Coach says interest is up in Althoff program

It has taken Althoff coach Roscoe Whitfield four years to get interest up to the point where the Crusaders could be a factor this May at the Class A State Track and Field Meet.

But Whitfield, who led the East St. Louis boys program to Class AA state championships in 2005 and 2008, isn’t interested in just being a factor or a team which brings a few individual medals home from Charleston each spring. With 26 boys in the program and reinforcements from the football and basketball programs said to be on the way, Whitfield has his eyes on a top three finish this year.

“We’re always be a program which can bring home individual medals each year. But I see no reason why we shouldn’t be able to to bring home some hardware,” Whitfield said. “The football program got to the state title game and the basketball team is trying to qualify for state today (Tuesday). The athletes are here. We just need to get the word out about track and field.

“From a few kids I’ve talked to and what I hear, we’ve got some athletes who are interested. But we will see what happens in the next few days and then next week when basketball ends.”

The Crusaders have one of the top Class 1A combination sprinters and jumpers in the state in senior Jaylon Bester along with a second standout sprinter in Melvin Book to lead the way as they prepare for their first major test of the season on March 26 at the Southwestern Illinois Relays which will be hosted by Edwardsville High School.

It is there where Bester will see where he stacks up against many of the top Class 2A and Class 3A athletes in the metro-east.

“Jaylon’s got the best 60 meter time in the state among Class 1A athletes and last year at the sectional meet he ran 10.6 in the prelims of the 100 meters only to be disqualified in the finals. I think the winning state time in Class 1A was 10.7 seconds so he’s right there,” Whitfield said. “Our plans are to run him in the 100 and 200 meters and he’ll also compete in the triple jump and long jump. But we might pull him out of an individual event or two and let him run a leg in the 400 or 800 relays as well.”

Brock will also compete in the 100 and 200 meters along with the long jump.

Other athletes, Whitfield has high hopes for include Christian Wills in the shot put and discus, Alex Roucco in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters, Stephon Belt in the 400 meters and Alex Dial and Camron Clemont in the 800 meters and the 3,200 meter relay.

Harla, Stover to lead Althoff girls

Whitfield also is pleased with the numbers in the Althoff girls program where 20 athletes are currently competing in track and field.

Leading the way will be a pair of versatile athletes in Krystain Stover and Elizabeth Harla. Stover should be one of the metro east area’s top Class 1A sprinters and will compete in everything from the 400 meters on down, while Harla, a gifted field events athlete, will compete in the high jump and triple jump while also running in both the 100 and 200 meter events.

Tamara Dixon is a young athlete who has a bright future in the 800 meters, while Whitfield also has high hopes for heralded freshman sprinter Epiphany Smith who will compete in the 100 and 200 meters along with the sprint relays.

This story was originally published March 15, 2016 at 8:38 PM with the headline "Coach says interest is up in Althoff program."