By Randy Whalen

Early in the outdoor season, Joliet West senior Payton Hudson stated his goal.

"I expect PR times this season and to get All-State in the 800," said Hudson following the 3rd Annual Co-Ed Cathy Harper Track & Field Invitational on Saturday, April 11, at Stagg High School in Palos Hills. 

That's what he did, placing eighth in the 800-meter run at the boys' Illinois High School Association State Finals.

Hudson wasn't alone in getting All-State honors for the Tigers. On the girls' side, fellow senior Ava Offeremann also met her goal of pacing at state. She also placed eighth. That was in the pole vault the week before at the IHSA State Finals. 

"This young lady set a goal, and she completed it," Joliet West girls' track and field coach Nate Atkinson said of Offermann. "She broke our pole vault record and placed 8th at State."

The Top 9 in each event in the finals make All-State. In the finals of the 800-meter run on Saturday, May 30, at O‘Brien Field at Eastern Illinois University, Hudson placed eighth with a time of 1:55.75. 

Hudson moved up one spot from the preliminary round the day before, when he was ninth with a time of 1:55.65. Down the stretch, he was consistent as he placed second on Wednesday, May 13, at the Southwest Prairie Conference meet with a personal best time of 1:54.91. 

A week later, on Wednesday, May 20, at the Moline Sectional at Almquist Field at Rock Island High School, Hudson had a time of 1:55.44, placing third and qualifying for state.  

"The previous year, Payton just missed qualifying for state," Joliet West first-year boys track and field head coach Marcus Mars said. "He finished his high school career as an All-Stater. Other than winning it, you can't ask for anything more. 

"He will hold a special place in my heart as my first All-State athlete as a head coach."

A pair of Tiger relays were also at the State Finals. The 4X200 relay of junior Tristan Jackson, senior Joshua Calvert, junior Robert Douglas, and senior Christopher Williams III placed 13th with a time of 1:27.74 in the preliminaries. The foursome just missed the Top 9 by .6 tenths of a second. 

In the 4X400 relay, the Joliet West foursome of Douglas, Calvert, Triplett, and sophomore Orrin Smith had a time of 3:34.71 and placed 39th in the preliminaries. 

At the sectional, the 4X200 relay was the same lineup and placed first with a time of 1:28.16. The 4X400 relay lineup was different at the sectional. There, Douglas, Culvert, Hudson, and Triplet turned in a time of 3:23.33 and placed fourth. 

Also placing in the Top 5 for the Tigers at the sectional was freshman Emiliano Vieyra with a time of 9:41.14 in the 3200-meter run. 

"We won the sectional going 1:28," Mars said of the 4X200 team. "We went 1:27 at state, and we just had to go a little faster to get to the Top 9. Still, we did great, and overall I'm proud of the whole season. There's always room for improvement, and we have to keep building."

The sectional standings were Yorkville winning with 136 points. East Moline United (86), Plainfield North (59), Minooka (58), Plainfield East (56), Plainfield South (44), Dunlap (36), Moline (36), Joliet West (33), and Washington (32)  were the Top 10 teams. Peoria (29), Pekin (24), Peoria Richwoods (21), Rock Island (19), Quincy (16), Plainfield Central (12), and Joliet Central (5) rounded out the 17-team field. 

Besides Hudson's second-place finish at the SPC meet, the Tigers also had personal best marks from junior Norman Sullivan (1.98 meters) and senior Khristian Lestz (1.88 meters) as they placed first and second in the high jump.

The Joliet West 4X2 relay team of Jackson, Williams III, Douglas, and junior Regis Williamson won with a time of 1:28.94.  

Yorkville, which placed ninth in the state in Class 3A, also won the boys SPC title with a score of 112.5. Minooka (84), Plainfield South (72), Oswego East (68.5), and Joliet West (65.5) were the Top 5 teams. Oswego (59), Plainfield North (52), Plainfield East (49), Bolingbrook (44.5), Romeoville (39), Plainfield Central (10), and Joliet Central (9) rounded out the 12-team field. 

Mars, a Joliet West graduate, placed fourth in Class AA in 1994 for Joliet Township in the 200-meter dash during his senior season. 

"I've had two stints totalling over a decade of being an assistant coach here at Joliet West," Mars said of his background. "I've been around track and field most of my life. Now, as a head coach, the buck stops with me. But I also listened to my staff, and the communication went well. 

"We want to get as many people back to state as possible next year and keep building the program on all levels."

On the girls' side, the Joliet West duo of Offerman and sophomore Ivee Loggins had seasons to remember. 

At the SPC meet, which was on Wednesday, May 6, and hosted by Plainfield South, both won their respective events. Loggins went 1.57 meters to capture the high jump, while Offerman had a height of 3.40 meters to win the pole vault.

The team scores at the conference meet were Minooka (171 points), easily winning it. Plainfield East (95), Plainfield North (92), Oswego East (92), Yorkville (49), Oswego (47), Joliet West (45), Plainfield South (33), Joliet Central (31), Plainfield Central (21), Bolingbrook (16), and Romeoville (7) rounded out the 12-team scores.

Then at the Rock Island Sectional on Wednesday, May 13, at Almquist Field at Rock Island High School, Loggins tied her season-best with another 1.57 meter (5-feet, 1.75 inches) height in the high jump to place third and qualify for state. Offerman once again went 3.40 meters (11 feet, 1.75 inches) to win the pole vault event. That was her fourth consecutive victory in the pole vault in the outdoor season.

The team scores at the sectional were Minooka once again winning with 113 points. Rock Island (88.5), Plainfield East (86), Plainfield North (66), Dunlap (52.5), Oswego East (52), Moline (33.5), Yorkville (33), Peoria Richwoods (28), Oswego (26), Plainfield South (24), Joliet Central (21), Plainfield Central (20), Joliet West (19.5), East Moline United (14), Peoria (13), and Washington (12) rounding out the 17-team field.

At the Girls Class 3A State Finals, on Friday, May 22, and Saturday, May 23, at O‘Brien Field at Eastern Illinois University, Loggins placed 20th in the high jump preliminaries with a height of 1.55 meters, which is 5 feet, 1 inch. 

Not bad for her first trip to the State Finals. 

"Ivee, I’m so proud of you," said Atkinson, who was the State Champion in Class AA in the long jump for Joliet Township in 1996. "Indoor and outdoor Southwest Prairie Conference champion and state qualifier. That’s a season to remember. 

"You showed up, you worked, and you leveled up in a short amount of time, and that growth is what I’m most proud of. I know it didn’t end the exact way you wanted, but hear me: this is only the beginning. Keep that same hunger. Keep that same focus. We’re not done yet."

No, she's not. But Offermann, who will continue her athletic career at Marian University in Indianapolis, went out the way she wanted, as an All-Stater.

In the preliminaries at state, Offerman placed 12th with a pole vault of 3.45 meters (11 feet 3.75 inches). The Top 15 moved to the finals. She made the finals last year as well, but finished 15th. 

This season was better, as she hit her goal and made her goal with her season-best vault. That was 3.50 meters, which is 11 feet, 5-75 inches, and placed her eighth. 

"That alone is huge," Atkinson said of Offerman finishing high school with the All-State honors. "But what I love most about Ava is who she is beyond the results. In a day and age where a lot of talented kids come with the worst attitudes, Ava stands apart. 

"She stayed humble, coachable, and she remained a genuinely great human being through it all. Ava, you were a joy to work with. I’m proud of you, and I already know you’re going to keep becoming an amazing athlete and an even better person."