Altamont’s Wendling, CHBC’s Cosart and Vandalia’s Depew, Jackson, Bowers and 4×200 Relay Team Qualify for IHSA State Track Meet

Altamont senior thrower Brock Wendling, CHBC senior August Cosart and Vandalia senior Kohnor Depew, junior Nic Jackson, junior Sam Bowers and the 4×200 relay team of Bowers, Depew, Paddy McDowell and Jayden Hubler-Rench have qualified for the IHSA 1A Boys State Track Meet after qualifying performances at the Newton Sectional on Wednesday evening. Wendling is the Indians lone qualifier, heading to State for the third year in a row after claiming the Shot Put title with a best throw of 14.55m or 47’ 9”. Cosart is the lone qualifier for the Bobcats as he turned in a time of 9:56.01 in the 3200m Run, shaving 14 seconds off of his previous personal best to finish second and qualify for State for the first time in the event after qualifying on the 1600m Run the last two years. Depew is returning to State for the Vandals after getting on the podium twice last year. He has again qualified in the 100m Dash and the 200m Dash after winning the Sectional title in both events with times of 11.07 seconds and 22.20 seconds. Bowers returns to State for the second time and first time since his freshman year in 2024, qualifying in the 110m Hurdles after placing third with a qualifying time of 15.95 seconds. Jackson will make his first trip the State Meet after placing second in the 800m Run with a time of 2:00.65 which is a VCHS school record in the event, breaking the old record of 2:01.22 set back in 2013 by Wade Cowger. The 4×200 relay team of Bowers, Depew, Paddy McDowell and Jayden Hubler-Rench turned in a time of 1:32.57 for second place to earn their trip to State which is the second straight year for McDowell and Depew to be on a 4×200 relay team to qualify for State for the Vandals. The IHSA Boys 1A State Prelims will be held on Thursday, May 28 at Eastern Illinois University. The State Finals will then be held on Saturday, May 30.