Get Quick Athletics: Year 1
Get Quick, LLC was launched earlier this year to provide athletes with opportunities they can’t get anywhere else in Southern Illinois and ultimately help them become the best version of themselves. With that as the mission, I’ve been fortunate enough to serve 75 individual athletes in 2023, ranging from College Athletes all the way down to 4th graders. I’ve gotten the opportunity to work with Soccer, Basketball, Tennis, Football, Baseball, Softball, and Volleyball players, Track/XC Athletes, and even swimmers. And I’ve been fortunate to work with kids not just from Olney but from throughout SE Illinois, including places like Robinson, Cumberland, Albion, Red Hill, and Oblong. Getting to work with and create relationships with all these athletes has been an extremely rewarding experience, and watching them grow and excel both in our sessions and in their sports has been incredible. As I look ahead to what I know is going to be an amazing 2024, I wanted to highlight some of the accomplishments of Get Quick Athletes from the past year. If you’re interested in your athlete becoming a part of Get Quick, send me a DM or email me at rdenton81@icloud.com.
Before you read!
Before I get into it, I’ll start by stating 3 very important items:
I’m not claiming responsibility for the achievements below… some of these things took place before I ever got a chance to start working with these kids (or even met them). But I have gotten to know them pretty well, and I’m both proud of what they’ve accomplished and proud that I’ve gotten the opportunity to work with them.
As much as I love performance metrics, statistics, etc., not everything can be measured or quantified. Some of the most tremendous growth I’ve seen this year has come from youngsters just learning how to move with more stability or gaining confidence after they’ve managed to jump onto a box for the first time.
While I’d love to list highlights on every single athlete I’ve gotten to work with, that’s probably not realistic. But that certainly doesn’t mean that I haven’t been grateful for the opportunity to work with each and every one of them. It’s been a joy watching all of them grow and all of them have made me a better coach and person. Their parents have all made an investment so I could get that opportunity, and I am extremely thankful for that.
Incredible Improvement
Xavior Zuber
I’ll start with a special note on a special athlete. I was extremely lucky to get to work with some amazing kids one-on-one back in the summer of 2020 (the pandemic didn’t allow us to work in groups for much of that summer), but if was going to name a “patient zero” for Get Quick Athletics in its current form, that would probably have to be Xavior Zuber. His dad, Matt, approached me in the fall of 2021, when Xavior was just an 8th grader and I was still only kicking around the idea of launching Get Quick. Matt believed in what I did enough to entrust me with Xavior, who will be the first to tell you that he isn’t naturally the biggest, fastest, or strongest athlete out there. What he is, though, is dedicated, coachable, and tenacious. He’s continued to show up and put in the work, even when the results weren’t immediate… and this fall things really started to come together for Xavior. He hit 19.5 mph (in his first session 2 years ago, he was running 14.5 mph - that’s a 35% increase… he’s also increased his vertical by almost 40%), and out on the FB field, ‘X’ found himself playing serious varsity minutes. He wound up being the third-leading tackler and had the 2nd most tackles for loss despite missing the end of the season due to injury. Couldn’t be more proud of this kid.
River Groves
River Groves is another athlete I would have to put in the category for “most improved” for 2023. River started up with Get Quick this January to get faster and more explosive for the sport he loves most: soccer. I could go into a pretty long rundown in regards to the improvements I’ve seen in River’s movement, explosiveness, etc., but I’ll sum it up by dropping a few unbelievable numbers: In the past 11 months River has increased his maximum speed by over 20% (that equates to 3mph gained), and by over 40% in vertical leap (that amounts to 5 inches!!!). I don’t have anyone who works harder than River, and those numbers speak for themselves.
