Spring Break Wrap Up: Top Times and Greenville
Ian Pianfetti, Ian Winkler, Gavyn Cothern, & Aidan Germak, 4x1 @ 2024 Greenville Invite
2024 IL Top Times
Two weekends ago (Saturday 3/23) we took two athletes, Gavyn Cothern and Ian Winkler, to the IL Top Times meet. A few things on this meet just to give folks some perspective…
The IHSA does not have an official indoor state series.
To fill that gap, a private group started putting together an indoor championship meet back in the late 1980s. It was hosted at the U of I armory up until 2005, when it moved to Illinois Wesleyan College. (More history here.)
In order to go to this meet, an athlete or relay has to qualify. In some events they take the top 12 in the state by class, in some events it’s 18-24. Unlike outdoor season, an athlete can qualify at any indoor meet throughout the spring (in outdoor season, an athlete has to qualify at the sectional meet in May).
Qualifying for this meet in Class 2A is extremely tough. In general, there’s a sizeable gap between qualifying performances between 1A and 2A, but little to none between 2A and the highest Class in IL Track, 3A. Last year, we had 4 athletes qualify in 5 events (Ayden Cothern, Rex Hallam, Saul Jones, and Holden Hough). We garnered two 3rd place finishes, Cothern in the 60 and Hallam in the LJ. Before that we hadn’t had a qualifier since 2019 (there was no meet in 2020 due to COVID)… Braden Nicholson in the 1600m.
For a little more perspective on just how tough it is to qualify for this meet, our Ian Pianfetti was tied for being the fastest sophomore in all of Class 2A, and didn’t crack the top 24 necessary to make it in (I don’t like to make predictions, but I’m hopeful we’ll see him there next year).
Gavyn Cothern, Long Jump @ 2024 IL Top Times
Gavyn Cothern
I had almost forgotten that with all he achieved last year, Gavyn actually didn’t compete at Top Times. Hard to believe but his ascendance in the High Jump didn’t really start until about a month later… we knew he was very talented but had no clue just how special he was at that point. He only competed in the HJ once during indoor season, and having Rex Hallam as a returnee meant Gavyn barely got to compete in the Long Jump. Rex being out this spring meant Gavyn more or less had the run of the place this spring, and he took full advantage. He spent most of our indoor season alternating meets between what thus far have been his top two events, Long Jump and HJ. Over that span Gavyn set new indoor school records in both events - 6’6” in the HJ and 22’0.5” in the LJ.
What’s tough about this scenario is that those two events take place at the same time, and running back and forth to do them simultaneously is extremely difficult. On the two occasions I’ve watched Gavyn attempt this dual, he’s performed fairly close to his usual standards in the LJ, but HJ suffered (watch these two events for any length of time and that will make sense to you). After doing both at U of I two weeks ago (he cleared 6’0.5” in High Jump but hit 21’5.75” in the LJ, it dawned on me that what Gavyn was attempting to do was almost a different event on it’s own… and we shouldn’t compare his performances on those occasions to what he did when he just attempted one or the other.
Ultimately, Gavyn’s performance at Top Times was a success, no matter how you choose to evaluate it. He medaled in both, finishing 5th in the HJ and runner up in the Long Jump - a fantastic feat for the sophomore - and his best Long Jump of 22’2.5” surpasses Rex Hallam’s 22’1.25 from last spring, making it the furthest jump we’ve had at least since the 90s. With a full 3 seasons ahead of him and senior campaign remaining for Rex, the school record of 22’8 (Mike Dugan in 1967) is in serious jeopardy. But we can also compare Gavyn’s dual effort - both to his previous attempts and to the other athletes who attempted the same at Top Times - and gain even more appreciation for what he accomplished. Gavyn jumped higher and further than he ever has while attempting both, and he outperformed the only 4 other athletes who qualified in both that day (1 in 1A, two in 2A and 1 in 3A) in both events.
