Chester Boys finish 3rd at 2025 IHSA Class 1A Sectional Track and Field Meet

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Lannin Caron, Gabe Coffman and 4 X 400 Relay Team advance to State Meet

By Jim Beers

CHESTER – The Chester High School YellowJacket Boys’ Track and Field Team competed in the 2025 IHSA Class 1A Sectional Track and Field Meet Thursday May 22. The event was hosted by Chester High School at the Charles R. Young Memorial Track and Field Complex on a cool, mostly sunny day with a fairly steady breeze.

The YellowJackets competed well, finishing 3rd out of 17 teams. In the process, Chester qualified two individuals and one relay team to advance to the 2025 IHSA Class 1A State Meet Thursday May 29.

To advance to the State Meet, individuals or relays must finish either in 1st Place or 2nd Place. They can also qualify by meeting pre-determined times or marks in their events. 

Chester’s Lannin Caron, a senior, qualified in the Pole Vault. He finished 2nd in the finals with a height of 3.55m. The winner, Zander Knapp of Trenton-Wesclin, also vaulted 3.55m, but he recorded fewer misses, and therefore earned the top spot.

Gabe Coffman, a Chester junior, qualified in the 800-Meter Run. He had a time of 2:03.08 placing 2nd. The winner was Ryker Obermeier, a junior from Okawville. He just barely edged-out Coffman at the finish line with a time of 2:03.01, only 7-hundredths of a second faster than Gabriel.

The YellowJacket 4 X 400 (1-Mile) Relay Team of Danny Worley, a freshman, Cayden Brunkhorst, a senior, Gabe Coffman, a junior, and Lannin Caron, a senior, was runner-up to Breese Mater-Dei in that event.

Chester had a time of 3:36.14 while Breese Mater-Dei slipped by at the finish line with their time of 3:35.82. In that race, Chester’s Lannin Caron fought hard throughout the entire final lap of the race and left it all on the track. He battled Breese Mater-Dei’s Ethan Becker right up until the two crossed the line. Becker out-leaned Caron as he crossed the line. It was an epic event to close out the meet.

Men’s Varsity Team Finishes

  1. Nashville 5
  2. Trenton (Wesclin) 72
  3. CHESTER 68
  4. Dupo 61
  5. Centralia (Christ Our Rock) 58
  6. Red Bud 55
  7. Breese (Mater Dei) 47
  8. Okawville 43
  9. East St. Louis (SIUE Charter) 32
  10. Belleville (Althoff Catholic) 5
  11. New Athens 22
  12. Sparta 21 TIE
  13. Valmeyer 21 TIE
  14. Waterloo (Gibault Catholic) 18
  15. Carlyle 15
  16. O’Fallon (First Baptist Academy) 14
  17. Marissa 2

RESULTS

The YellowJackets finished 3rd out of 17 teams. Chester had athletes compete and finish in 17 of 18 events that were offered. In those 17 events, seven were individual running events, four were relay events, and six were field events.

Chester recorded the following finishes: 2nd (3), 3rd (4), 4th (2), 6th (3), 8th (1), 9th (1), 10th (2), 13th (1), 14th (3), 15th (1), 16th (1), 17th (1), 24th (1), and 25th (1), for a total of 25 finishes.

The YellowJackets sent two individuals to State (Lannin Caron in Pole Vault) and (Gabe Coffman in the 800-Meter Run). They also sent the Chester 4 X 400 (1-Mile) Relay Team of Danny Worley, Cayden Brunkhorst, Gabe Coffman, and Lannin Caron.