Ryan Kirby
I can’t have a conversation about most improved athletes without talking about Ryan Kirby. One of the absolute best parts of what I do is getting to watch kids who have put in the time and work reap the benefits… and Ryan has been doing that to a shocking degree the past month or so. At the end of the summer, his all-time best was 20.91 mph out on the track. This winter, he’s been hitting over 21.5mph consistently indoors, with a best of 21.72. That’s likely to translate to mid-22s when he’s spiked up outdoors (when you’re already running 20+ mph, another 2mph is a huge jump). Ryan is also just 1 cm away from becoming the 5th active Tiger to join the 60cm club. After turning in the fastest freshman 400m since we started tracking back in 2010, it’s going to be fun seeing how Ryan puts that extra 2mph to use this spring.
Easton Ochs
Easton Ochs first started with Get Quick before Get Quick was officially a thing, and I am grateful to his mom for seeking me out when he was just a 6th grader. Easton’s first love is baseball, and they wanted to see him get more mobile for that exact reason. He’s been one of the hardest workers I’ve gotten to coach, and he’s got a unique combination of size and athletic ability that are going to make him one to watch over the next few years. When we first started working, Easton was averaging about 13mph… a year later he’s hitting right around 16mph - that’s a 25% increase in speed. Easton is a man of few words, but I love seeing him smile when we talk about how much faster he’s gotten.
Sam Dial & Jake Brinkley
Sam Dial & Jake Brinkley are two friends and junior league football players who started attending Get Quick at around the same time. They are two different athletes who share the same goal: to get faster for a game they are falling in love with (football). Sam is one of those kids who had some significant challenges that were baked into his running mechanics, and he had to work extremely hard to unlearn and re-learn how to sprint in order to get faster. This is extremely difficult to do, but Sam made some of the biggest improvements I’ve seen from an athlete in a short span of time, and he added 1.5mph in the 6 weeks leading up to wrestling season (an 11% increase in speed in 6 weeks is amazing). Not to be outdone, Jake accomplished the same feat, gaining 1.5mph as well. At 18.5 mph, Jake is poised to have a shot at hitting 20mph before the end of his 8th-grade year… something only a handful of kids have done in Olney.
Cooper Williams
Cooper Williams is a kid who started Get Quick with a simple goal: to become a better athlete. As an incoming 6th grader, “Coop” has had to work hard to make gains. He brings his best every week and I feel lucky to get to work with him. When I go back and compare video of him sprinting now to video of him from this summer, he genuinely looks like a different kid, and it’s showing in the numbers too. He’s picked up over 1.0 mph, and he’s now averaging what was his best time of the summer. Some hard-earned improvement for Cooper.
Savannah & Owen Cycholl
I had the fortune of working with Savannah & Owen Cycholl when they were younger middle school athletes, and it’s been great getting to work with them again during the early part of winter. Savannah and Owen both had great summers at our HS Get Quick Camp, and then shined in their respective sports this fall (Savannah in Volleyball and Owen in football). Savannah stood out athletically throughout Middle School, but she’s taken it to another level since entering high school: she’s risen into the top tier speed-wise for female athletes (just shy of 18mph, which roughly equates to 21mph on the guys side), and she currently sits at #3 all-time in vertical leap for a Lady Tiger. Owen has shown constant growth since the summer started, and he hasn’t stopped since. But he’s made a particularly large jump in the past few months, jumping from a personal outdoor best of 17.75mph to 19mph indoors. Gaining over a mph indoors isn’t the norm… Owen has a legit shot to hit 20mph before he becomes a sophomore, which would be a fantastic achievement for him.
Keagan Puckett
Keagan Puckett is just an awesome kid and a joy to work with. He also happens to be an awesome baseball player and an outstanding athlete. Keagan spent his summer putting his talent on display at baseball showcases and travel tournaments and then followed that up by helping lead his Middle School team to a near-perfect season that ended in a state runner-up finish. Keagan came into Get Quick back in January running around 17mph… before finishing up we clocked him at close to 19mph - another middle schooler with a chance to hit 20mph before the end of this 8th grade year. Once again, that’s been a rarity, and it would be an outstanding accomplishment for Keagan. He’s also hit just shy of 40cm, one of the best marks I’ve had on a middle school athlete.
