We’re at Eastern Illinois University for the IHSA 3A Boys Track & Field State Championships, where dozens of schools from across Illinois, including Naperville Central, Neuqua Valley, Waubonsie Valley, Benet Academy, and Naperville North, compete for state glory. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.

Naperville Central’s Zoelen Terry wins the long jump

Let’s start at the sand pit. Neuqua Valley’s Daniel Robinson, coming off a sectional title, leaps 6.90 meters. That lands him in 8th place in the state.

But stealing the spotlight — Naperville Central junior Zoelen Terry. After a third-place finish at sectionals, Terry soars to the top at state with a jump of 7.07 meters, claiming the IHSA long jump title!

In the high jump, Waubonsie Valley’s Ishmaiah Elliot clears 1.88 meters — tying for 14th with Yorkville’s Taelor Clements. The champion in this event is Machi Nelson from Proviso West, who clears 2.05 meters to take home first place.

Naperville area schools perform well on the track at the IHSA Boys Track and Field State Championship

On the track, Naperville Central’s Lukas Probst gets the 4×800 started in the second pack. But it’s Downers Grove North — Will Surratt, John Courtney, Grant Schroder, and Philip Cupial — taking first place with a state-record time of 7:36.40, beating Sandburg’s 2016 mark. Central’s squad of Patrick Clune, Derek Williamson, and Manny Najera finishes strong in third place.

In the 4×1, Cooper McGinnis gets things started for Neuqua Valley. But it’s Homewood-Flossmoor’s team — Joaquin Jordan, Charles Dees, Myles Elliss, and Zion Morrison — crossing first with a blazing time of 41.00 seconds.

Running in the 3200-meter run are Benet’s Finn Richards and Neuqua’s Jesse Gudauskas. About midway through the event, it’s Ben Crane of New Trier High School keeping pace while leading the runners through this race. While Richards is still keeping pace from behind. In the last stretch of the 2-mile, it’s senior Ben Crane, coming down the final stretch to bring home the win with a time of 8:57.13. Neuqua’s Jesse Gudauskas takes 22nd.

The hurdles are up for the 110. Neuqua’s Cooper McGinnis is in the mix, but it’s a Belleville battle at the top. Jalyn Cole of Belleville West wins in 13.82 seconds, edging Daylin Donaldson of Belleville East by just .09. McGinnis takes fourth with a strong 13.98.

Neuqua’s Daniel Robinson returns for the 100-meter dash. But it’s William Landwer of New Trier taking the crown in 10.24 seconds. Zion Morrison of Homewood-Flossmoor and Clayton Lakatos of Edwardsville round out the top three.

Naperville North’s Edward Mumford runs a solid race in the 300 hurdles, staying in the mix throughout. Amari Williams of Wheaton Warrenville South finishes with a personal best of 36.94 to win it. Mumford earns All-State honors in seventh.

Patrick Clune and the Neuqua Valley 4×400 relay team secure top-three finishes

In the mile, Naperville Central’s Patrick Clune keeps pace early. Fremd’s Rory Gaan leads at the halfway mark, but it’s Tommy Nitz of Huntley who powers down the final stretch to win in 4:16.24. Clune grabs third place with a time of 4:18.04.

The final race of the day — the 4×400. David Garza leads off for Neuqua Valley, and the Wildcats keep it tight throughout. But it’s Evanston’s team — Deshawn Preister, Amani Christian, Anthony Honore, and Dallas Amos — finishing with a school-best 3:17.73. Neuqua Valley’s team of Garza, Rajan Anthony, Edward Mason, and Averi Smith placed third with a school record of 3:18.84.

At the end of an exciting championship, it’s New Trier High School claiming the state title. Naperville Central finishes in 8th, with Neuqua Valley close behind in 12th.

Penn State carries a commitment from top-ranked 2027 running back and composite five-star recruit Kemon Spell of McKeesport (Pa.) High School. He returned to Happy Valley on Sunday for an Elite Showcase camp, working under the direction of new Nittany Lions position coach Stan Drayton.

