Cooper fastest in the state in 8th grade hurdles

    The Coal City Middle School track team had an outstanding appearance at the state meet this past weekend, where they brought home several medals and competed at their highest levels.
    Asa Cooper had a brilliant performance, as he made it to state in three individual events, and made it to the podium in two of them.
    Cooper’s first event was the 100 meter dash, where he finished 22nd overall with a time of 12.09.
    His second event was eighth grade long jump, where his longest jump of the day was 19’ 2”, earning seventh place, and his first medal of the weekend. He also holds the school record in the long jump with a jump of 19’ 2.75”.
    Cooper’s third event brought him a little bigger smile, running the 110 hurdles in a time of 15.07.
    The time was good enough to earn him the title of state champ in the event, as he won the hurdles by almost two seconds, and also set a new school record.
    With his two placing events, Cooper managed to have Coal City’s eighth grade boys finish in a tie for 13th overall in state.
    Abram Wills picked up an eighth place medal as well, as he finished the 110 hurdles with a time of 17.15. He also holds the seventh grade school record in the event with a time of 16.78.
    The 4x400 meter relay girls, consisting of Audrey Cooper, Trinidy Barrus, Regan Ullrich, Maci Baldauf and Lynzie Norris, ran their best race of the season over the weekend, finishing with a time of 4:31.17.
    The girls were in heat two of four, and finished second in their heat. This amazing time was good enough for them to finish eighth overall, rewarding the girls with medals, along with a new school record.
    Griffin Johnson made it to state for the second consecutive year in the 110 Hurdles.  He ran an excellent race finishing 23rd with a time of 16.98, placing two ahead of what he was seated.  Griffin is second all-time in Coal City 8th grade history for the 110 hurdles with a time of 16.36.
    Sixth grader, Audrey Cooper, finished 15th overall with a time of 1:05.38 in the 400 meter run. When comparing her to other sixth graders she finished third which gives her high hopes for next year. Audrey holds the school record in the 400 for sixth grade girls with a time of 1:04.00
    4x100m girls relay, consisting of Baylee Barnhill, Barrus, Jocie Widlowski, Carly Ford and Maeve Quigley finished 10th overall running their best race of the year with near perfect hand offs, and missed medaling by 12/100ths of a second.  This 4x100m relay team holds the 7th grade school record with a time of 54.78
    “Congratulations to Asa in his state championship in the eighth grade hurdles, and a great job to all Coal City state competitors that competed this weekend,” said track coach Chad Larson.