Casey Thomann
Everyone knows that Casey Thomann is a big man… He’s 6’8 and as a sophomore is already getting serious interest from just about every football program in the Big 10. What a lot of people don’t realize is just how well this big man moves. I typically set the benchmark goals for the average “Big Cat” at 17mph and a 40cm vertical leap - Casey obviously isn’t your average Big Cat (again, being 6’8 makes those things more difficult, not easier), and he’s already hitting right at those marks. Earlier this year Casey was running at around 15mph… 2mph is a huge jump in a short span of time, especially for a 6’8 offensive tackle. Hard to even imagine what this kid is going to accomplish with the rest of his school career (and beyond).
Get Quick Youngsters
Numbers are a little harder to read on younger kids, in particular kids that are 10 and younger. They’re still a powerful tool and serve as a great motivator, but not all improvements can be measured in numbers, and this is especially true for young athletes. I’ve had an absolute blast working with some younger kiddos this summer and here in the early part of the winter… Youngsters like Don Seiler, Gage Henton, Khloe Cales, Ben Powell, and Bella Seesengood have made workouts a blast, and seeing their smiles light up when I show them how many mph they run is always a highlight for me. But ultimately, watching them learn how to move better and gain confidence is the best part of all. Sincerely appreciate these athletes’ parents entrusting me with them and allowing me to spend time with them every week.
Amazing Achievements From Get Quick Athletes
Ayden Cothern
Probably won’t come as a surprise to many who I lead this category off with… The thing is I could have probably put him in the first category as well. Ayden Cothern came into his junior season of football as the 10th fastest kid in the school, 21 months later, he graduated as the fastest Olney Tiger in the 100+ year history of the program, and set or was a part of 4 different school records on the track (and a couple season records on the football field as a receiver). He went from 19.5 mph as an incoming junior to right at 24 mph as an outgoing senior, was twice conference champion in the 100m, and a state qualifier in 3 events (during indoor season he finished 3rd in the state in the 60m, btw). Along with being our first HS athlete to ever hit 23mph, he was also the first to hit 70cm in vertical leap… This fall he hit 24.99 mph at Greenville College during pre-season training, and turned in #5 all-time performance for the Panthers in his first-ever collegiate race (the 60m). I’ve gotten to be a part of more rewarding experiences than I can count over the past several years as a coach, not sure if I can put any of them above working with Ayden. He will forever be a special one for me.
Rylee Bloomer
Rylee Bloomer is another athlete who has been a part of Get Quick since the earliest days. Above all else, she’s an athlete… she’s been a conference champion in the long jump, holds school records in multiple sports, and has earned accolades in basketball, softball, and volleyball. Our primary focus has been working on speed and agility, and Rylee’s first love is softball, so there are a couple of accomplishments that really make sense to mention in this space: this spring Rylee now holds both the single-season and career records for stolen bases as an Olney Lady Tiger. On the Get Quick side Rylee is one of only a handful of ladies to have hit the 18mph mark (if not for injuries getting in the way I truly believe she would have probably already hit at least 19mph), one of only two female athletes I’ve ever tested above 45cm in vertical leap, and she has the fastest pro agility I’ve ever recorded on the Ladies side. In addition to being a tremendous athlete, Rylee is also one of the most competitive kids I’ve ever worked with… she’s a blast to watch no matter what she’s doing, and she’ll be moving on to OCC next fall to continue her career in Softball. No one has worked harder, and I’m extremely happy for Rylee.
