iltoptimes – News – Reynolds regroups to win shot put in Class 3A Bloomington Sectional

Reynolds regroups to win shot put

in Class 3A Bloomington Sectional

By Randy Sharer

For Illinoistoptimes.com

BLOOMINGTON – After woeful results in the preliminaries, Class 3A state shot put leader Marco Reynolds needed something to energize herself in the Bloomington Sectional at John Szabo Track on Thursday (May 15, 2025).

The Eastern Illinois recruit got the jolt she needed from an unexpected source – the discus – in which the Normal Community star launched a state meet qualifying throw of 119 feet, 10 inches in the first round and later reached 120-3 to advance in fourth place to the May 23-24 state meet in Charleston.

“I think discus kind of saved her,” said NCHS coach Jonathan Boenzi. “She doesn’t like discus but having a bad day in shot, to qualify (in the discus) on her first throw kind of brought the energy back.”

Coming in with a state shot put best of 43-6, Reynolds was stuck in fourth after a first-round 35-0½ and two fouls which left her well shy of the 36-8 state qualifying standard. Prior to the shot put finals, she contested the discus prelims and finals.

When Reynolds returned for the shot put final, she threw an emphatic (and winning) 39-5 that put her almost three feet ahead of runner-up Joi Story of Edwardsville (36-7).

“I knew what I needed to do,” Reynolds said.

Boenzi added, “It’s not always easy and smooth like you want it to be. That’s the great part of sports.”

Reynolds came in seeded first in the discus at 139-1.

“I’m super happy I made it in discus because last year I didn’t make it,” she said. “Staying consistent over there (in the discus) helped me stay consistent over here (in the shot put).”

Joining Reynolds in Charleston will be seven other local entrants and four relays.

Belleville East won the team title with 87.25 points followed by defending champion Edwardsville (86), Alton (71.25), Champaign Centennial (62.25), Chatham Glenwood (59.5), and Normal West (56). Normal Community finished 11th (27) and Bloomington 12th (26.5) in the 16-team field.

Normal West sophomore Abigail Jackson clocked a school record 56.37 seconds to win the 400. She grabbed the lead during the first 200 while breaking her previous record of 57.40.

“I just wanted to get out really fast,” she said. “I’m usually not good out of the blocks so I wanted to make up for that the first 200.”

Normal West junior Julie Bach won the 800 in 2:17.76 in windy conditions when the heat index was in the high 90s….