Tigers win fourth consecutive SWC title

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Edwardsville's Xavier Valdez runs during the 1,600-meter relay on Wednesday at O'Fallon in the SWC Championship. Valdez, Clayton Lakatos, Kellen Brnfre and Braylon Heavens finished with a second-place time of 3:24.89.

The Edwardsville Tigers huddle together after the meet on Wednesday at O'Fallon to celebrate winning the Southwestern Conference title for the fourth consecutive season.

Edwardsville's Jackson Amick runs to a fourth-place finish in the 1,600 meet on Wednesday at O'Fallon for the SWC Championship.

Xavier Valdez hands the baton to Clayton Lakatos during the 1,600-meter relay on Wednesday at O'Fallon in the SWC Championship. Valdez, Lakatos, Kellen Brnfre and Braylon Heavens finished with a second-place time of 3:24.89.

Edwardsville's Darren Wilson sprints to a third-place and personal-record time of 22.16 in the 200-meter dash on Wednesday at O'Fallon for the SWC Championship.

Edwardsville sophomore Clayton Lakatos had a personal-record and first-place time of 39.76 to become the SWC champion in the 300-meter hurdles at O'Fallon on Wednesday. He also took third in the 110-meter hurdles in 16.02.

Edwardsville's Hugh Davis runs in the pack during the 1,600-meter run on Wednesday at O'Fallon for the SWC Championship. Davis had a personal-record and third-place time of 4:34.65.

Kellen Brnfre during the 1,600-meter relay on Wednesday at O'Fallon in the SWC Championship. Xavier Valdez, Clayton Lakatos, Brnfre and Braylon Heavens finished with a second-place time of 3:24.89.

Clayton Lakatos runs during the 1,600-meter relay on Wednesday at O'Fallon in the SWC Championship. Xavier Valdez, Lakatos, Kellen Brnfre and Braylon Heavens finished with a second-place time of 3:24.89.

Braylon Heavens runs during the 1,600-meter relay on Wednesday at O'Fallon in the SWC Championship. Xavier Valdez, Clayton Lakatos, Kellen Brnfre and Heavens finished with a second-place time of 3:24.89.

O’FALLON – Area success has become a yearly expectation for Edwardsville.

"Coach (Chad Lakatos) talks highly about us as a team," EHS sophomore Jaydon Cole said. "He gives us inspirational speeches every time before the meets. He pushes us to our max."

The inspirational speech on Wednesday must have worked, since EHS cruised to its fourth consecutive Southwestern Conference title.

EHS won the meet with 176 points, followed by East St. Louis with 129 points, host O’Fallon with 107 points, Alton with 55 points, Collinsville with 44 points, Belleville West with 25 points and Belleville East with 18 points.

The Tigers have won four straight league titles dating back to 2019 – there was no track season in 2020 because of COVID – and 11 total SWC titles since 2010. The program has won 13 conference championships since 2002.

"We take it personally," Chad Lakatos said. "We come in here wanting to score points. We did just that."

The aforementioned Cole was one of eight SWC champions from EHS on Wednesday.

The Tigers also had 13 top-three finishers.

Cole became the SWC champion in the long jump with a jump of 6.59 meters. Teammate Kellen Brnfre took third with a 6.40-meter jump.

"It feels good," Cole said about being an SWC champion, "but it's not the last meet. I’ve got one more to make it to state. I’ve been working to try and make it there."

The EHS jumps group also saw Gino Montgomery become the SWC champion in the triple jump with a personal-record jump of 13.65 meters. That jump currently has Montgomery ranked as the top sophomore in Illinois regardless of class.

Cole said Montgomery and the other jumpers are who push him the most.

"Malik (Allen), Kellen (Brnfre), Gino (Montgomery), coach (Carry Bailey); they all push me," Cole said. "They want me to get there. They know I can get there."

In other field events, the Tigers also saw Ethan Stukenburg and Iose Epenesa become SWC champions.

Stukenburg took first in the pole vault with a mark of 4.16 meters. Nick Helton took third with a pole vault mark of 3.25 meters.

Epenesa outdid the competition by almost five meters with a first-place toss of 50.92 meters in the discus. Epenesa also had a second-place throw of 15.79 meters in the shot put, while Dorian Arguelles had a personal-record and third-place throw of 14.71 meters.

As EHS has come accustomed to, the relays once again were strong.

"All of our relays; we’ve been working all year long," EHS sophomore Zach Lane said, "especially the (400-meter relay). Everything's been really strong for us."

The 400-meter relay team of Lane, Clayton Lakatos, Brnfre and Darren Wilson took first in 41.75. That time currently ranks second in Illinois in Class 3A.

Lane, Wilson and Brnfre then teamed with Johnnie Robinson in the 800-meter relay to take first in 1:28.62. Earlier in the season, Brnfre, Clayton Lakatos, Wilson and Lane ran 1:27.11, which is ranked as the fastest time in the state in Class 3A.

The 1,600-meter relay team of Xavier Valdez, Clayton Lakatos, Brnfre and Braylon Heavens finished with a second-place time of 3:24.89. Earlier in the season, Valdez, Wilson, Clayton Lakatos and Heavens ran 3:21.91, which ranks second in Illinois in Class 3A.

Clayton Lakatos, named varsity Athlete of the Meet by the EHS coaching staff, continued his big day.

The sophomore had a personal-record and first-place time of 39.76 to become the SWC champion in the 300-meter hurdles. He also took third in the 110-meter hurdles in 16.02.

"It feels great," Clayton Lakatos said about the Tigers’ winning the SWC title. "It was always our goal to come here and win. We’re just happy we got it done."

In the distance events, Ben Perulfi became the SWC champion in the 3,200-meter run in 9:58.92. Ben Ziobro took third with a personal-record time of 10:14.00.

Hugh Davis had a personal-record and third-place time of 4:34.65 in the 1,600-meter run, while Alex Uder took third in the 800-meter run with a personal-record time of 1:59.96.

In the sprint events, Wilson just missed becoming an SWC champion in two events.

Wilson took second in the 100-meter dash in 10.83, while O’Fallon's Omar Mims edged him in first with a personal-record time of 10.82.

Wilson then took third in the 200-meter dash with a personal-record time of 22.16. East St. Louis’ Devion Montgomery took first in 22.02.

Valdez added a third-place finish in the 400-meter dash with a personal-record time of 51.00.

As Madison County and SWC champions, the Tigers will next eye defending their sectional crown.

EHS won the sectional title last season for the first time since 2018. Since 2002, the Tigers have won 10 sectional championships.

The Class 3A Edwardsville Sectional will be at the Winston Brown Track and Field Complex at EHS. Field events are scheduled to start at 1 p.m. and running events at 2:45 p.m.