Ian Winkler, Triple Jump @ 2024 IL Top Times
Ian Winkler
Ian Winkler was effectively a 1st year track athlete last season (in 2022, he was a member of the team but various circumstances never allowed for things to line up so he could compete in a meet for us). I recruited Ian to come out for track about as hard as any athlete I can remember - his athleticism is unique from any other kid I’ve ever worked with - but neither his testing or his solid performance in 2023 prepared us for just how much this kid has blown up the last month. His first (and only) indoor meet this season resulted in a new best of 43’1.75”, setting a new indoor record for us and making him #8 in IL Class 2A.
That was a shock… Ian’s best the previous year ws 40’11”, and he spent most of the year hovering in the high 30s. For reference, Rex Hallam became our first 43’ long jumper since the mid 90s (record holder Mike Rodgers went 45’+). So for Ian to completely leapfrog the 42s was a pretty big deal… but it was hard to know what to expect at the Top Times meet. Ian was off the previous week, threw a 2-hitter for our baseball team in a win the night before, and then hopped in a van for a 2.5 hour trip north to jump on a pretty huge stage. It would’ve been understandable for Wink to fall a bit flat, but instead he tacked 6 more inches on his best from MTZ, and won IL Top Times in the TJ by half a foot.
It was surreal to watch - the latest in a long line of feats from the past few years that have left me shaking my head. Ian is the first Tiger to win a Top Times Championship in 13 years - Max Gassmann won the 1600m in 1A back in 2011 (one of if not the final year of the two class system in IL Track). When you think you’ve spotted a kid with potential, you hope it works out well - that they excel and have fun. Wink has taken his athleticism to another level this year, and he’s figuring things out on the runway. I’m lucky to be here to witness it.
“Coach” Rex Hallam, 2024 IL Top Times
Rex Hallam
Have to finish with a note on our jump consultant at indoor state. Last year, all-state long jumper Rex Hallam finished third at the IL Top Times meet in the Long Jump. He should've been jumping at it this year (likely in two events) as a junior. But gotta say it was an absolute joy watching "Coach Hallam" guide his jumpers on Saturday (to 3 medals, btw). He was as intense and excited for Gavyn and Ian, guys competing in the same events as he would have, as if he would've been for himself. In a day full of highlights, watching those guys together was probably the biggest one for me.
2024 Greenville Invitational
Every track season brings at least one curveball… something to remind you as a coach that when you think you’ve got things figured out, you really don’t. I’ve been saying a lot lately that track is a humbling sport - and it is for coaches as much as it is athletes. This year’s biggest curve (so far) was our first ever full week of spring break. Truly something I’ve never dealt with before and wasn’t exactly sure how to handle. But I was pretty thankful for where it fell, right at the end of the indoor season and the beginning of outdoor. Especially since we started attending a full slate of indoor meets the past few years, this was actually a perfect place for a break.
So I decided this week was going to be one of rest, and especially with Greenville falling on the day before Easter, it would largely be left up to the guys on an individual basis as to whether they wanted to participate. I considered it well within the realm of possibility that we would be taking a small handful of guys - instead we wound up taking a full squad, and our guys were fresh and excited to compete (even after a 2 hour bus ride that started at 6:15am). We finished 4th out of 20 schools (a majority of them larger 2A schools), broke 2 meet records, and did a variety of other historical things. Pretty thankful as a coach to be writing that our kids were excited and prepared to do all that after essentially taking a week off.
Flying Tigers: Winkler & Cothern Continue Historic Run, Rookies Solid in Debut
Ian Winkler, Long Jump @ 2024 Greenville Invite
Coming off a historic weekend at IL Top Times, “Wink” and Gavyn Cothern would’ve been more than forgiven for taking the week off. But they both made the long trip, and they both came to play on Saturday. Each of them won their primary event and left their mark in various other places throughout the meet.
Following a state championship in the Triple Jump last weekend and several baseball games over spring break, Wink might have been due for a bit of a let down. Instead, he somehow went and topped himself again. After landing a few great jumps, Ian nailed his landing on his final attempt (something his teammates and Coach Tyra Cycholl have been encouraging him on) and he went an unbelievable 44’7”. The notes on this jump almost feel too ridiculous to type: that puts Ian at #1 in IL Class 2A by well over a FOOT, and brings him within 10” of what I deemed to be one of the more unbreakable records on our board. Fellow dual-sporter and a guy most would put in the conversation for greatest athletes in the history of Olney, Mike Rodgers jumped 45’5” back in 1992. The scary thing is Ian’s still figuring the event out. Wink also netted a 5th place finish in just his 2nd time ever long jumping (20’5.25 makes him #5 outdoors for us since 2010). No matter what he’s in the middle of doing, Wink’s senior campaign on the court/field/track has become something you need to stop and watch.