Individual Running Events * State Qualifier & PR is Personal-Best Performance

100 Meters: Derrius Shoemate (14th, 12.12) and Johnathan Hayer (24th, 12.45, PR)

200 Meters: Donnie Sabo (10th, 24.35) and Derrius Shoemate (16th, 25.42)

400 Meters: Caleb Coffey (14th, 1:00.09)

800 Meters: * Gabe Coffman (2nd, 2:03.08, State Qualifier) and Gavin Wilderman (17th, 2:24.65, PR)

1600 Meters (1-Mile) Run: No Chester entries. (Zane Eggemeyer and Noah Homan both scratched or withdrew from the event).

3200 Meters (2-Mile) Run: Victor Fuentes (14th, 12:22.14, PR) and Jaden Ramirez (20th, 13:07.27)

110 Meter Hurdles: Anthony Armenta (9th, 19.72)

300 Meter Hurdles: Lannin Caron (4th, 44.14) and Anthony Armenta (8th, 47.85)

Relay Events

4 X 100: (6th, 46.76)

Donnie Sabo, Danny Worley, Derrius Shoemate, & Johnathan Hayer

4 X 200: (4th, 1:39.99)

Johnathan Hayer, Derrius Shoemate, Ryker Hoffman, & Donnie Sabo

4 X 400: * (2nd, 3:36.14) State Qualifiers

Danny Worley, Cayden Brunkhorst, Gabe Coffman & Lannin Caron

4 X 800: (3rd, 8:59.40)

Noah Homan, Zane Eggemeyer, Gavin Wilderman & Ivan Hobbs

Field Events

Shot Put: Alex Williamson (6th, 12.50m) and Jaden Lopez (25th, 7.60m)

Discus: Alex Williamson (15th, 28.28m)

High Jump: Gabe Coffman (3rd, 1.70m)

Pole Vault * Lannin Caron (2nd, 3.55m, State Qualifier) and Ivan Hobbs (3rd, 3.10m PR)

Long Jump: Danny Worley (3rd, 6.25m) and Cayden Brunkhorst (10th, 5.37m)

Triple Jump: (Cayden Brunkhorst (6th, 11.67m) and Rhett Creason (13th, 9.67m)

The YellowJackets are coached by Chris Kern, Head Coach, and Adrianne Kern, Assistant Coach. They will accompany Chester’s State Qualifiers to the 2025 IHSA Class 1A State Meet next Thursday May 29.

Lannin Caron will compete in the Pole Vault, Gabe Coffman will compete in the 800-Meter Run, and the Chester 4 X 400 Relay Team of Danny Worley, Cayden Brunkhorst, Gabe Coffman, and Lannin Caron will compete in the 4 X 400 (1-Mile) Relay.

 

The Chester High School Boys’ 4 X 400 Relay Team of Danny Worley, Cayden Brunkhorst, Gabe Coffman, and Lannin Caron qualified to advance to the State Meet Thursday May 29 at the Chester Sectional. The team placed 2nd in the 4 X 400 (1-Mile) Relay with a time of 3:36.14. The winning team from Breese Mater Dei edged out CHS with their time of 3:35.82. Jim Beers Photo

 

 

Chester Pole Vaulter Lannin Caron, a senior, clears the bar in the Class 1A Sectional Pole Vault event Thursday May 22 at Chester. Caron and winner Zander Knapp of Trenton-Wesclin each had identical performances of 3.55m, but Knapp had fewer attempts or misses, therefore Knapp earned 1st Place and Caron was runner-up in 2nd Place. Caron and Knapp will both advance to the State Meet Thursday May 29. Jim Beers Photo

 

 

Chester YellowJacket Gabe Coffman, a junior, battles New Athen’s runner Cole Dachsteiner (left) and Ryker Obermeier of Okawville (right) as they complete lap 1 of the 800-Meter Run Thursday May 22. Down the stretch it was Coffman and Obermeier neck-and-neck battling for the title. As the two reached the finish line, Obermeier leaned just a split second before Coffman crossed the line. Ryker won the event with a time of 2:03.01. Coffman recorded a time just seven-hundredths of a second behind Obermeier (2:03.08) to finish 2nd. Both men qualified to advance to the State Meet. Jim Beers Photo

 

Chester Pole Vaulter Ivan Hobbs, a junior, set a new PR (Personal Best Record) Thursday May 22 at the Chester IHSA Class 1A Sectional Track and Field Meet. Hobbs vaulted 3.10m to place 3rd overall in the Pole Vault. Jim Beers Photo

 

 

Gabe Coffman, a junior High Jumper for the Chester YellowJackets, clears 1.70m at the 2025 IHSA Class 1A Chester Sectional Track and Field Meet. Coffman placed 3rd overall out of all competitors with his effort. Jim Beers Photo

 

 

It was a Photo Finish in the 800-Meter Run Thursday May 22 at the 2025 IHSA Class 1A Chester Sectional Track and Field Meet. After battling and overtaking all other runners in Lap 1 of the 2-Lap event, Chester’s Gabe Coffman (right) and Okawville’s Ryker Obermeier (left) were neck-and-neck as they approached the finish line. At the last second, Obermeier leaned at the right time to have the timing camera pick him as the winner of the race. Obermeier recorded a time of 2:03.01 while Chester’s Coffman had a time just 7-one hundredths slower (2:03.08) to finish in 2nd Place. Both boys are juniors so thy will likely face off again next year. In the meantime, both boys will advance to the 2025 IHSA State Class 1A State Track and Field Meet next Thursday May 29. Jim Beers Photo