By Michael Newman

 

[email protected]

 

 

 

Imani Carothers steps onto the Big Blue Oval one more time this weekend looking to take home some more state championships before she heads to the University of Georgia this fall. The senior looks for her third Triple Jump 2A title with a massive jump for a record. She looks for her fourth straight 2A 100 Meter Hurdles and Olympic Gold Medalist Dawn Harper’s state record of 13.54.

 

The Long Jump may be one of the feature events of this meet. Erika Furbeck, Serena Bolden, and Carothers all could go past 20-feet. In most years, it would be good enough to win. Not with Furbeck jumping 20-7 last Friday.

 

Rachel Hickey looks to go after her second state championship after winning in 2016 and finishing second last spring. A state meet record could be in her reach.

 

Let’s not forget about the teams. Dunlap advanced 19 to Charleston and will look for a repeat of their state title. East St. Louis-Senior and Springfield Southeast could make it interesting.

 

2A Teams to Watch

 

 

Dunlap

 

Qualifiers – 19 (15 Individuals, 4 Relays)

 

Outlook – All eyes will be on the Eagles this weekend as they look to defend their 2A title. They have the numbers to do it advancing 19 to the state meet. Dunlap won all four relays last year and could repeat that again in 2018. They have the top 2A times in the 3200 Meter Relay, 400 and 800 Meter Relays while having the second fastest in the 1600 Meter Relay.

 

Kiara Pauli should pick up bug points in both the 100 and 200 Meter Dash races. Aanise Sajna should score in both the Long and Triple Jump. The Eagles should get big points in the distance events. The defending 2A Cross Country champions will have Campbell Petersen as one of the favorites in the 3200 Meter Run. Petersen and teammate Franny Verville should pick up big points in the 1600 Meter Run. Delicia Chen could be a surprise in the 800 Meter Run.

 

Lizzy Hoenes could get her team points in the 400 Meter Dash as well as Sarah Georgieff in the 300 Meter Hurdles. Brittany Rainey will help in the Dunlap relays. She could also score points in the 100 Meter Hurdles. 

 

 

 

East St. Louis-Senior

 

Qualifiers – 14 (10 Individuals, 4 Relays)

 

Outlook – If there is one school that could challenge Dunlap for the 2A state title, it might be the Flyerettes. East St. Louis-Senior has the numbers along with the quality entries to possibly win. Evangelynn Harris has been nearly unstoppable in the Shot Put this season until last week getting second at sectionals. Harris will be one of the favorites in that event as well as getting points in the Discus. Ahmia Dorsey has a good chance of getting points in the Triple Jump. It would also be a bonus if she scored in the Long Jump. She could also place in the 100 Hurdles.

 

Shonjahnea Griggs will be one of the favorites in the 400 Meter Dash and will help the Flyerettes in the relays. Veronica Sherrod will be one of the favorites in the 300 Meter Hurdles and will do relay work. Maysha Vickers could also score in the event.

 

What could hurt East St. Louis-Senior is Rokelle Stanley not qualifying in both hurdle races. If healthy, she could be available for relay work which would be a plus for this team. The Flyerettes have the top team in the state in the 1600 Meter Relay and will be the favorite this weekend. Their 800 and 400 Meter Relay teams are close to Dunlap and will contend for the win.

 

What could be an emotional drive for this school has been what has happened with their Boys’ team. It could push them to levels not imagined this weekend. It could also hurt this team.

 

 

 

Springfield Southeast

 

Qualifiers – 10 (8 Individuals, 2 Relays)

 

Outlook – Another school that could get close to Dunlap. The Spartans finished third a year ago. Two athletes on this team could push them in that direction. Serena Bolden could pick up some huge points in three individual events. Bolden should be among the top three in the Long Jump. She will be one of the favorites in the Triple Jump. Bolden has the top seasonal time in the 100 Meter Dash. She will be one of the favorites in that event.