Gavyn Cothern, High Jump @ 2024 Greenville Invite
In just barely over a season, Gavyn Cothern has established himself as likely the best swiss army knife I’ve ever coached in this sport (more on that later). As previously mentioned he’s been trying to do a lot lately - all at once. This week he got the chance to go compete in HJ without any multitasking, and he looked phenomenal doing it. Gavyn cleared 6’6'“ for the fourth time in his young career, and on two attempts appeared to have enough in his legs to clear 6’8. All that jumping into a pretty stiff wind on a surface that appeared to have somewhat of an incline. Another crazy record on our board (Brad Richardson’s 6’9.25 in 1967) could go down before Gavyn has his final say…
We also got some nice performances from rookies and younger guys on Saturday as well. Those are important, because they build foundations for later on (Wink is jumping 4 feet further this year than he was last year, for reference). The experience of jumping at a big meet against high level competition is something you can’t get in practice. Maverik Cordell continues to improve week after week, this time around pushing his personal best to 9’4 and scoring for us in 6th place. Gavin Root also scored for us, picking up a 7th place finish. Gavin is hitting 5’10 consistently on a weekly basis, which typically means a new best is around the corner on the right day. Anything over his current best would give Gavin sole possession of the #2 spot on our freshman record board in the HJ (behind Gavyn Cothern, dating back to 2010). In the horizontal jumps, Aiden Germak went 18’8, making him #4 on our freshman record board, and Ryan Kirby jumped just short of 38’ in the Triple. I think Ryan has a real shot of getting to 40’ before the end of the season, which would put him in the top 3 on our soph record board.
Sprints: 4x1 Has Best Start In School History
Ian Winkler Handing Off to Ian Pianfetti, 4x1 @ 2024 Greenville Invite
We’ve been blessed with a lot of speed the last few years. But it’s so hard to know what to expect in that first 4x1 of the season, and this one had as many question marks as any I’ve coached. The 4x1 is the most stressful relay, and one of the most stressful events in track & field: fast guys running at full speed, handing off a small stick without slowing down… if you want to be competitive, it pretty much has to be seamless (last year’s group, which eventually shattered the school record, didn’t have a totally clean race until mid April). Add to that the following:
Either because of graduation (A. Cothern and Jones) or injury (Hallam), this year’s team is without the first 3 cats we’ve ever had hit 23mph
We were coming off a week of spring break and only have had the opportunity to work handoffs once
Our leadoff man is a freshman
Our new anchor (Pianfetti) has shown tremendous speed, but has always been a leadoff guy and never really taken a handoff
The wind was gusting pretty much all day (when it’s windy, any event that involves making a complete revolution of the track is likely to be impacted negatively).
As a coach, you generally expect a scenario like the one above to result in a whole lot of Murphy’s Law. But what can only be a credit to our group (Aiden Germak, Gavyn Cothern, Ian Winkler, & Ian Pianfetti), EVERYTHING clicked. Handoffs were fantastic, every man ran an outstanding leg, and not only did we win, we set the meet record at the 15 year old Greenville Invite with a time of 43.89. For some context on how phenomenal that is for this time of year, last year’s record-breaking group (Pianfetti, Cothern, Hallam, Cothern) ran a 44.46 their first time out (the Olney Invite), and didn’t crack 44 seconds until the very end of April. The only other group to break 44 for us (prior record holders Washburn, Waggoner, Hahn, & Lathrop) didn’t do it until May. That 43.89 is #2 all-time for us (EVER, there’s no 2010 qualifier on that one), and as of Monday it was good for #2 in class IL Class 2A. It’s early, but that’s still incredible. By default, these guys have put themselves in the conversation to be our first group to ever crack 43 seconds, which is FAST... In case you can’t tell, I’m pretty excited.