“It’s a great hire,” Spell told Lions247 of Drayton earlier this year. “I can’t wait to meet him and build my connection and work with him.”

View video highlights of Spell’s camp work above.

Considered his class’ No. 14 overall talent and No. 1 RB in 247Sports rankings, Spell rushed for nearly 1,700 yards and 24 touchdowns last season as a sophomore. Here’s the evaluation from 247Sports scouting director Andrew Ivins, who compared him to recent All-American Michigan star Blake Corum.

A mix between a tank and a jackrabbit, which is an extremely difficult combination to tackle. A naturally low-to-the-ground runner with true workhorse capabilities as he constantly bounces off defenders or cuts around them to find extra yardage. Spent much of sophomore campaign deployed as a fullback in a Wing-T offense. Ran absolutely wild in Pennsylvania’s WPIAL Class 4A playoffs with 280-yard and 274-yard rushing performances. Not a true burner, but can hit the gas when a crease opens up. Frequently thrashes forward at the first sign of contact and almost always seems to be falling forward. Tested reasonably well as a ninth grader at the National Combine in San Antonio and has impressed as a pass catcher on the offseason camp circuit. Fits the bill of a hard-nosed football player given the physicality he also flashes on defense while doubling as a cornerback. Must avoid setbacks, but projects as a potential impact player for a College Football Playoff contender that can move the chains while facing stacked boxes.

Spell has spent the last 10 months committed to Penn State. That pact has sustained for more than three months since Drayton replaced current Notre Dame assistant Ja’Juan Seider as leader of that PSU position group.

Spell reinforced his Nittany Lions commitment in late March following a trip to team facilities that featured a detailed discussion with Drayton and head coach James Franklin.

“My talk with Coach Franklin was awesome,” Spell told Lions247. “He sat down with me and my parents and talked about the love that he has for me and my family and how I will be treated — just like his kids. My relationship with Coach Drayton has gotten stronger and stronger. The more we talk, the more we go over things, I see something special in his eyes and I want him coaching me.”

Drayton most recently served as head coach at Temple but spent decades coaching running backs to elite success across college football. He won national titles with Florida and Texas, and produced an impressive list of individual standouts.

Eventual NFL stars Ezekiel Elliott (Ohio State), Bijan Robinson (Texas) and Brian Westbrook (Villanova) are among his most notable former pupils. Elliott and Robinson became top-10 draft selections, while Westbrook is a College Football Hall of Fame and Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame inductee. 

Prior to the hiring of Drayton, Spell dealt with some uncertainty regarding his spot in Penn State’s 2027 class.

“(Seider leaving) made me doubt my commitment, but when I talked to Coach Terry (Smith), Coach Franklin, (assistant running backs coach) Charles (Walker) and (recruiting coordinator) Chris Mahon, they told me they had me they had my back and showed me love,” he said in February.

Walker remains the Nittany Lions’ assistant running backs coach and helped work Spell through drills Sunday. 

Spell aims to follow the footsteps of fellow in-state running backs recruit who’ve enjoyed success in State College under Franklin. It’s a collection that includes Saquon Barkley, Journey Brown, Miles Sanders and Nick Singleton.

“It’s Running Back U,” Spell told 247Sports in April. “… I am going to put up the numbers and get a national championship. It is going to get me to the league as long as I produce, put the numbers up, have great attitude, have the film and have character.”

Elite Mindset, Built Across Every Season

When it comes to reaching the top levels of fastpitch softball, talent is just one part of the equation. Versatility, mental toughness, and athletic balance often separate the great from the elite. That’s why more and more athletes—and college coaches—are placing high value on being a multi-sport athlete.

Extra Inning Softball highlights how multi-sport participation sharpens physical tools, prevents burnout, and gives players a competitive edge. We also hear from Haylen Ayers, the Class of 2027 Extra Elite 100 #1 Outfielder, on how balancing multiple sports has helped mold her into a standout performer.

 Who’s in the Portal? Track the biggest names entering the transfer portal – HERE!

JOIN OUR EIS TEAM!

