Track notes: Thornridge's Leondre Pollard looking to 'make history' with state title in sprints
By Mike Clark
| Daily Southtown |
Thornridge's Leondre Pollard won the 200 meters at the T.J. Shirley Blue Smoke Invitational on Saturday, April 6, 2019. (Michael Gard / Daily Southtown)
Leondre Pollard is looking to go where no Thornridge boys sprinter has gone before.
The Falcons have a strong tradition that includes five state championships by individuals and another by a relay team. But no Thornridge runner has finished first in a sprint event, a drought that could end next month in Charleston.
Pollard, who took fourth in the Class 2A 200 meters last season, aims to move higher on the podium as a senior.
"I'm just focused on placing high, winning the 200 and hopefully placing in other events," he said. "I'm trying to make history for my school."
The early returns give him reason for optimism. Pollard won the 200 at the T.J. Shirley Blue Smoke Invitational hosted by Thornridge on April 6, running a personal best of 21.91 seconds.
That's the fastest 2A time in the state and fourth best overall, according to Athletic.net, and it's also .17 below the winning 2A time at last year's state meet.
"It's scary, but it's going to keep dropping," Pollard said of his time. "I came into the race confident because we've been working hard. I knew the hard work was going to pay off."
It's the latest step forward for Pollard, who played travel baseball before switching to track as a freshman.
"I didn't really take it seriously till my junior year," he said. "I started looking at the team records — I was beating some of the records. That let me know I should be taking it seriously."
Pollard isn't the Falcons' only elite sprinter. Davon Bolden is tied for second in the state in the 400 at 49.26 and Thornridge's 400 relay is ranked third.
No wonder Pollard believes the Falcons could be in the hunt for the second state trophy in program history. Thornridge was third in Class AA in 1980.
"The people who don't know about us, they're going to know about us," Pollard said.
Out at last: It might have taken a while, but Ricky Johnson finally took the plunge.
A star receiver for Crete-Monee's 6A football runner-up team last fall, Johnson is running track for the first time as a senior.
Crete-Monee's Ricky Johnson won the first 100-meter race of his track career at the T.J. Shirley Blue Smoke Invitational on Saturday, April 6, 2019. (Michael Gard / Daily Southtown)
"I was just being a lazy couch potato (before)," said Johnson, who's committed to St. Xavier for football.
Now he's considering being a two-sport athlete in college too.
Johnson is ranked fifth in the state in the 400 after running a personal record of 49.40 at Thornridge, where he also won his first-ever 100 in 10.95.
"Track has been good," Johnson said. "I kind of wish I'd done it since freshman year."
Latest Suburbs
Park Ridge police: Home caregiver charged with forging checks
At murder trial, pathologist says suburban woman's drowning in 2000 bothered him, but evidence was lacking at the time to call it a homicide
St. Nicholas School reunion in Aurora a 'wish come true' for grad
Nursing assistant accused of stealing from patients — many from Aurora and Naperville area — to finance Hawaii trip, kids' tuition, vet care
Tinley Park OKs new pay plan for firefighters
There have been some adjustments to make, though.
"The most challenging thing is the 400," Johnson said. "I never ran that far, that long."
Johnson wasn't the only Warrior to have a good day at Thornridge.
Senior Victor Cameron won the 110 hurdles in 14.01, a personal best and an Illinois No. 1 time.
"Better than I expected so early," Cameron said. "It didn't feel as fast as it was. It felt a little off. When I actually do feel fast, it (the time) should be much faster."
California dreaming: Heading west last weekend to the prestigious Arcadia Invitational in California proved to be a good move for several Southland athletes.
Three of them put up Illinois No. 1 times — Lincoln-Way East's Brett Gardner in the boys 3,200 (9:07.76) and Homewood-Flossmoor teammates Ashanti Denton in the girls 400 (55.76) and Kaylah McCall in the girls 100 hurdles (14.25).