North Shore Country Day, a private school with an enrollment of 179, hadn’t tasted a state championship in any sport — until Saturday.
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Peter Callahan, a junior, ran the fastest time of his life in the Class A boys track and field championships to win the 1,600 meters at Eastern Illinois’ O’Brien Stadium.
He was trailing on the final turn but caught and passed Tremont’s Parker Thompson to win in 4 minutes 20.52 seconds.
“I have a lot of faith in my kick,” Callahan said. “I’ve been working real hard this season and am just really pleased to get it.”
Hampshire hurdler Quinn Walker also came up with a victory in the Class A meet, won by Herrin. He took the 300-meter intermediate hurdles with a time of 38.12 seconds.
Walker, whose father, Stan Walker, quarterbacked Hampshire to a state football title in 1976, also took third in the 110-meter high hurdles.
He knew he had messed up his steps between hurdles during a part of the 300.
“I did a little stutter step … and I felt, ‘Oh, my God! Now, go, go, go, go, go,'” Walker said.