Judah Christian School athletes receive state and national honors
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — This summer, three Judah athletes achieved state and national honors in their sports.
Senior hurdler Daryl Okeke won third place in the 110m high hurdles and the 300m intermediate hurdles in the state track and field meet in Charleston.
“I got to know Daryl in my weightlifting class last spring,” says Jim Moxley, principal of Judah Christian School. “He looks like a man among boys.”
Daryl joined Judah’s track team in sixth grade with no prior experience. He soon became one of the school’s top runners, making it to the state championship several years in a row.
This past summer Daryl cleared ten high hurdles, each 3 feet and 3 inches in height, in just under 15 seconds for the third-place finish. He also ran the 300m intermediate hurdles in just over 40 seconds, quickly clearing eight 3-foot hurdles. Once again, he won third place in the state.
Daryl is optimistic about his potential for his final season, advising new runners, “Stay in your lane, focus on the fundamentals and drink plenty of water.”
Senior gymnast Tucker Yasunaga competed in the USA Gymnastics National Championships in Mesa, Arizona, and is ranked eighth nationally on parallel bars.
Tucker started gymnastics before he could walk and hasn’t slowed down since. He says he’s obtained life skills, enriching relationships and party tricks from his training. After five trips to the national level, the top ten ranking on parallel bars is his highest achievement so far.
Reflecting on the national championship meet, Tucker is proud of how he performed. An injury prevented him from competing in all six events, but he wants to continue gymnastics in college and keep coaching younger gymnasts.
Sophomore Josiah Brown ran in the 2022 USA Track and Field National Junior Olympic Championships in Sacramento, California, and won the boys’ 4x400m relay.
Josiah Brown is a part of the Vipers Track Club that is based in Champaign-Urbana and draws athletes from across central Illinois; he competed with his Vipers teammates for the win. The combined time for their mile was just under 3 minutes and 20 seconds, and Josiah ran his leg in 50.2 seconds.
Josiah describes his teammates—15-year-old Ronald Baker of Central High School; 16-year-old Cedric Sabin of Urbana High School; and 16-year-old Jayvon Morrow of Kankakee High School—as “the best teammates I’ve ever had. They hold you accountable and have a solid work ethic. They’re really good friends.”
“He’s one of the hardest working individuals on the field,” says Marques Lowe, Josiah’s coach. “Maybe the hardest worker. He is always finding ways to improve his game.”
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