One of the things I often talk about with our kids is the fact that a lot of things are out of your control. You can’t control how fast the guy is in the lane next to you. You can’t control when you’re sick and not feeling well. You can’t control which way the wind is blowing. So you have to focus on yourself, and making yourself better. After graduating the fastest man in school history, Ian Pianfetti has established himself as our clear #1 sprinter, and Saturday was his first turn outdoors as our feature guy in the sprints. Unfortunately he was greeted with a 20mph headwind. It was to be one of those days where you focus on the competition more than what the stopwatch said at the end of the race. Ian stepped up to the plate and ran two great individual races, finishing 2nd in both the 100m and the 200m (along with anchoring us for the first time on our record-setting 4x1). Ian’s 100 time (11.57) wasn’t what he’s gunning for, but he still managed to run faster on a bad day than he did on his best day last season (clear sign of how much faster he’s gotten). Under slightly better conditions, Ian turned in a 23.33 200m. That puts him at #5 for us since 2010, and closing in on the top spot on the soph. record board (Dirk Washburn, converted 23.14 FAT).
Gavyn Cothern (the aforementioned swiss army knife) has done a lot of work for us on the track already in his short career, but primarily as a relay specialist (his name is on the record board with both sprint relays from last season). However, we’ve seen some markers in practice suggesting that Gavyn could be a phenomenal 400 runner - he’s fast, tenacious, and he’s got serious guts. Another clear sign: he jumped at the chance to do it (not every kid as fast as Gavyn is enthusiastic about running the quarter mile). There’s just nothing ordinary about this kid, and as always he exceeded expectations. I guesstimated at 53.5 as his entry time (he’s never run the race in his life), and on a brutally windy day he turned in at 53.39. That’s good for #5 since 2010, and just .10 off the sophomore record in that span... I would keep an eye on Gavyn Cothern’s 400m results - more than any other sprint there’s a learning curve. When he gets a few under his belt, look out.
Carter Seaman also gave us something to watch in the 400m… Despite the wind, Carter spent his first outdoor race as a Tiger breaking our freshman record (again, since 2010), running a 57.22. That breaks our previous record, set by Ryan Kirby just a year ago. If he gets a decent day, Carter has a clear shot at being our first freshman to break 57, and I feel pretty confident he can take it a few steps past that (Carter actually broke 57 as an 8th grader last year).
Two Top 5 Finishes for Thomann in the Throws
Casey Thomann was our lone thrower on Saturday, but he pulled his weight and then some. Due to injury last spring, this was Casey’s first time throwing the disc competitively - or competing in outdoor track at all - in two years. Despite all his talent, Casey is very capable of self-evaluating… he’s always on the hunt to get better (maybe my favorite attribute in an athlete). Casey didn’t hit the marks on Saturday he’s been hitting in practice, but that will come (especially on nicer days). Casey landed a 3rd place finish in the shot and 5th in the disc. Those efforts were good for #2 and #5 for us since 2010, and both are Sophomore Records in that span.
Davis and Davi Take on the Half
Kaeden Davis, shortly before the 800m @ 2024 Greenville Invite
It’s no secret our distance crew is green. They’re young, inexperienced, and without a ton of depth. But they are dedicated and pretty fearless (and they’ve got some serious help coming up next year). At Saturday’s invite, Kaeden Davis, who’s coming off fantastic XC and Wrestling seasons has been easing his way back into things, primarily running the quarter for us up to this point. Saturday he ran the first 800 of his high school career, and turned in a 2:16. That’s good for #7 on our freshman leaderboard, and on a better day he could have easily cracked the top 5. I expect him to climb higher on that board before the season is up. Also have to give a huge shout out Paolo Davi, one of our two exchange students from Italy. Paolo is a phenomenal soccer player (from what I know he shattered a slew of school records for us), and he’s come in to track with zero ego and nothing but a desire to get better and contribute wherever he can. He knows we need help in distance events, so he’s stepped up to the plate, running the 800 at the last few meets, and I no doubt he’ll only continue to get better. He’s a great competitor and we are lucky to have him!
Full Gallery (thanks to Amy Rusk for allowing me to use some awesome lenses from the yearbook department over the break!)