 400m state title marked a memorable conclusion to a spring season built on personal milestones, steady progress, and a strong sense of school pride.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Smith crosses the finish line the Class 1A 200m Dash prelims. The senior and one other runner ran in all three short-distance races in the 2025 state finals.
Tagged:North Shore Country Track & Field, State Track, Boys Track & Field, State Champion, Class 1A Sprinter
West Carroll's Emma Randecker accelerates down the middle of the track ahead of Flanagan's Abbi Armstrong and ROWVA-Williamsfield Haven Manning in the 200m Dash prelims on Thursday at the IHSA Girls State Track & Field Finals. Two days later, Randecker took home the Class 1A state titles in both the 100m and 200m Dash.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
IHSA Girls 100m dash delivers speed and excitement; Emma Randecker leads top four at last weekend's state track & field meet for Illinois. Here is the list of the top high school sprinters in Illinois.
CHARLESTON - The 2025 IHSA Girls State Track 100 Meter Dash final at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Stadium showcased a thrilling sprint showdown, with Savanna’s Emma Randecker powering to the championship in a wind-aided 11.91 seconds. The event, often regarded as track fans’ favorite for its electrifying speed and precision, lived up to expectations with a close race among the top four finishers.
Randecker, a senior from West Carroll, maintained her top form from the prelims, where she clocked a swift 12.11 seconds. Her winning time in the final was a significant improvement on her 2024 finals time of 12.22 seconds, marking a strong season progression. Randecker’s sectional qualifying time of 11.95 seconds had already signaled her as a contender for the state crown.
Finishing second was Jaida Reed of El Paso-Gridley, a sophomore who set a personal record of 12.09 seconds in the final, improving on her prelim time of 12.16 seconds and last year’s state finals time of 12.53 seconds as a freshman. Reed’s quick rise places her firmly among the state’s elite sprinters, and her 2024 qualification shows continued consistency. Her second place finish was key in EPG winning this year's Class 1A team title.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
West Carroll's Emma Randecker and Mendon Unity's Saylor Barry pull ahead Newman Catholic's Elaina Allen and the rest of the field in the championship race for the 100m dash on Saturday. Randecker took first and Barry finished second in the Class 1A race.
Unity’s junior Saylor Barry took third place with a final time of 12.17 seconds, a slight drop from her 12.03-second sectional qualifier but an improvement over her 2024 state final performance of 12.32 seconds. Barry’s prelim time this year matched her final time from last year, demonstrating steady competitive output.
The 100-meter dash remains a fan favorite for three reasons: the event showcases raw speed and explosive power over a brief but intense sprint; its unpredictability keeps spectators on edge as races can be decided by hundredths of a second; and it serves as a fundamental test of sprint mechanics, often predicting future stars in the sport.
Rounding out the top four was senior Lilly Gilbertson from Father McGivney, who ran 12.27 seconds in the final, shaving time off her prelim 12.39 and comfortably improving on prior benchmarks this season.
Several runners qualified for the state finals in both 2024 and 2025, illustrating a strong core of returning talent. Notable among these are Randecker, Reed, Barry, Gilbertson, and Elaina Allen from Sterling, who placed seventh this year with a 12.37 final time.
This year’s 100-meter dash also highlighted some freshmen to watch. McKenna Van Tilburg of Wilmington, who set a personal record of 12.31 seconds to place fifth, and Madison Yazel of Maroa-Forsyth, are among the promising newcomers. Reese Hoene from Effingham's St. Anthony's and Abbi Armstrong from Flanagan also posted strong times, hinting at a deep field in coming years.
CHARLESTON - Champaign Central's Londyn Grant fires out of the blocks to start the Maroons' shot at securing a spot in the 4x400m relay in Saturday's IHSA Girls Track & Field State Finals. Grant, running with teammates Sarah Donahoe, Milka Bwandundu, and Julia Bilsbury, finished the prelims in 33 place out of 40 teams on Friday with a time of 4:07.05. While the four runners did not advance this year, the good news is three of the four runners will return next spring to likely qualify for another trip back to state.
CHARLESTON - Tuscola's Kenna Clodfelder sails down the runway during the preliminary round at Thursday's IHSA Girls Track & Field State Finals. The senior advanced to Saturday's championship competition with her best leap of 16' 10", four inches longer than her previous PR of 16' 6" from her sectional performance last week.
Tagged: IHSA track & field, state track, IHSA girls state track meet 2025, 2025 state qualifier, High School Sports, Tuscola High School, Tuscola Athletics, Tuscola Warriors, Long Jump, State track qualifier
CHARLESTON - Ava McClellan jumps 15' 11" on her second attempt during the Class 1A Long Jump at the IHSA Girls Track & Field Finals on Thursday. The Valmeyer senior finished third her flight with her best of three jumps at 16' 07.25".
Tagged: IHSA track & field, state track, IHSA girls state track meet 2025, 2025 state qualifier, High School Sports, Valmyer High School, Long Jump, State track qualifier
CHARLESTON - St. Thomas More's Alyson Clements starts out on her leg of 4x400m relay ahead of Lila Coleman in Thursday's prelims at the IHSA Girls Track & Field State Finals. Clements, along with teammates Taylor Wells, Francie Williamson, and Alex Anderson, finished premlims with the ninth best time at 4:12.21, advancing to Saturday's title race in Class 1A. .::. More IHSA state track photos and stories .::.
