Carlinville's Jacob Landon is Rising Star Statewide in 800 Meters This Season

BELLEVILLE - A rising area track and field star - Carlinville’s Jacob Landon - is the son of Jersey head boys track and field and cross country coach, Harold Landon.

Jacob had a strong performance Saturday in the highly competitive Belleville West Invitational, posting a fifth-place finish in the 800 meters with a time of 2:01.62. Landon had 400-meter splits of 59.55 and 1:02.07.

Granite City’s Andrew O’Keefe won the 800 race with a time of 1:54.97, followed by Jacob Hoffman of Minooka, 1:57.73, Cassius Havis, of Alton, 1:59.11; and Jordan Freese of Minooka, 1:59.80.

Harold Landon said the competition was indeed strong with high-caliber athletes from all over Illinois participating at Belleville West.

“Jacob wanted to run against some top competition, so we signed him up for the meet,” Harold said of the Belleville West Invite. “Jacob ran a 2:02 half in the Class A State Meet and placed second, so he is gunning for the state meet at the end of the season.”

Harold Landon was a sprinter and qualified for state multiple times in his high school glory years.

Jacob has not committed to a college yet, but Harold said the front runner at the moment is the University of Illinois-Springfield.

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