Oilers post PRs, medal in strong field at Triad Invitational

SPARTA - East Alton-Wood River faced one of its toughest meets of the season Friday at the Triad Invitational, and the Oilers came away with a medal performance and several personal records against a deep field.

Competing in Troy in clear conditions and temperatures in the mid-60s, EAWR was tested in what coaches described as a meet featuring many of the top athletes in the area. Jasiah Brown delivered the top placing for the Oilers, earning a fifth-place medal in the triple jump. Brown's finish gave East Alton-Wood River a standout result in a meet loaded with larger programs and strong individual talent.

The Oilers also used the meet as a measuring stick across multiple events. Matthew Bush turned in a personal record in the discus, continuing a solid stretch in the throws. Blake Sorgea again cleared 40 feet in the shot put, another strong effort that showed consistency in one of the team's key field events.

On the track, East Alton-Wood River saw encouraging progress in the sprints. Lucas Heaton and Deontre Breaziel each recorded personal records in the 100 meters, while Bennett McCormick added a PR in the 200. Those results gave the Oilers another sign of development as the postseason portion of the schedule draws closer.

While team scoring details were not available, the meet summary reflected a productive day for EAWR against high-level competition. The combination of Brown's medal, Bush's discus PR, Sorgea's steady shot put mark and three sprint PRs gave the Oilers several positives to carry forward from one of their biggest invitationals of the spring.

East Alton-Wood River now turns its attention to another major test next Saturday at Collinsville, a final tuneup as the Oilers prepare for the conference meet and the IHSA Sectional.