A SPECIAL TALENT: EHS' Travis Anderson brings home state hurdle title, will vie for another in 2017

EDWARDSVILLE - As a junior, Travis Anderson will already go down as the best hurdler to ever take an Edwardsville track and one of the tops ever in the state of Illinois.

The good thing for Edwardsville High School’s track and field program is Anderson has another year to grace the track and make a bid to be a two-time 110-meter high hurdle IHSA Class 3A champion. Anyone who watches Anderson in the hurdle races can’t help but see how special he is, with his near perfect technique clearing the hurdles and steps in between them. Normally he is more than a hurdle length ahead of most competitors by the end of the race with his exceptional talent.

Anderson edged out Belleville East’s William Session for first place in the 110-meter highs at the IHSA state meet recently in Charleston, IL. He ran a time of 13.5 seconds wind-aided in the prelims and won the championship race with a time of 13.7.

Anderson said he believes he can go even faster next year in both the high and low hurdle events.

A humble young man, Anderson said he couldn’t thank his EHS coaches and his top competition – Session – enough for making his state championship performance happen.

He also couldn’t say enough for Edwardsville High School and the Edwardsville community on what it has meant to his life.

“I can’t do anything but thank Coach Lakatos and Coach Hall for all their help,” he said.

“I love my community and my coaches. The community is always so supportive and my coaches provide both the necessary constructive criticism and positive support.”

Head coach Chad Lakatos said Anderson did what he needed to do to put himself in good position to win the 110-high hurdles.

“It is the first time in school history we have had a state hurdle champion,” Lakatos said. “He scored 17 points for us in the state meet and he will be back next year with A.J. Epenesa and several others.”

Anderson missed multiple meets early in both the indoor and outdoor track and field season with an injury, but when he came back it was like he never missed a beat. He attributed the recovery to simply, “rest.”

Anderson said he wants to stand on the podium at state once again with medals wrapped around his neck and said he will work diligently over the next year to make it happen.

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