COPYRIGHT © 2025 Extra Inning Softball ™

ACROSS THE STATE

AHST (Avoca) 60, Woodbine 51

Adair-Casey 75, Paton-Churdan 57

Algona Garrigan 53, Clarion-Goldf. 52

Ar-We-Va (Westside) 63, Charter Oak-Ute 61

Atlantic 67, Denison-Schleswig 44

BGM (Brooklyn) 59, Montezuma 41

Ballard (Huxley) 79, ADM (Adel) 47

Belle Plaine 55, HLV (Victor) 40

Bellevue 57, Midland (Wyoming) 56

Bellevue Marquette 51, Northeast (Goose Lake) 40

Belmond-Klemme 55, NE Hamilton 40

Benton Comm. 55, Wat. Columbus 43

Bettendorf 66, Clinton 38

Boyden-Hull 64, George-Little Rock 44

Boys Town, Neb. 74, C.B. St. Albert 37

Burl. Notre Dame 54, W. Burlington 42

Carlisle 70, Boone 63

Carroll 58, Dallas Center-Grimes 49

Cascade 53, Monticello 38

C.R. Xavier 51, C.R. Jefferson 41

C.R. Washington 54, C.R. Kennedy 38

C.R. Cedar Val. Christian 73, Lisbon 65

Centerville 63, Albia 39

Charles City 62, West Hancock, Britt 47

Cl. Creek-Amana 56, Independence 37

Clear Lake 72, Algona 68, OT

Colfax-Mingo 68, Gilbert 55

Colo-NESCO 56, Meskwaki Settlement School 54

Dav. Assumption 73, Muscatine 39

Des Moines Christian 64, Ogden 43

Dike-N. Hartford 49, West Marshall 47

Dub. Senior 45, Dub. Hempstead 25

Earlham 52, Panorama (Panora) 36

E. Sac County 72, So. Cent. Calhoun 29

East Union 64, Corning 42

Fairfield 60, Chariton 44

F. Dodge St. Edmond 76, Eagle Grove 38

Gladbrook-Reinbeck 46, Denver 32

Glenwood 87, Shenandoah 48

Granv. Spalding 62, Rems. St. Mary’s 44

Greene County 70, Saydel 57

Grinnell 85, South Tama 50

Harlan 62, C.B. Lewis Central 31

Harris-Lake Park 76, Southwest United, Minn. 37

Hudson 68, AGWSR (Ackley) 66

Interstate 35 (Truro) 80, Martensdale-St. Marys 65

Iowa City West 67, Iowa City High 34

Iowa Falls-Alden 53, Humboldt 37

Kee, Lansing 38, North Fayette 32

Keota 67, Iowa Valley (Marengo) 53

Lawton-Bronson 77, West Monona 52

LeMars 82, Storm Lake 65

Le Mars Gehlen 67, West Sioux 39

Linn-Mar (Marion) 65, Dub. Wahlert 41

Lynnv.-Sully 67, Tri-County (Thornb.) 15

Manson-Northwest Webster 69, Pocahontas Area 68, OT

Maquoketa 43, Anamosa 37

MFL/Mar-Mac (Monona) 82, Clayton Ridge (Guttenberg) 53

Missouri Val. 62, Westwood (Sloan) 41

Moulton-Udell 82, Schuyler County, Mo. 38

Mount Pleasant 69, West Liberty 31

Murray 85, Mormon Trail (Garden Grove) 47

New Hampton 79, Oelwein 64

Newell-Fonda 60, Sioux Central (Sioux Rapids) 35

Newton 49, Oskaloosa 35

North Linn 52, East Buchanan 20

North Mahaska 50, English Valleys (North English) 19

North Scott 47, Pleasant Valley 41

North Tama 67, Union (LaPorte City) 54

Northwood-Kensett 58, Central Springs (Manly) 42

Norwalk 55, Pella 52

Okoboji (Milford) 53, Sibley-Ochey. 47

PCM (Monroe) 60, Nevada 51

Pekin 64, WACO (Wayland) 58

Perry 69, Bondurant-Farrar 64

Preston 77, Calamus-Wheatland 53

Rems.-Union 76, Trinity Christ. (Hull) 62

Riverside (Oakland) 59, East Mills 38

Roland-Story 47, CMB (Baxter) 37

Ruth.-Ayrshire 49, Clay Cent.-Everly 15

Saint Ansgar 59, Riceville 52

Sergeant Bluff-Luton 55, Woodbury Central 53

Sheldon 59, Central Lyon 45

S.C. West 85, OA-BCIG (Ida Grove) 48

Solon 48, Dyersville Beckman 45

South Hamilton 62, North Polk 56

South O’Brien 43, HMS (Hartley) 35

Southeast Warren 63, Pleasantville 59