 

Raven Moore is entered in two individual events. She has the top sectional time in the 400 Meter Dash and will be one of the favorites. Moore also qualified in the 200 Meter Dash and could get her team points there. Both Moore and Bolden give Southeast an edge in the 400 Meter Relay where they could challenge for a top three finish. Moore will be part of a 1600 Meter Relay team that could also finish among the top three. Kaylynn Florence could get the team surprise points in the 300 Hurdles.

 

 

 

Urbana

 

Qualifiers – 11 (8 Individuals, 3 Relays)

 

Outlook – The numbers are there to get the Tigers close to the top three on Saturday. Urbana finished sixth in last year’s meet. Their strength starts in the High Jump. Diamonasia Taylor has the best clearance in 2A by three inches and should be the favorite in the event. Shaniya Howard also could be among the top five finishers. Ayanna Kelley-Weatherspoon could be among the top nine in the Long Jump.

 

Urbana could get points in both the 800 and 1600 Meter Relay. The 3200 Meter Relay team could be among the top eight schools in the 3200 Meter Run. Libby Cultra could finish among the top five in the 3200 Meter Run. Chian Scott could pick up some bonus points in the 1600 Meter Run.

 

 

 

Chicago Brooks College Prep

 

Qualifiers – 8 (6 Individuals, 2 Relays)

 

Outlook – Imani Carothers pushed her team to a fourth-place finish in 2017. She could push them a little higher this weekend. Carothers will be involved in a great Long Jump competition where she will be one of the favorites. She will be the huge favorite in both the 100 Meter Hurdles and Triple Jump. Carothers also qualified in the 100 Meter Dash. It is possible she finished in the top three in that event.

 

Tesa Roberts has an outside chance to make the finals in the 400 Meter Dash. Brooks could also get their team in the 1600 Meter Relay into the finals. A good Friday prelim round could mean bug things for this squad.

 

 

 

Aurora Rosary

 

Qualifiers – 9 (6 Individuals, 3 Relays)

 

Outlook – The Royals will need a few things on Friday to be in reach of a trophy on Saturday. Brooke Delahanty could score at least in the top four in the 800 Meter Run. Possibilities are there that she could double back at get points in the 400 Meter Dash. Delahanty will also be a part of their 1600 Meter Relay team that is ranked third in the sectional listings. There is an outside chance that Rosary could score in both the 800 and 400 Meter Relays.

 

 

 

Monticello

 

Qualifiers – 12 (10 Individuals, 2 Relays)

 

Outlook – The Lady Sages put themselves in position for a state trophy after winning their own sectional last week. Aliyah Welter is the defending 2A champion in the Pole Vault. She could get a second state title on Saturday. Landis Brandon could also get points in that event. Emelia Ness is having a strong sophomore season in the hurdle events. She could finish in both distances of that discipline on Saturday.

 

Alyssa McPike qualified for both the 3200 Meter Run and the 1600 Meter Run. She could score in both of those events. The possibility is there for both their 400 and 800 Meter Relay squads to make it to the finals on Saturday. Maddie Lieb will be on those relays. It would be a bonus if she qualifies for the finals in either the 100 or 200 Meter Dash. Emma Helferich could also get her team points in the Long Jump.

 

 

 

Geneseo

 

Qualifiers – 11 (10 Individuals, 1 Relay)

 

Outlook – It is possible that the Maple Leafs make it into the top five. They would need to have a great Friday prelim to get to that point. Erika Furbeck jumped a top ten US ranked mark in the Long Jump last week at Plano. She will be one of the favorites in this event. Furbeck also qualified in the three sprint events. She could make the finals in all three. Josie Brown could get points in the 800 Meter Run. Abby Reakes could also get bonus points in the High Jump.

 

 

 

Richton Park Rich South

 

Qualifiers – 7 (4 Individuals, 3 Relays)

 

Outlook – There are only seven qualifiers for Rich South this weekend in Charleston. That means no mistakes in the prelims for the Stars. Their 400 and 800 Meter Relay teams could finish in the top five for both events. All their individual qualifiers come in the field events. Camille Osborne could get points for her team in both the Long Jump and Triple Jump. Arianna Walker could also place in the Long Jump.

