Cahokia looks to extend track and field dynasty

The Cahokia Comanches enter the 2016 track and field season with the weight of five straight Class 2A state championships on their shoulders and a huge bulls-eye on their backs.

In other words it’s business as usual for the Comanches’ vaunted track program.

The dominant boys track team in the state with seven state championships in the last 11 years, Cahokia heads into its first major outdoor meet of the season this Saturday in Mobile, Ala. at far less than 100 percent after losing standout Anthony McRoberts for four to six weeks with an injured Gluteus medius muscle and perhaps not as much depth as in the past.

But more than likely, Cahokia will still be the team to beat at O’Brien Stadium in Charleston on the final weekend in May when Illinois’ best gather for the state track meet.

“I like where we are for this time of year. The one thing is that we’ve got a group of junior and senior sprinters who right now think that everything in the world is more important than track practice,” veteran Comanches coach Leroy Millsap said. “We’ve got about six weeks left in the regular season with meets just about every week.

“We’re going to be adjusting some things along the way and hope to be at our best the last two weeks in May.”

Ja’Mari Ward’s final stand

While McRoberts — a likely top three performer at state in the high jump, triple jump and long — may not be at 100 percent at all this season after suffering the injury at the Illinois Top Times Indoor Championships in Bloomington on Saturday, Cahokia does have one of the nation’s best jumpers in senior Ja’Mari Ward returning for his final high school season.

Regarded by most as the premier high school combination athlete in the nation in the long jump and triple jump, Ward will be the heavy favorite to win his third state crown in both events later this spring. But the University of Missouri recruit will also be competing in the 100 and 200 meters for the first time after running on Cahokia relay teams in past years.

Ward won the 200 meters, long jump and triple jump titles along with the 60 meters at the Illinois Top Times Meet.

“Ja’Mari ran a 6.81 time in the 60 meters and that’s the best time in the state and he went over 25 feet in the long jump,” Millsap said. “The triple jump was a little below normal, but that’s just because we haven’t really worked on that as much yet and his steps aren’t right. We’ve also got a little work to do in the 200 meters.

“But Ja’Mari has such tremendous confidence in himself and he just knows what it takes to win. You’re born with that.”

The Comanches depth

Cahokia also has one of the best in the state in the 400 meters in senior Tyran Lyons as well as other top thinclads such as Marquis Murray, Chris Raymond, Chris McGee and Chris Stanley who will be counted on to help in the relays as well as some open events.

At least a few of them will need to step up in place of McRoberts, who has gone 6 feet, 10 inches in the high jump, 47 feet in the triple jump and 22 feet in the long jump. All of those efforts could be good enough to place him in the top three or four at the state finals.

“It’s a huge loss. He’s an athlete who could score 20 to 25 points alone at the state finals,” Millsap said. “We’re hoping to have an MRI done in the next day or so to see if his muscle is torn. He’s a great kid and you just hope for his sake that he’s not done for the season. All we can do is wait and hope the injury responds to lots of rest.”

With or without McRoberts, Millsap’s goal remains the same — win the state title.

“Our class is the strongest in the state this season with Marion, Geneseo, Metamora and I’m sure there are some teams in Chicago which are very good as well,” Millsap said. “If we win by a half point or 30 points, it doesn’t matter. I want to bring home a trophy — the state championship trophy.”

This story was originally published March 29, 2016 at 3:26 PM with the headline "Cahokia looks to extend track and field dynasty."