Rex Hallam
Rex Hallam is a unique athlete (you hear the word “freak” get thrown around a lot when his name comes up). At close to 6’6”, Rex’s tremendous athleticism makes him a rarity in Olney, IL - or pretty much anywhere else. But what really sets Rex apart is his humility and desire. He’s aware of his talent, but he also realizes he has to work to make the most of it. As a sophomore, Rex was a 3 sport athlete and topped it off with a tremendous spring. He was an irreplaceable part of 2 record-breaking sprint relay groups and did some things that haven’t been seen on the runway in Olney for quite some time. He registered the furthest long and triple jumps seen in Olney since the 1990s (22’ and 43’ respectively), and was all-state in the long jump both during the indoor and outdoor seasons (as well as being a state qualifier in the Triple despite only doing it competitively for the final few weeks of the season). Rex capped off his 2023 track run with Illinois and Region 7 wins in both the Long and Triple Jump, qualifying him for the National USATF meet. As far as Get Quick goes, Rex became (at the time) the youngest athlete to ever hit 23mph for us - and just the 3rd kid to hit it at all. As stated above, though, Rex isn’t satisfied, and that makes him truly special. As of this fall, Rex picked up roughly 4 inches on his vertical leap (!!! - that’s over a 15% improvement, which is a huge number for an athlete already putting out elite numbers)… He now sits at #4 all-time for athletes I’ve tested in vertical leap and is tied for #3 in the broad jump. That explosiveness has shown up on the basketball court this winter already, where Rex has been a terror for opposing teams to deal with… including a few eye-opening dunks. At times, it just looks like he’s playing a different game than everyone else. Rex has also begun garnering interest from several College Track programs, including multiple D1 schools. The scariest part is he’s just a junior… who knows how great this kid is going to be?
Mary Elliott
The first out-of-town athlete I’ll mention on this list is Mary Elliott of Robinson. I’m extremely grateful that Mary’s mom sought me out to work with her… she’s one of those kids that’s a joy to be around and happens to also be one of those athletes that is just flat-out fun to watch. Mary came into our sessions already having proven that her athletic ability is off the charts… she was the LIC conference runner-up in the 100m last year and finished up as a Class A all-state performer in the Triple Jump even though (like Rex) she only picked up Triple for the final weeks of the 2023 season. In our workouts, Mary has been nothing but impressive. She’s head and shoulders (almost literally) above any girl I’ve ever tested in vertical leap… Mary hit 54cm this summer - no other girl has ever hit 50 for me. She’s also hit the 2nd highest mph I’ve ever measured a female athlete at (19.45), and I have no doubts that if I had enough opportunities to time her, she’d be the 2nd girl to ever hit 20mph for me. A nasty ankle injury earlier this fall thankfully hasn’t slowed her down a bit, and I can’t wait to see what she does this spring on the track.
Ian Winkler
Ian Winkler is a fantastic basketball player who’s garnered too many accolades to list here over the past year plus… but here are a few: 2023 1st Team All-LIC and 3A All-South Selections, 10 20pt games in 2022-23 Season, including a stretch with multiple 30pt games, and he’s already collected multiple tournament/shootout MVP trophies in the 23-24 season. “Wink” is a tremendous basketball player, who is also a special athlete. I got the opportunity to test out the basketball team in vertical leap in 2021, and my jaw dropped before I even saw the result of the test… the kid just levitates. If you watch him on the basketball court, he knows how to use his incredible athleticism to create separation, rise up and hit shots, and finish plays in the lane. After putting in some serious work this summer, Wink demonstrated just how athletically dominant he is by putting up some huge numbers this fall: 68.9cm vertical leap (#2 all-time for Get Quick), 6’7 broad jump (tied with Ayden Cothern for #1 all-time), 4.06 pro agility (#1 all-time), and last but not least, his speed has taken a major leap this fall (he hit just shy of 22mph out on the track at the end of the fall, but my money says he’s a mid 22mph guy based on the times he’s been running on our indoor runway this winter). As I’m typing this, Wink just sealed another Tiger Championship and MVP performance at the Duster Thomas Classic in Pinckneyville… the kid is special.
