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| 18th Annual Illinois Prep
Top Times Indoor Classic
Class A & AA - Friday March 27th, 2009
Class AAA - Saturday, March 28th, 2009
Illinois Wesleyan University
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Tales From the Indoor Classic: Three stories about the heart of Track & Field in Illinois
By Ben Joravsky
 Chris Dubree: Shot Put Champ and Pole Vault Coach
Just minutes after winning the Single A shot put championship at the Illinois Prep Top Times Indoor Classic, Chris Dubree was over by the pole vault pit, coaching his best friend, Alex Freshour.
There an unlikely couple, Dubree and Freshour – Olympia High School’s version of the Odd Couple. Dubree looks the part of a shot putter – burly and strong. Freshour is longer and leaner – he also runs sprints.
But they’ve been best friends since, well, forever. “I can’t remember how long I’ve known Alex,” says Dubree. “It’s as long as I can remember.”
Their parents are best friends. They were in the same pre-school church group. And they push each other hard in weight training.
“We work out together,” says Freshour.
In Friday’s championship, Dubree won with a put of 52-feet-four-inches, just shy of his personal best.
After he won, he jointed the crowd around the pole vault pit, as Freshour, having already won the championship and set a Single A meet record, attempted a personal best of 16-feet-one inch.
“C’mon, Fresh,” Dubree called out. “C’mon, kid.”
With the crowd clapping, Freshour made his approach, building up speed as he ran down the runway, dropping the pole, jumping, up and – no! He fell just short.
The crowd cheered and his buddy, Durbree, was the first to shake his hand.
A few minutes later, they were teasing each other.
“I taught him how to do that,” says Dubree.
“He gives me great advice,” joked Freshour. “He’ll say, `bend your pole when you jump.’ Thanks.”
They said they’ve seen all the great buddy flicks – one of their favorites is “Superbad.”
It will be an adjustment for the two friends when they go off to college; Dubree will attend St. Ambrose; Freshour Witchita State.
“We’re enjoying these days,” says Dubree. “It’s really special going through this with my friend.”
 Zack Riley: The Latest Herrin High Jumper
By the time, Zack Riley started his third jump of the day, he was jumping by himself.
The 16-year-old junior sensation from Herrin High School, sat out the first few jumps, not jumping into the pole was set at six-feet-one-inches.
By then, several of his competitors in the Illinois Prep Top Times event had already been eliminated.
As always, he was silky smooth, looking almost effortless as he approached he runway. He cleared six-feet-one inch in one jump, cleared six-feet-three-inches, and skipped six-foot-four.
At six-foot-six, he was down to one competitor – Mitch Willman from Greenville High School.
Willman didn’t clear his jumps. And that left Riley. It took him three tries to clear six-foot-seven; he make six-foot-nine inches on his third try. Cleared six-foot-eleven after two misses. And that brought him to seven-feet.
By then, all other events had stopped. Runners stood in their lanes watching. The pole vaulters wandered over. The crowd of 1,500 turned its eyes on Riley.
He took off, running hard – no.
He took a deep breath. He walked around. He chatted with his coach, Eric Smith. Took another breath. The crowd started a stacatto clap. Ran. Jumped. The crowd held it’s collective breath. He was over – no. His leg brushed the bar on the way down.
On the third jump he was out of energy,
It didn’t matter. He got the biggest hand of the day.
“I think he was pretty gassed by the end,” said Smith. “He had 16 jumps. That’s a lot.”
From all over the gym, folks dropped by to congratulate Smith and Riley. “He’s the best high jumper in the state regardless of class,” said Tony Jones, Dyestate editor.
Other passerbys recalled Eric Thompson, the state champion who high jumped at Herrin two years ago.
“What’s going on at Herrin?” someone joked to Smith.
“It’s the water,” he said.
Riley’s father, John Riley, noted that Eric Thompson actually lived on the same street as his son.
“What are the odds that you would have two kids who jumped seven-feet at the same school,” said Smith.
“Or the same street,” said John Riley.
“I was fortunate to coach them both,” said Smith.
 When Peggy Riley was battling breast cancer four years ago, one of her strongest supporters was Zack, her 12-year-old son.
These days she's returning the favor, cheering on Zack, who at age 16, has emerged as one of the best high jumpers in the state.
"It's been a great season -- I love every minute of it," says Peggy Riley. "I've got so much to be thankful for. I've been cancer free for four years. This is why God let me live, so I can enjoy every day with my son and daughter, Chantel."
In the trying times of her fight against cancer, Zack was a source of strength, said Peggy: “He was very protective of me -- very protective of his mom. He was by me the whole time."
In the aftermath of his stirring performance at the Illinois Prep Top Times Classic, she and her husband, John Riley, were congratulating each other and Zack's coaches, Eric Smith and Rob Long. "We owe so much to coach Smith," said Peggy Riley. "Without him, Zack wouldn't be here."
Aside from the strong coaching, Peggy and her husband, John Riley, said they're not sure why Zack's such a great high jumper. John Riley said he wrestled and played football when he was a student at Herrin -- Peggy went there too. "But I wasn't a great jumper."
"I was a pretty fast runner," Peggy offered.
"Yeah," wisecracked Zack overhearing the conversation. "Jumping the fence running for somebody."
Peggy smiled. "I'm blessed to be here. I cry all the time when I realize how blessed I am." |
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