 

 

 

FIELD EVENTS

 

 

 

Long Jump

 

2A Seasonal Best – 20-7 – Erika Furbeck, SR, Geneseo

 

2A Sectional Best – 20-7 – Erika Furbeck, SR, Geneseo

 

Outlook – This could be one of the best field event competitions in this meet regardless of classification. Just think, you could jump 20-feet and still not win. Erika Furbeck made a statement jumping 20-7 last Friday at Plano. She is the defending champion in the event and will not give it up without a fight. Furbeck jumped 20-1.5 indoors. Imani Carothers of Brooks Prep will be one of the athletes chasing her. Carothers finished second to Furbeck only 1.75 inches back last season. She jumped 19-10 last week and appears to be peaking at the right time.

 

Serena Bolden of Springfield Southeast jumped 20-1.5 at her conference meet two weeks ago and is up to the challenge of facing Carothers and Furbeck.

 

There is almost a foot drop off between these three and the rest of the group. Aanise Sanja of Dunlap and Camille Osborne of Rich South are the closest to 19-feet and will challenge for possibly the fourth spot. Urbana’s Ayanna Kelley-Weatherspoon and Emma Helferich of Monticello could challenge for one of the top five spots.

 

 

 

Triple Jump

 

2A Seasonal Best – 41-7 – Imani Carothers, SR, Chicago Brooks Prep

 

2A Sectional Best – 41-7 – Imani Carothers, SR, Chicago Brooks Prep

 

Outlook – Imani Carothers is the two-time defending champion in this event. She jumped the longest distance ever at the state meet last year regardless of conditions with a 42-10 whopper of a leap. Her 41-7 jump last week indicates she could go past 43-feet some time this weekend.

 

Serena Bolden of Springfield Southeast could push Carothers. The junior won the Illinois Top Times Championships in March and has gone past 40-feet twice outdoors. Her best jump came in April at Bloomington when she leaped 40-5.5. Rich Central’s Jayla Campbell finished second ahead of Bolden last season and could repeat that in this meet. She only has a 37-8 seasonal best. Dunlap’s Aanise Sajna has a 39-2.5 best and could push for an effort close to 40-feet in this meet.

 

Ahmia Dorsey of East St. Louis-Senior, Tamadja Rodgers of Cahokia, Camille Osborne of Rich South, and Meghan Willerton of Metamora are some of the other athletes to watch for.

 

 

 

High Jump

 

2A Seasonal Best – 5-10 – Diamonasia Taylor, SO, Urbana

 

2A Sectional Best – 5-4 – Bryleigh Buchannan, SR, Harrisburg

 

                   5-4 – Marissa Holmes, SR, Marion

 

                    5-4 – Diamonasia Taylor, SO, Urbana

 

Outlook – Diamonasia Taylor could have the edge in this event as the defending champion as well as a 5-10 clearance at Bloomington in April. Her best mark has been 5-6 twice since that meet. Her closest competition should come again from Charleston’s Sarah Flight who finished second behind Taylor at last year’s state meet. Flight has a best clearance of 5-7 this spring and should be Taylor’s chief competition.

 

Bryleigh Buchanan of Harrisburg, Marissa Holmes of Marion, and Taylor all have sectional bests of 5-4. Ella Engelhardt of Aurora Central Catholic, Macie Gebhardt of Sterling, Shaniya Howard of Urbana, and Carly Tucker of Metamora are part of a huge group that have cleared 5-4 this spring. It could be a wild competition for the athletes chasing that third-place spot. The top spot should be a challenge between Taylor and Flight.

