CHARLESTON — Patrick Peterson was frustrated after he came within two inches of a state title in the shot put Saturday, May 30 at Eastern Illinois University.
So he took it out on the discus.
The Dunlap High School sophomore produced a heave of 201 feet, 5 inches to win the IHSA Class 3A championship in the event.
He beat out the runner-up by nearly 10 feet, and his discus heave was the longest in Illinois this season and 15th-best in the nation.
Earlier in the day, the sophomore fell just short in the shot put, finishing second.
“Two inches short of a state title,” he said of the outcome in the shot put. “I thought I had it. Hard to take.”
He tossed the shot 63 feet and three-quarters of an inch, not quite enough to edge LaGrange’s Joey Bockwell.
During the season, Peterson set two Peoria-area all-time records: the shot put at 67-7 (May 1 in Sycamore meet) and the discus at 195-8 (April in Ottawa meet).
“My 63 throw, it felt really good,” Peterson said. “It looked good, I thought it was going to be a 64, good enough to win it.
“I grew from this today. I learned to keep my energy high, keep my focus sharp. I can’t get caught up in what just happened. I have to move on and get the next one.”
And he did, crushing that discus heave.
When first is not best
Stark County sophomore Evan Knobloch finished first in his heat in the Class 1A 3,200 on Saturday, but it wasn’t good enough for a state title.
Technically, Gillespie’s Chaz Oberkfell finished ahead of Knobloch, even though he wasn’t in the race.
Oberkfell had a strategy – run a sectional slow enough to put him in a slower heat at state, and catch a race berth earlier in the morning, when it is cooler and less taxing physically.
He did that Saturday, turning in a 9:08.17 effort. Knobloch won his heat later in the day in 9:32.06. While that was first among the fastest group in the three heats, it wasn’t enough to overcome Oberkfell earlier time.
So officially, Oberkfell first, Knobloch second.
“Chaz is really hard to beat,” Knobloch said. “He’s a gutsy racer. I’m fine with it.
“I’m not going to lie, I’m not (feeling) great right now. I knew what I had to do to win – go for it on the last 800. Last fall I dropped 50 seconds off my cross country. This season I lowered my 3200 by 20 seconds.
“I give the success to God and my coach. I do this because I love the competition. You aren’t second-guessing in track because that clock doesn’t lie.”
Oberkfell beat Knobloch in a one-two finish last fall in the state cross country championships, too.
It doesn’t have to be perfect
Peoria Christian senior Trae Brickner hit three hurdles but still won the 300-meter hurdles state title in 1A. It’s a repeat title for Brickner, whose school does not have a track, forcing him to practice sprints in the hallways.
Brickner is no stranger to state finals, having gone there in basketball, soccer and track. He is heading to Cedarville University (Ohio) next fall.
“I want to compete as a decathlete,” he said Saturday after his bumpy run through the hurdles. “As for hitting those hurdles, sometimes that’s a good thing. It means I’m running faster than usual.
“I’ve been running hurdles since eighth grade. I just love the competition, and I pressure myself to be better.”
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star senior writer and sports columnist, and covers Bradley men’s basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Dunlap sophomore wins IHSA state title in discus with national caliber toss
Reporting by Dave Eminian, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
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