Mosby, Session should shine brightly for Belleville East in 2016 track season

After 33 years of coaching — including stints at Althoff, Belleville West and Belleville East — Bryan Mitchell announced earlier this year that the 2016 season would be his final one.

And now as the head girls track coach at Belleville East, Mitchell prepares his final Lancers team for the outdoor season, he said there are few regrets.

“It’s time for me to retire and its time to get a new coach here at Belleville East,’’ Mitchell said on Tuesday. “I’ll miss it. But I don’t think it will be long before you’ll see me doing some volunteer coaching. I also might try to be an official at some point.

“But I’m looking forward to retirement. Every time I see a friend who is a retired coach and ask if they are enjoying retirement they always have a big smile on their faces. I’m sure I’ll be smiling too.”

And if senior Tamar Mosby lives up to her potential in the high jump, Mitchell will be smiling at the Class 3A State Track and Field meet in late May as well.

Mosby, who jumped 5 feet, 5 inches in the state finals a year ago to place seventh, has already broken Lancers indoor record of 5-4 with a jump of 5-6 inches at the Carbondale Indoor Invitational. Mitchell said Mosby barely missed on an attempt at 5-8.

“Tamar looks very strong and is jumping very well for this early in the year,” Mitchell said. “We’re hoping and I think she’s determined to have a good senior year.”

But Mosby isn’t the only standout returning for the Lancers girls squad.

In the sprints, junior Erial Lewis, a key member of the Lancers 400 and 800 meter relay teams returns while sophomores Mikyla Anderson and Olivia Rogers along with junior Kaitlyn Brimmage will also help out in the spirnts as well as the 100 and 200 meter dashes.

Sophomores Isabel Burwitz along with Seleiya Wilson will lead the Lancers in the 800 meters, while several outstanding distance runners including senior Sarah Gompers along with junior Sydney Hartung will lead the Lancers attack in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters.

In the field events, sophomore Selena Tucker (shot put) and freshman Anaya Kyles (discus) are the frontrunners in the throwing events while sophomore Ariana Glass will be in the triple jump. Sophomore Deja Loveless and freshman Miraya Wright have done well thus far indoors in the long jump.

The Lancers open their outdoors season on Saturday in the tradition season opener — the Southwestern Illinois Relays at Edwardsville High School.

Belleville East boys

Belleville East senior William Session doesn’t say much. But there is little doubt that he is one of the leaders of the 2016 Lancers track team.

“William is a leader. But he’s not a vocal leader,” Lancers coach Kevin Anderson said. “William chooses to lead by example and simply excelling in his events.”

With the best Class 3A time in the state in the indoor 60 meter hurdles at 7.96 seconds and a time of 13.8 seconds in his specialty — the 110 meter hurdles — in the Lancers season opening outdoor meet on Tuesday, the Indiana University recruit isn’t wasting any time in setting a good example.

The defending Class 3A state champion in the 110-meter hurdles, Session’s early season success is just one example of a Lancers program which continues ro rise under the leadership of Anderson who is in his third year as head coach of the Belleville East thinclads.

“I’ve been very pleased with the progress we’ve made in the last couple of years. Our numbers are getting better and our times are improving,” Anderson said. “Before it was like we would be in the seventh lane of the slow heat. Last year we were able to get in the fast heat and in the good lanes. I think we had the second fastest time in the (1,600 meter) mile relay.

“Our 400 meter relay ran 44.2 last year, we had a 1:28 in the 800 (meter) relay and one thing we didn’t count on was Amani (Franklin) coming out and jumping the way he has this year in the triple jump.’’

Franklin will join Session as two of the Lancers who will compete Friday and Saturday at the Illinois Top Times State Indoor Track and Field Championship at the Sherk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington.

Anderson, a former East St. Louis standout, also has depth in the sprints this season. Senior Brandon Truss was out all of last year after suffering a foot injury. Truss, who ran a time of 10.9 seconds in the 100 meters in the Lancers’ dual meet win over O’Fallon on Tuesday, should be among the best the area in both the 100 and 200 meters this season.

Expected to make an impact in both the 400 meters and in the 1,600 meter relay are seniors Delvin Hill and Shaltres Midgette who will join Session and Franklin in the relay. Junior Marvion Brady is another 400 meter runner and along with Session are part of the Lancers entire 400 and 800 meter relay teams which return.

Sophomore Hunter Peppers, who has already run a time of 2.12 indoors, is the Lancers best in the 800 meters.

Competing in the field events will be sophomores Brenden Freppon and Korey Cruise in the discus and shot put, while sophomore Quantavious Alexander along with Franklin are the top athletes in the long jump and triple jump. Alexander went over 21 feet as a freshman a year ago.

Anderson is hoping that sophomore Freddie Waller will be an athlete capable of being a top hope in the high jump by the end of the year.. Session, a medal winner in the 300 meter hurdles a year ago, could contend for a state title in that event this May, while senior Jordan McCaskill and sophomore Dontez Pittman are other top hurdlers.

This story was originally published March 23, 2016 at 7:52 PM with the headline "Mosby, Session should shine brightly for Belleville East in 2016 track season."