Oilers turn in string of personal bests at Collinsville Invitational
East Alton-Wood River’s boys track and field team faced one of its toughest tests of the season Saturday at the Collinsville Boys Invitational. The Oilers responded with a long list of strong efforts, season-best relay work and several personal records against a deep field. Represented by 42 schools, the meet provided stiff competition throughout, but EAWR coach Russ Colona said the team answered it well event after event.
"In all my years of doing track meets this was the most competitive meet ever," Colona said in team notes. "The times on the track was incredible." That level of competition showed up across the Oilers’ lineup, where nearly every athlete either matched a top mark or came close to one. Freshman Isaiah Carmen and Lucas Heaton were both near their best times in the 100 meters, while sophomores Carson LeMond and Bennett McCormick delivered similar performances in the 200.
One of the day’s clearest breakthroughs came in the 400, where Deontre Breaziel lowered his personal record. In the middle distances, senior Taven Wardein continued his push toward the 2:20 barrier in the 800 and nearly hit it exactly, posting a lifetime-best 2:20.4. Senior LeBron Reed added another milestone in the 1600, breaking five minutes for the first time with a 4:59.3.
EAWR also found traction in the relays. The Oilers’ combinations of Bennett McCormick, Carson LeMond, Lucas Heaton and Tavis turned in season-best efforts in both the 4x100 and 4x200 relays, each missing by only tenths of a second from even bigger drops. In a meet loaded with quality sprint depth, those relay finishes gave the team another encouraging sign as the season moves forward.
While complete team scoring and placement were not provided, the meet offered a clear snapshot of progress for the Oilers. Against a large and highly competitive field, EAWR left Collinsville with measurable gains in the sprints, middle distance races and relays, the kind of across-the-board improvement that can matter later in the spring when conference and postseason meets arrive.