Gavyn Cothern
Gavyn Cothern is another special one for me… the younger brother of Ayden, Gavyn started up with Get Quick last summer, and instantly became a personal favorite… I know I’m not the only one that shares that sentiment. He’s a great kid, and another one-of-a-kind athlete that I’ve been lucky to get to work with through Get Quick. He’s one of those kids who excels at everything he does, sets the example with his work ethic, and competes with a tenacity that every coach dreams of. Going into this spring (his freshman year of track), I assumed he’d be long jumping alongside Rex Hallam, as he’d broken the Middle School Record his 8th-grade year. But we needed a High Jumper, so Gavyn stepped in, and proceeded to blow everyone’s minds every week. He finished the season Conference Champ, Sectional Champ, and, unbelievably, State runner-up in Class AA. Again, we’re talking about a freshman in high school… I can’t do that accomplishment justice here (btw, he followed that up with a long jump performance at the USATF Illinois meet that would have landed him all-state honors had we entered him in the LJ this post-season). Injury has plagued him a bit since this summer, but his initial workouts this winter have shown he hasn’t lost a step… he’s currently #3 on the active vertical leap list amongst other things. I look forward to our workouts every single week… he’s just a sophomore, but Gavyn already feels like family.
Ian Pianfetti
I’ve had the privilege of coaching a lot of fast kids… An Olney athlete has been crowned Conference Champion in 7 of the last 10 years. But Ian Pianfetti firmly established himself in 2023 as the fastest freshman I’ve ever coached. His 60m and 100m performances set freshman records for Olney (dating back to 2010), and he led off the Tigers’ record-breaking and state-qualifying 4x100 relay team. Ian’s hard work this summer had him poised for a breakout football season, and he was absolutely electric before a collarbone injury cut his season short. He’s got big things ahead, though, immediately after being cleared to start working out again, Ian became the 4th - and youngest - athlete I’ve ever clocked at 23mph. Sky’s the limit for this young man.
Hadley Denton
Hadley Denton is my daughter, and the original Get Quick athlete. She’s a multi-talented kid, and I’m lucky to be her dad. Of all the things that she’s great at, though, I think the thing she loves most is to go fast, and it’s pure joy for me to get to watch her do it. I’ve always waited for her to do something several times over before broadcasting it, but she just keeps performing and forcing me to make it official when she hits some new milestone: She was the first female athlete that I’ve ever clocked at 19mph, and is currently the only one I’ve ever recorded a 20mph performance from (her best currently sits at 20.71mph). Over her past couple track seasons at the middle school level, she set and re-set the 200m dash record on multiple occasions, broke the 8th grade 100m dash record, and was All-State in both events at the SIJHSAA large school meet. This spring will be her first season in the big leagues (IHSA), and I can’t wait to watch.
Gentry Hough
Gentry Hough is one of the most explosive middle school athletes I’ve gotten to work with (almost 18mph, and 46cm vertical leap - the highest for a middle school athlete I have tested), and he put it on display over the past several months. This past spring, Gentry broke the school record and was the state runner-up in the 7th grade 100m, helping the St. Joe to a 6th place overall finish. He followed that up with incredible performances on the football field one week after the next as a running back/QB for the Olney JFL team. I don’t recall a game this summer where he didn’t bust off a jaw-dropping run. Gentry works his tail off and it’s going to be fun watching him grow over the next few years.
Braden Flanagan
Braden Flanagan is one of those guys that’s easy to root for. He knows exactly what he wants and handles his business with a workmanlike attitude. Every time I get the opportunity to work with him, I feel like I’m working with a professional. He genuinely wants to know how he can get better, he listens, and then puts 100% effort into applying what he’s been coached on. To go along with that, Braden’s faced his fair share of adversity over the past few years - after transferring his senior year of high school due to COVID, he found himself moving to a new school again this fall in search of a better fit at the college level, this time landing at Franklin College in Indiana. Making moves like that is tough for a young guy to do, but Braden has unsurprisingly handled it like a pro, continuing to put in the work day in and day out. As of this writing, Braden is averaging 11 points a game in a starting role and leading the team in assists. Couldn’t be more happy for him… he deserves all the success he gets.