 

 

 

Pole Vault – 2A Sectional and Seasonal Bests

 

12-7 – Aliyah Welter, SR, Monticello

 

12-7 – Josephine Held, SR, Mt. Zion

 

Outlook – Aliyah Welter and Josephine Held finished 1-2 in last year’s state meet. It looks like the same thing could happen this Saturday if the sectional meet is any evidence. Both cleared 12-7 at Monticello with Welter getting the win. Welter has been consistent this season going undefeated outdoors clearing 12-6 or higher seven times.

 

Providence Catholic’s Samantha Spencer has made waves this spring upping her personal best to 12-7. She could also be a factor in this event. Mara Pletcher of Mahomet-Seymour is the only other 2A athlete to go past 12-feet. She could push for a top three finish on Saturday.

 

Rhiannon Held of Mt. Zion, Taylor Millsap of Tolono Unity, Stephanie Jacobs of Freeburg, and Lauren Seaver of Normal University are some of the athletes in this competition that could challenge for a top five finish.

 

 

 

Shot Put

 

2A Seasonal Best – 46-8 – Evangelynn Harris, SR, East St. Louis-Senior

 

2A Sectional Best – 44-10.5 – Nikita Maines, SR, Centralia

 

Outlook – It looked like it was an open and shut case that Evangelynn Harris would be the athlete to beat in this event. That changed last Wednesday when Harris suffered her first loss of the season finishing second behind Nikita Maines. Harris remains the favorite especially with the 46-8 best that she has from April. The sectional meet could motivate her to bigger things. It could put that little bug in her head with that sectional reminder. Maines finished seventh last year. Her cousin Latavia won in 2017. If she wins, they would become the first cousins to win an event in consecutive state meets.

 

Five other athletes this fall have gone past 40-feet in 2A. Mye’joi Williams of Rantoul leads that pack with a 43-5 personal best last week. Kelly Pottorff of Troy Triad, Tayla Schwarz of Dixon, and Daija Range of Galesburg all have the talent to chase for a top three spot.

 

 

 

Discus

 

2A Seasonal Best – 140-7 – Evangelynn Harris, SR, East St. Louis-Senior

 

2A Sectional Best – 137-3 – Tayla Schwarz, SR, Dixon

 

Outlook – Tayla Schwarz enters this meet as the defending 2A champion in this event. She has gone undefeated this spring going past 130-feet twice. Evangelynn Harris has a similar resume going past 130-feet four times with a 140-7 personal best to her credit. The winner could be determined in the final round of this competition.

 

The event is wide-open after these two as there has been no other 2A athletes that have been past 130 feet. Lanaeja Carter of Urbana, Kelly Pottorff of Troy Triad, and Sydney Apgar of Carbondale appear to be some of the top athletes that could challenge for the third-place spot.

 

 

 

TRACK EVENTS

 

 

 

4x800 Meter Relay

 

2A Seasonal Best – 9:31.17 – Dunlap

 

2A Sectional Best – 9:31.17 – Dunlap

 

Outlook – Dunlap will enter Saturday’s race as the huge favorite. The defending champions in this event, led by Franny Verville, are seven seconds faster than the next closest school Rock Falls. The Rockets, led by Bailee Fortney, ran a school best 9:38.94 last week at Lisle. They could push Dunlap for the win. Urbana ran 9:45 this season with Libby Cultra in their lineup. Cultra should be running in the 3200 Meter Run. If Cultra does run in this relay, thing could get interesting.

 

Mt. Zion, Eureka, and Burlington Central are teams that could find their way into the top five. Dixon, Mattoon, Fenwick, and LaSalle-Peru, with 800 favorite Rachel Hickey, could also find their way into the top five. It could be that close for the next four spots behind Dunlap.

 

 

 

4x100 Meter Relay

 

2A Seasonal Best – 47.51 – Dunlap

 

2A Sectional Best – 47.51 – Dunlap

 

Outlook – Dunlap, with Kiara Pauli and Aanise Sajna leading, should be the team to beat after running 47.51 last week at Macomb. Rich East and Lindblom Academy are the only other schools under 48 seconds and challenge for the win if Dunlap cannot get the baton around cleanly.

