By Kyle Daubs

The Bulldogs are going for the sweep. 

The Mahomet-Seymour track squad, which secured the Apollo title in cross country, might pick up the running sweep with a track and field title in tonight’s conference meet.

The Apollo Championships will be held at Mt. Zion High School, beginning at 3 p.m.

Mahomet’s CJ Shoaf could win three events. Shoaf jumped 6 feet, 10 3.4 inches, ran 14.15 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles and 39.31 in the 300-meter hurdles.

Mahomet also brings three strong mid to long-distance runners as well. Jonah Singer will contend in the 1,600-meter run (4 minutes, 35 seconds) and Kyle Nofzinger will contend at 3,200 metera, posting a PR of 10:10. Nofziger also owns the third-best 1,600 time with a 4:39.55. Mahomet’s Joseph Scheele, meanwhile, has posted the best 800-meter time at 2:02. 

Mattoon junior Brock Davee could contend for a top-2 spot in either the 3,200 or 1,600. Davee is just 1 second from breaking the 10-minute mark in the 3,200 while his season-best mile is 4:41.87. 

All distance squads will have to go through Taylorville’s Chris Cherry, who owns a season-best mile time of 4:21.6 and 3,200-meter time of 9:17.56, which he ran at Distance Night in Palatine. 

“I think Brock will contend in both the 1,600 and 3,200,” said Mattoon coach Jarad Kimbro. “The great thing about the track is that anything can happen and, as long as we go out and compete well, we will see where the chips fall at the end of the night.”

Kimbro also sees thrower Dakota Spencer competing in the shot put and discus. Spencer has one of the top seeds in the discus specifically with a throw of 40.92 meters. Kimbro also sees the 4×800 team of Kegan Kirts, Sam Ferrar, Quincy Hamilton and Trent Hettinger competing for a top spot after having posted a PR of 8:41.53 this season – second only to Lincoln’s Garrett Slack, Brendan Heitzig, Drake Rduledge and Luke Jones, who posted a 8:36.99.

Lincoln brings some of the best relays to the conference meet – 45.60 seconds in the 4×100 (45.60) and 3:34.05 in the 4×400.

Charleston coach Josh Stice believes his 4×200 of Peyton Cox, Jacob Flight, Caleb Oakley and Wyatt Strader can contend with Lincoln for a top spot in the conference. 

“The 4x200m relay and the open 400m race stick out to me because all competitors are in the middle of the pack,” said Stice. “Those races are close, and anything can happen.”

Charleston’s Zach Stout owns a personal best 54.68-second quarter-mile time, which will contend with Mt. Zion’s Zach Fenton (53.58).

Meanwhile, Wyatt Strader is a leader in the long jump, nearly surpassing 20 feet, while his triple jump of 38-4 is among the best. 

In the 100 and 200, Christian Keyhea is the leader; however, Teutopolis’s Jackson Vanderheide, Taylorville’s Carson Rogers and Effingham’s Dalton Fox are in close pursuit.

Mt. Zion’s Kyle Hensley and Reid McNeil could sweep the pole vault