Spencer 54, Spirit Lake 51

St. Lake St. Mary’s 61, Alta/Aurelia 35

Starmont (Arlington) 50, Edgewood-Colesburg 41

Sumner-Fredericksburg 65, Postville 56

T. Cedars (Bussey) 61, Melcher-Dal. 47

Vinton-Shellsburg 55, Williamsburg 43

Wapsie Valley (Fairbank) 60, Grundy Center 50

Waterloo Christian 50, Cedar Falls Valley Lutheran 47

Waterloo West 53, Waterloo East 52, OT

Webster City 65, Hampton-Dumont 28

West Central (Maynard) 47, Valley (Elgin) 26

West Fork (Sheffield) 73, Rockford 48

Western Christian (Hull) 81, Estherville-Lincoln Central 47

Western Dubuque 69, W. Delaware 41

Woodward Academy 59, Madrid 46

AREA GAMES

Perry 69, Bondurant-Farrar 64

PERRY, Ia. — Torry Brelsford scored26 points with 14 rebounds for Perry.

===

Norwalk 55, Pella 52

NORWALK, Ia. Senior Carson Miller made a layup and was fouled with 1second remaining to break a tie and lift Norwalk. Miller scored 18 of his game-high 25 points in the second half. Jordan Pingel scored 19 points to pace Pella.

===

Colfax-Mingo 68, Gilbert 55

COLFAX, Ia. Senior Vaughn Wilson, scoreless in the first half with foul trouble, scored all 16 of his points in the second half in a win. Jordan Knock paced Gilbert with a game-high 18 points.

===

Carroll 58, Dallas Center-Grimes 49

GRIMES, Ia. Carroll’s Akot Riak scored 12 points in the victory. Nick Drucker scored 16 points and had six rebounds for Dallas Center-Grimes.

===

Newton 49, Oskaloosa 35

NEWTON, Ia. Sophomore Tyler Wood had 22 points, a career high, with four 3-pointers. He has 16 3-pointers in his past three games for Newton.

===

PCM (Monroe) 60, Nevada 51

MONROE, Ia. — The sixth-ranked Mustangs (19-1) avenged their only loss of the season by jumping out to a big lead against visiting Nevada.

Ethan Kain led PCM with 21 points and helped clinch at least a share of the Heart of Iowa Conference title.

===

Des Moines Christian 64, Ogden 43

URBANDALE, Ia. — No. 8 Des Moines Christian hit 13-of-22 from 3-point range on senior night, knocking off Ogden for the second time this season.

Jared Jones led the Lions (20-2) with 22 points.

===

Ballard (Huxley) 79, ADM (Adel) 47

HUXLEY, Ia. — Five players scored in double-digits for the Bombers (14-5), who hit nine 3-pointers in their second win over ADM of Adel this season.

This weekend’s set of Northwest BachFest performances offers insight into a variety of emotions and relationships through a diversely distinguished repertoire and a unique group of guest musicians.

As Artistic Director Zuill Bailey puts it, the four guests will create an “unofficial” Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra residency at Barrister Winery.

Making the trip to Spokane are violinist Evin Blomberg, the symphony’s principal viola Christian Colberg, principal cellist Ilya Finkelshteyn, and flute player Amy Taylor.

Bailey very intentionally invites guest performers that are not only excellent at their craft, but already have established relationships and simply love to make music together as well. With this specific group, he may not have been able to hit the nail on the head any further considering Blomberg and Finkelshteyn as well as Colberg and Taylor are married couples.