Reid Carlen
My first experience with Reid Carlen was through our Get Quick Track Club, and I am so glad he got signed up. Reid is another fantastic kid, and a legitimately elite talent. One of the most competitive events at USATF meets is the 100m - everyone wants to be fast, and it doesn’t require as much training to stay in “game shape” for the 100m. His first race at the Illinois USATF meet was eye-popping (11.16), and then he turned in an even better one at the Region 7 meet (11.00), qualifying himself for the National meet at the University of Oregon. Reid made the trip out, and proved he belonged. His 11.16 is impressive on its own, but the travel and huge stage make it even more so. After getting to know him some this summer, I was extremely proud to have Reid Carlen as the first athlete to represent Get Quick at Nationals. This winter, I’ve been fortunate enough to get to work with Reid in Get Quick sessions, and it has been an awesome experience. He’s one of those kids you can’t help but like the more you get to know him. Reid has promptly run faster indoors than any athlete I’ve ever tested… 22.37mph. I can say with quite a bit of confidence that people in this part of the state who pay attention to track are going to know who Reid Carlen is by the end of the spring.
Kinley McMechan
Something is in the water over in Toledo, Illinois. Along with Reid Carlen, there’s another young speedster lighting the track on fire in the Cumberland School District, and her name is Kinley McMechan. This past spring, Kinley was the Class 3A IESA state champ in the 7th grade 100m, and runner-up in the 7th grade 200m. She started up with Get Quick this winter, and I immediately knew she was fast before I even got the chance to time her. She’s been consistently running in the mid-18 mph range, which makes her one of the fastest Middle School girls I’ve ever tested, and I have no doubts she’s got more in the tank. If you live in the Cumberland area, you’re going to be seeing lots of speed out on the track this spring!
Lauren French
Lauren French is a competitor… that’s what comes out first and foremost in our sessions. This past spring she broke school records for a 6th grader, and placed in the top 15 in the state in the 100m… in the 7th grade division. She showed up this summer hungry to get faster, and despite being involved in a ton athletically, she’s already increased her speed by 10% (from 15.5mph to just under 17). When she does hit 17, she’ll be one of the youngest female athletes I’ve ever clocked at that speed. I anticipate more St. Joe records being broken this spring!
Lily & Bella Stevens
I was fortunate to have Lily & Bella Stevens on the ground floor of Get Quick. They’re exactly the kind of kids you’d want to launch a business like this with… great athletes with an equally great attitude and work ethic. From her initial workouts in January, Lily increased her speed from roughly 16mph to 17.5mph this summer, and then to 18.3mph this fall (a 15% increase in speed). Bella’s top speed registered at 16mph, a fantastic time for a 7th grader whose specialty is as a distance runner. While I consider Lily and Bella very different athletes, they both bring the same intensity and desire to every workout. I was so excited for them this spring when they helped lead St. Joe to a Class S SIJHSAA State Championship. Lily was all-state in the 100, 200, and 400m (!!!), and Bella earned all-state honors in both the 800 and 1600m. Then this summer and fall, they represented Get Quick extremely well, qualifying for the Region 7 USATF meet in their respective events and running extremely well in the USATF XC events as well. Both girls had fantastic XC seasons for their schools, too. Folks are going to be hearing a lot about the Stevens girls over the next few years.
McKenna Snider
McKenna Snider has the distinction of being the 1st tennis player I’ve gotten the privilege to work with, and I couldn’t have asked for a better one. She’s another kid who brings almost a professionalism to everything she does. Not sure I can think of a busier kid that I work with… she’s a multisport athlete who takes her school very seriously and works as well. McKenna primarily joined Get Quick to improve at her first love, tennis. So our sessions are often about pushing the athlete in other areas besides speed like quickness, agility, and explosion (although I am a firm believer in the idea that speed makes us better in all these departments and vice-versa). McKenna always comes in with an open mind and ready to work, and her improvement has been visible. This fall, McKenna advanced to state in singles play and won a match at the state tourney amongst some elite competition as a junior. McKenna has also started to get some interest from college programs, a big dream for her. The best part is she’s got an entire year to go in high school. As hard as she works, I’m excited to see what she does with it.
