Below is the first installment of the 2022 Effingham Daily News All-Area Boys Track and Field Team.
These athletes join Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City's Jadon Robertson on the team.
Effingham Daily News Sports Editor Alex Wallner asked each athlete a series of questions. Here is how they answered them.
DALTON FOX (Effingham)
Fox competed in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 400-meter dash, and pole vault and ran a leg in the 4x100-meter relay, 4x200-meter relay, and 4x400-meter relay. He finished with seven wins and 19 top-six finishes.
1) What is your biggest accomplishment as a track/field athlete? "Medaling in the Edwardsville and sectional track meets."
2) What was the funniest moment of the season? "Watch Garrett Wagoner run around the track in just spandex."
3) The teammate that is most likely to make you laugh is? "Logan Heil."
4) If you were to take three celebrities to dinner, who would they be? "Kevin Hart. The Rock. Ryan Reynolds."
GARRET WAGONER (Effingham)
Wagoner competed in the 800-meter run, 1600-meter run, and 3200-meter run and ran a leg in the 4x400-meter relay and 4x800-meter relay. He finished with five wins and 17 top-six finishes. He said he wants to give a big thanks to everyone who has helped and still helps him to this very moment.
1) What is your biggest accomplishment as a track/field athlete? "This year, at sectionals, finishing fifth in both the one-mile and two-mile."
2) What was the funniest moment of the season? "Me being the shortest person on every field I went to."
3) The teammate that is most likely to make you laugh is? "Logan Heil."
JACKSON VONDERHEIDE (Teutopolis)
Vonderheide competed in the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash and ran a leg in the 4x200-meter relay. He finished with one win and 11 top-six finishes.
1) What is your biggest accomplishment as a track/field athlete? "Getting into the 23-second range in my 200. Even though that was last year, I still think that was a huge accomplishment for me."
2) What was the funniest moment of the season? "At the Newton Invite, when they were running the thrower's 100-meter; our thrower Kolton [Tedrick] busted out of the blocks and about got kicked in the face by Sam Bradbury of Mattoon."
3) The teammate that is most likely to make you laugh is? "Riley Probst."
4) If you were to take three celebrities to dinner, who would they be? "Johnny Depp. Steve Carell. Steve Martin."
RILEY PROBST (Teutopolis)
Probst competed in the shot put and the discus. He had one win and 12 top-six finishes.
1) What is your biggest accomplishment as a track/field athlete? "When I went to sectionals freshman year and beat one of the seniors that year."
2) The teammate that is most likely to make you laugh is? "Leah Stone."
3) If you were to take three celebrities to dinner, who would they be? "Morgan Wallen. Zach Bryan. Luke Combs."
JACK BLOEMER (Dieterich)
Bloemer competed in the 200-meter dash, 400-meter dash, 800-meter run, 1600-meter run and 3200-meter run. He finished with three wins and 14 top-six finishes.
1) What is your biggest accomplishment as a track/field athlete? "I've made a lot of progress in the times I run from where I started."
2) If you were to take three celebrities to dinner, who would they be? "Mel Gibson. Donald Trump. Steve Harvey."
3) What does having your dad as a coach mean to you? "I have a lot of respect for what he's done in track. He was a state athlete, and he won when he was in high school. I feel that there is a lot of care for what I do, and he understands what it's like being a track runner. It's much looser in the times; we don't have a set time for practice."