“Bringing people who play together all the time, people who love each other, love to work together, love to spend time together, and then bringing them together with the family of Spokane,” Bailey said on the intentionality of their invitations.

Bailey has also known the group for a number of years, specifically Colberg and Finkelshteyn who he met during his time at the Peabody Institute of the John Hopkins University as well as the Juilliard School in the early 1990s.

“It’s so nice to reconnect with old, old friends and to share very unique music,” Bailey said.

Unique would be an accurate description of the eclectic Saturday and Sunday repertoires ranging from string trios to flute quartets.

The flute among a full orchestra is rather common, but the same cannot be said for a smaller string ensemble such as a quartet. Nonetheless, Bailey and many others consider the flute to be one of the most “perfect instruments” because of how closely related it is to the most natural instrument, the lung-powered human voice.

One of Bailey’s goals of bringing outstanding talents and their somewhat less common instruments (especially in comparison to the violin) with them to Spokane is to hopefully inspire others in the region to explore outside the musical status quo.

“It’s a different concept of sound, everything about it adds colors that juxtapose other aspects like the string playing wood instruments,” Bailey said. “It is that instrument that kind of soars above the others.”

Meanwhile, the string trio pieces to be performed also have their own interesting differences in comparison to the more standard string quartet. A quartet of two violins, the viola and cello essentially act as a smaller version of the grand setting that is a full string orchestra. On the other hand, the trio of a singular violin as well as the viola and cello focus less on blending together and more on the extremely distinct roles of each instrument.

Both variables, the highly noticeable addition of the flute and the subtracted sound of a trio, require sheer virtuosity from their performers. These rather unique groupings also conjure a range of emotions that many audience members may have never experienced in a live performance setting considering how distinct the flute quartet and string trio are.

And that’s exactly Bailey’s goal.

“The juxtaposition of all of it is my point,” Bailey said. “Showing these instruments in different lanes, facets, is important to me because I want people to come to the concerts to realize that it’s not just a sound, it’s a language, it’s a way to communicate different emotions.”

Tickets for the Barrister Winery shows are available at nwbachfest.org.

The District 3 softball postseason is now wrapped up, but not after local stars shined on the diamond in key moments.

• Sign up for PennLive’s daily high school sports newsletter

Fans have a chance to select their favorite performer from the past week here.

Voting will run rom Sunday at noon to Tuesday at noon.

Ayahna Fleisher, Susquenita — Fleisher tossed seven innings, allowing three hits, no runs and two walks while striking out three and lacing a double in the Blackhawks’ 2-0 win over Kutztown to capture the 3A district title on Tuesday.

Addison Harpster, State College — Harpster pitched eight innings, allowing one hit and no runs while striking out 17 batters in a state-qualifying 1-0 win over McDowell on Tuesday.

Sydney May, Cumberland Valley — May tossed a seven-inning shutout in a 1-0 semifinal win over Wilson, then, on Friday, struck out eight allowing one run, while launching the game-winning two-run homer in the sixth inning of a 2-1 district title game win over Chambersburg.

Landry Murray, Trinity — Murray tossed seven innings, allowing six hits, one run and walk while striking out five in Trinity’s 3-1 win over Littlestown in the District 3 3A third place game.

Bree Paetow, Chambersburg — Paetow went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, a double, a triple and a steal in a 7-2 win over Central Dauphin on Tuesday, and added another hit and three steals in the 2-1 district title game loss to Cumberland Valley on Friday.

Karsyn Peifer, Red Land — Peifer launched a two-run homer in the Patriots’ 7-5 win over Greencastle-Antrim in Thursday’s District semifinal, and laced the lead-giving seventh-inning hit in Friday’s 6-2 district title win over Solanco.

Kindal Rice, Greencastle-Antrim — Rice went 3-for-4 with a homer and four RBIs in an 11-0 win over Twin Valley in the District 3 third place game on Friday.

Isabela Rodriquez, Central Dauphin — Rodriquez launched a homer and snagged six put outs in centerfield in a 3-1 win over Wilson in the District 3 third place game.

Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work.

Listen to the Pa. High School Football Report podcast