Here is a look at a few of the special moments filled with emotion, intensity, and determination from the top high school track & field athletes at last year's state meet.
As The Sentinel prepares to cover this year's IHSA Girls State Track & Field Finals on Thursday, we’re diving into our archives to celebrate the athletes and moments from last year's championship day. Here's a look at the faces of some of the state's top qualifiers and finalists from 2024.
Huntley's Victoria Evtimov hugs two runners from Prospect High School after running the 4x200m relay. Evtimov, a senior, ended our final prep track appearance with the state title in the event. Running with teammates Dominique Johnson, Emily Byers, and K'Leigh Saenz, the Red Raiders turned in the top time in Class 3A at 1:38.14a.
Huntley junior Emily Byers shares her joy with teammate Victoria Evtimov after winning the Class 3A state title in the 4x200m relay in 2024. Byers along with squadmate Dominique Johnson return to Charleston to defend their title with the 8th best time in the state heading into the prelims on Friday. Father McGivney's Elena Rybak unleashes a mighty roar as she crosses the finish line in first place for the title in the 4x400m relay. Teamed up with Lilly Gilbertson, Kaitlyn Hatley, and Jane Cummins, the squad finished the race six seconds ahead of the closest competitor at 3:56.97. Focused only on the finish line less than 100 meters away, Whitney Young's Ella Sweatt runs anchor in the 4x100. Sweatt along with Simone Bernard, Angelena Bullocks, and Mia Seaton, finished the Class 3A race in second place at 46.67 for the silver medal. Sweatt returns to the EIU campus for a shot at another state title in at least one event.
A state track qualifier walks in silence after a disappointing performance in the 200m dash.Giving her all the last steps of her race, Urbana's Lorelie Yau crosses the finish line running anchor for her 4x400 relay squad. Yau and the Tigers finished in 8th place with a time of 4:05.01 with the help of Marley Yau, Samantha Christman, and Syniyah Quenga.
Emilia Smith, Carly McConnell, Anna Rivera, and Gabriela Manzano wait for the relay squad's time after running the 4x400 relay. The quartet finished the race almost a second faster than their preliminary time a day earlier. The Trevians finished 5th with a time of 3:55.68.Members of the Normal Community 4x400m relay squad celebrate their second place finish in the Class 3A race. Kankakee senior Na'Kyrah Cooks poses for a picture while on the podium, waiting to receive her 8th place medal in the Class 3A Long Jump.
Trying to catch the runners ahead of her, Lake Forest's Sophia Lane runs along the backstretch at O'Brien Field in the Class 3A 4x800m relay. The senior, along with teammates Lucy Schlachtenhaufen, Isabella Marisco, and Emily Witte finished 12th in the finals.
After winning the Class 3A Long Jump title with her best attempt at 18' 8", Naperville North's Brooke Sawatzky was back on the podium, this time to receive the silver medal for her 39' 10.5" leap in the Triple Jump.
📲 Share this gallery:
Recognize someone? Tag them! Share this post with your team, your classmates, or your hometown.
💬 Did we get a photo of you at last year's state meet? Drop us your name, school, and which event(s) you competed in at state with an email to The Sentinel.
Tagged: IHSA track & field, state track, Illinois high school sports, The best from the Illinois state track meet, Winning the state track title, Illinois track stars, State finals qualifers, Huntley track & field, Father McGivney track team, New Trier girls track team, North's Brooke Sawatzky wins two state track medals
CHARLESTON - Urbana's Marley Yau runs 2:20.83 split while running the anchor leg of her squad's preliminary race at the 2024 IHSA Girls Track & Field State Finals. The Tigers' relay squad finished 4th in their heat and 12th overall to punch their ticket into Saturday's championship race. Yau, along with her sister Lorelie, Beatrice Ebel, and Sophia Sheyko-Frailey finished 11th overall in the title race with a time of 9:56.10. Yau, a sophomore, returns to the state meet on Friday to compete in the 800m run and the 4x400 relay.
Nine other members of the Urbana track program will also compete in Friday's prelims. Accompanying Yau to Charleston this week are Amber Sysouvanh (4x200), Asha Williams (4x200), Francette Musau (4x200, 4x400), Genisis Walker (4x400), Kaleigh Bell (Long Jump, 100m Dash, 4x200, 4x400), Laiyonna Harper (4x200, 4x400), Mya Sessi (4x200, 4x400), Savannah Finley (4x200, 4x400), and Syniyah Quenga (4x200, 4x400).
Tagged: IHSA track & field, state track, high school sports, central Illinois, Urbana Tigers, long jump, hurdles, 4x800, state qualifiers, Urbana relay team
Unity's Damian Knoll is tagged out on a play at second base by a Hoopeston Area player during the Rockets' first game of the season. Later, the junior smacked a 3-RBI triple in the bottom of the 5th innning to make the score 11-1 and secured his team's first victory of the season.