Jax Duncan
Jax Duncan (along with his brother Jeter) is the first athlete I’ve gotten to work with from Edwards County. Jax is a sophomore and knew going into the fall that he might be starting at QB for the Lions… it was obvious the first time I got to work with him what he’d be bringing to the table: Size, explosiveness, and a determination that he won’t be outworked by anyone. Josh hit top speeds indoors in the mid-18 mph (my guess is he’s a minimum 20mph guy outdoors) and had a 50cm vertical leap. I haven’t seen any stats on Josh from this fall, but kept an eye on him, and saw some dynamic HUDL highlights, including a Shriner MVP performance. The Lions are going to have a good one leading them on the field for the next few years.
Zach Duenas & Josh Russell
OCC Baseball Players Zach Duenas and Josh Russell approached me for different reasons (Zach wanting to build explosiveness on the pitching mound as he geared up to head to Western Kentucky University and Josh wanting to build speed to make himself more marketable to college programs post-OCC). They’re also two very different athletes… Zach is a 6’10 kid with abnormal athleticism and coordination, Josh is a former football player with a tremendous motor. Both of them were a pleasure to work with this year. Testing Zach out felt like I was taking part in a science experiment… he ran roughly 19.5mph and hit rare air on his vertical leap - over 65cm. Freakish numbers for a kid at 6’10. Josh has come in and done nothing but work his tail off, and in our early winter session he’s already gained roughly a mph… he’s already running faster indoors than he did out on the track earlier in the fall (clear sign of legit speed gain). Zach had a promising fall at WKU and is already getting interest from pro scouts… pumped to see what he and Josh will do this spring.
Kaeden Davis
Kaeden Davis has a unique athleticism for a distance runner. This is not a knock on distance runners… the things a runner has to do to be successful are oftentimes counter to what an athlete has to do to develop explosiveness, quickness, etc. So runners who possess the kind of athletic ability that Kaeden does is a rare bird. I could probably count the number of distance runners with Kaeden’s athletic profile that I’ve had in my decade-plus of coaching on barely more than one hand. This fall, Kaeden hit both 20mph and 50cm on his vertical leap, making him the first distance runner I have on record for doing either. This fall, Kaeden put that athleticism to work, finishing 4th at the LIC meet and qualifying for the IHSA Sectional meet as a freshman. I don’t like to make predictions, but I think Kaeden has a shot to be in the conversation with some of the best runners Olney has had in recent memory.
Get Quick T&F Club
I’ll finish up by celebrating the incredibly successful first season of USATF for our Get Quick Track Club. It was essentially thrown together at the end of the spring, and went so far beyond what I’d hoped it would be this summer. I’ve got a ton of hope that this year is going to be even bigger. A very quick rundown on some of our club’s achievements:
Close to 25 athletes competed for us at the USATF Illinois Championships (hosted by the University of Illinois)
Our athletes’ ages ranged from 9 up to 18 years old
We were represented by athletes from 5 communities in this part of the state: Altamont, Cumberland, Newton, Olney, & Robinson
Roughly half of our athletes qualified for the USATF Region 7 meet (top qualifiers from Illinois & Indiana): Lily Stevens, Bella Stevens, Quincy Fulton, Gentry Hough, Reid Carlen, Ian Pianfetti, Parker Wolf, Luis Zavala, Ezra Dicks, Tristin Butler, Judah Dicks, Gavyn Cothern, & Rex Hallam
5 of our athletes qualified for the USATF National Meet at the University of Oregon: Reid Carlen, Tristin Butler, Gavyn Cothern, Rex Hallam, and Bella Stevens. Largely due to travel, etc., it didn’t work out for most of these kids to attend (Reid C. was the only Get Quick Athlete to go), but it’s still an enormous accomplishment for our upstart program to qualify that many athletes.
Reid attended the national meet and competed extremely well, finishing 27th out of almost 75 kids competing in the 15-16 division of the 100m.
Bella and Lily Stevens, as well as Judah Dicks also competed under the Get Quick banner this XC season, and ran outstanding. You can find more info on their accomplishments here.