Domination is an understatement for this group of men. The Minooka 4×200-meter relay team has taken gold at three meets this year. 

The four-team relay has had six different sprinters in it at various times.  Two different combinations have already gone sub 1:30 to be inside the top 5 in the state. 

Head coach Nick Lundin and assistant sprint coach Matt Smith are looking for the perfect group to take gold down to Charleston for the state finals. 

“This team can be a championship team,” Smith said. 

The group is led by standout senior anchor Tyler Colwell who is committed to run at Colorado State and already has a plethora of experience with this relay.

“I like being able to anchor,” Colwell said. “ I can see where we are at and catch other teams if I have to.”

Leading off the outstanding relay is junior Cael Hiser who was apart of the state champion 4×100-meter relay last year.

“It’s really hard to gauge the speed of someone at the end of a 200,” Hiser said when talking about handing off the baton.

When the group works on handoffs, this tiny little stick – a baton – they are passing controls their destiny.

Other pieces in the relay have been Samuel Drey, Andy Martinez, Collin Forrest, and Malik Armstrong. This group controls the missing puzzle piece to a gold medal. 

“Stay healthy and be confident in ourselves,” Armstrong said. 

Scoring 10 points at the state meet is the ultimate goal. It all starts with the little things perfecting the hand-offs with the beautiful orange baton and trusting each other as a team. 

This group currently looks to grab the state lead that was taken from them by Prospect. 

“As of right now we are doing open handoffs which is safer,” Hiser said, “ but if it does not make us the fastest then we might have to change.”

These handoffs in relays are just as fragile as a piece of glass and could cost them everything. 

This might be the deepest relay group on the squad in terms of depth, and whoever the final four are look for them to be key towards the team’s unfinished business. 

Ryan Susnar is a member of the boys track and field team.