Delicious veggies and more, FFA plant sale starts on Monday
Looking flowers or vegetables for your garden this spring?
Tomorrow at 9am the next round of the St. Joseph-Ogden FFA Chapter will be open for business. Orders for available plants must be done online after it goes live tomorrow at https://my.cheddarup.com/c/st-joseph-ogden-ffa-chapter-greenhouse. Buyers can set a pick-up time to collect their purchase.
You don’t have to stay in the nursing home if you don’t want to. If you can manage to get out and have a place to go then it’s your life. Even if you want to spend your remaining days crawling in the floor to the kitchen or the bathroom then it’s your God given right to live out your days in such a way.
Over the past 13 months unemployment rates nearly doubled their pre-pandemic levels reported in February 2020, the prospect of starting a new career after age 50 may seem unrealistic. However, industry experts say that it’s actually a great time for those in this age bracket to consider making the leap.
More Americans suffered extended power outages in 2020 than any year since Superstorm Sandy struck the New York area in 2012, according to Generac, owners of Power Outage Central, a real-time outage tracking service that monitors outages throughout the United States.
Back in November of last year, power was out for about three hours in the south part of Champaign and another area covering Campustown.
Baker sets hurdles PR, SJO girls snag 9 first at home meet
The St. Joseph-Ogden girls track team took first place in nine events in a home dual meet against Eureka last Thursday.
Haleigh Maddock turned in a 31.10 in the 200m Dash. She was followed over the finish line by teammates Yamilka Casanova (32.32) and Jayci Hayes (32.48) to secure the top three spots on the podium.
Joining the tech workforce is easier than you might think
More than 12 million people are currently employed in tech-related occupations in the U.S., either as information technology (IT) professionals or employees of technology companies. Yet employer demand for tech workers is still strong in many markets and industries, including technology, financial services, manufacturing, retail, healthcare, government and education.
Tech jobs in Champaign County are plentiful at the moment. Technology Services at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is currently accepting applications for three positions on their Managed IT Services teams. Four days ago, Revature was seeking software developers and Niemann Foods advertised an opening for a Network Administrator with a starting pay at $40K annually.
Salt Fork's Macie Russell run the second lap around Detweiller Park in Peoria during the 2024 IHSA State Cross Country Meet. The senior signed her National Letter of Intent to continue her running career with Eastern Illinois University.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
CATLIN - Salt Fork senior Macie Russell, a five-sport athlete during her time at Salt Fork High School, inked her commitment to run track at Eastern Illinois University on Sunday. The three-time state qualifier in the 800-meter run chose EIU over Heartland Community College, Indiana State, and Olivet Nazarene.
Macie Russell runs a lap at O'Brien Stadium during the 2023 state track meet. She finished 27th overall as a junior in the Class 1A division.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Russell, who owns five Vermilion County championship titles in track and cross country and six conference titles in the two other sports, looks to qualify a fourth time in her specialty for the IHSA Girls' State Track & Field finals in May.
During her junior year track season, she qualified for state in the 800-meter run and the mile. Russell missed the cut for a spot in the championship race at O'Brien Stadium by a mere two and a half seconds last May, turning in a 2:25.94. She also ran the qualifier for the 1600-meter run, finishing 27th in the prelims at 5:39.82.
At the state cross-country meet last November at Detweiler Park, Russell crossed the finish line 47th out of a field of 247 runners with a time of 18:49.51.
Russell is the daughter of Brian and Becky and has two siblings, Mackenzie and Morgan.
St. Joseph-Ogden's Carson Maroon heads to the finish line at the IHSA Boys' Track & Field State Final in May 2023. Last week, the senior set a new school record in the 1600 meter run, raising the bar to 4:22.30. Look for SJO's top distance specialist to make his way back to O'Brien Stadium for the state meet again.
Spartan Coy Hayes wrestles Richmond-Burton's Brody Rudkin during their first-round 150-pound wrestleback match at the IHSA Individual Wrestling State Finals on Friday. Hayes, a sophomore, lost the match 8-3. Look for the state-qualifier to return to the State Farm Center in 2025.
Fatal heart attack risks may be higher during days with extreme heat & air pollution
The combination of soaring heat and smothering fine particulate pollution may double the risk of heart attack death, according to a new study of more than 202,000 heart attack deaths in China. The study published today in the American Heart Association’s flagship journal Circulation.
ST. JOSEPH - St. Joseph-Ogden's Tyler Hess is congratulated by teammates after scoring a goal in the first half. The junior led the team to a 5-3 win over University High on Wednesday at Dick Duval Field. Hess, who is the top finisher in the area with a hat trick in the team's first three matches this season, will try to make it four in a row in the undefeated Spartans' road game against the Vermilion Valley Conference's Hoopeston Area Cornjerkers on Friday. More photos and a game recap coming soon.
Unity's Damian Knoll is tagged out on a play at second base by a Hoopeston Area player during the Rockets' first game of the season. Later, the junior smacked a 3-RBI triple in the bottom of the 5th innning to make the score 11-1 and secured his team's first victory of the season.
