Gordon, Strobel battle hard to earn all-conference honors; Woolsey sets record

GREENVILLE – Freshman Curtis Gordon matched the height of a future NCAA Division I athlete at Tuesday's South Central Conference championships to place second in the pole vault, junior Ben Strobel took a tough second-place finish in the 3,200-meter run and senior Colton Woolsey set a school record in the long jump.

Gordon cleared 14 feet, 6 inches on a chilly and rainy afternoon at Greenville High School, tying Carlinville senior Jack Denby, who regularly vaults 15-16 feet. Gordon needed more attempts to clear the height than Deby did.

“What I like most about Curtis is his work ethic,” said Vandalia coach Jim Dierkes. “He has a mean competitive streak in him.

“He has a promising future ahead,” he said. “Today, he was jumping with Denby, who has already signed with (the University of) Wisconsin, like it was just another day in the office.”

Strobel had his best race of the season in the two-mile, pacing himself with Pana’s Johnathan Hunsinger for all eight laps of the race.

Strobel maintained a draft behind Hunsinger for most of the race, making a brief pass on the fourth lap and holding the lead for half of the sixth lap.

He began his kick with about 100 meters left on the seventh lap, and both runners battled in a frantic eighth lap, with Hunsinger pulling away in the final 25 meters. Hunsinger finished in 10:27.59, while Strobel finished in 10:28.53.

“It was definitely a gritty, elbow-to-elbow race,” Dierkes said. “The kid from Pana was right with him.

“At the end, the Pana kid got a better kick on Ben,” he said. “But it was probably the most intense race he has run all year.”

Woolsey finished fourth in the long jump, with a leap of 19 feet, 9½ inches, breaking Ryan Ambuehl’s school record by an inch.

Woolsey started the season jumping just over 17 feet, and Dierkes said its his determination to reach goals that has allowed him to put his name on Vandalia’s record board.

“He is a determined guy. He sets his mind and goes,” Dierkes said. “Anything he wants, he is going to go after it and do it.”

Woolsey also placed fourth in the shot put, with a throw of 50 feet, 8½ inches.

Also placing fourth were Gordon in 110-meter hurdles (16.14) and sophomore Ethan Meyer in the triple jump (39 feet, 1 inch).

The Vandals finished eighth as a team, and return to action at home on Thursday and next Friday at the Newton Sectional.

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VANDALIA – Two individuals and one relay team placed first, and the Vandals placed third in their final home track meet of the season.

Senior Colton Woolsey won the shot put and long jump, freshman Curtis Gordon won the pole vault and the 4X100-meter relay team finished first, but Greenville and Mater Dei both finished higher in the standings.

Woolsey has thrived in the shot put under first-year coach Jim Dierkes – a thrower in high school – and again had his best throw of the season at 44 feet, 7 inches. He also won the long jump, with a leap of 18 feet, 6 inches.

Gordon was the only competitor in the pole vault, and he cleared 14 feet, 6 inches.

Both were on the 4X100-meter relay team, which saw Gordon, senior Dalton Smith, Woolsey and sophomore

Ethan Meyer finish in 46.58 seconds, just short of setting the school record for the third time this season.

Vandalia scored 45 points in the meet. Greenville won with 71, Mater Dei scored 56, and Christ Our Rock Lutheran was fourth with eight.

Thursday, May 8
at Vandalia
First-place finishers
•Gordon, pole vault (14 feet, 6 inches)
•Woolsey, shot put (44 feet, 7 inches)
•Woolsey, long jump (18 feet, 6 inches)
•4X100-meter relay (Gordon, Smith, Woolsey and Meyer), 46.58
Second-place finishers
•Marcus Durbin, high jump (5 feet, 2 inches)
•Gordon, 110-meter hurdles (15.56)
•Meyer, 100-meter dash (11.63)
•Meyer, 200-meter dash (24.18)
Third-place finishers
•Bobby Bradley, shot put (38 feet, 5 inches)
•Smith, 100-meter dash (11.63)
Fourth-place finishers
•Bradley, 400-meter dash (1:00.75)
•Patrick Corbin, 300-meter hurdles (57.03)
•Durbin, long jump (16 feet, 6 inches)
•Logan Sullens, 200-meter dash (25.52)
Team scores
•Greenville, 71
•Mater Dei, 56
•Vandalia, 45
•CORL, 8