 

Springfield Southeast and East St. Louis-Senior have a winning tradition in this event and could also challenge for the win. Rich Central, Rich South, and Evergreen Park are some of the teams that will push for all-state status. Dunlap could get near 47 seconds in the finals on Saturday.

 

 

 

3200 Meter Run

 

2A Seasonal Best – 10:44.40 – Jenna Schwartz, JR, Waterloo

 

2A Sectional Best – 11:04.50 – Jenna Schwartz, JR, Waterloo

 

Outlook – Jenna Schwartz and Dunlap’s Campbell Petersen entered the final lap of April’s Distance Night in Palatine with a nine second gap between the two of them. Petersen closed the gap in the final 400-meters to three seconds at the end. The heat could play a factor but the key for the 2A state Cross Country champion to keep Petersen out of kicking range in this race.

 

The places for the next seven All-State spots is up for grab. Kayla Schiera of Sandwich and Margaret O’Brien of Fenwick have both run under 11:20 and could chase for the third spot. Aspen Gordon of Morton and St. Viator’s Kate Castelli could also be near the front. Lydia Roller of Staunton most likely will be in the first section. She could finish among the top five as well.

 

 

 

100 Meter Hurdles

 

2A Seasonal Best – 13.81 – Imani Carothers, SR, Chicago Brooks Prep

 

2A Sectional Best – 13.95 – Imani Carothers, SR, Chicago Brooks College Prep

 

Outlook – It will not be a matter of winning for Imani Carothers. The question will be if she surpasses Olympic Gold Medalist Dawn Harper’s State Meet Record of 13.54. Carothers is a good bet to win her fourth straight 2A State Championship. She is almost a full second ahead of the rest of the field. She ran 13.72 to set the 2A record last spring. Carothers is ahead of last year’s times heading into this meet. For the final time over hurdles on this big blue track, will Carothers get the fans cheering after she sets a new state meet record?

 

So, who gets second in the finals? Without Rokelle Stanley in this field, Karyn Best of Wheaton Academy leads the way after running 14.75 at Lisle last week. Emelia Ness of Monticello, Brooke Barkocy of Burlington Central, and Brittany Rainey of Dunlap have all run under 15-seconds this season and will push Best. Samantha Hibbard of Sterling, N’dia Jackson of Springfield Lanphier, and Tiarra Smith of Peoria Richwoods could also be in the that top five position.

 

 

 

100 Meter Dash

 

2A Seasonal Best – 11.91 – Serena Bolden, JR, Springfield Southeast

 

2A Sectional Best – 11.97 – Serena Bolden, JR, Springfield Southeast

 

Outlook – Serena Bolden has been on a roll in this event this spring. She enters this meet with the fastest 2A time (11.91). Katina and Tina Martin did not start racing until the conference meet two weeks ago. In that race, Katina, the defending 2A state champion in the event, did not run but Tina finished third behind Springfield’s Ozzy Erewele and Bolden. The two Martin sisters tied for the win last week at the Monticello Sectional running 12.07.  We will get a better idea how the Martins are in the prelims on Friday morning. We know how fast they have been before. How fast are these two sisters this weekend to challenge Bolden?

 

Kiara Pauli of Dunlap has a 12.05 season’s best and will look to go after win in this event. Imani Carothers of Brooks Prep will be coming right back from the finals of the 100 Meter Dash. She ran 12.14 last week after running 13.965 in the hurdles. That adrenaline from the hurdles finals could play to her favor. Myah Sherman of Rich East has run under 12.2 and could be a factor. Erika Furbeck of Geneseo finished fourth a year ago and could surprise in the finals. Treasure Keyes of Lindblom Academy and Wynesha Rodgers of Morgan Park will also be in the mix for an all-state finish.

 

 

 

800 Meter Run

 

2A Seasonal Best – 2:10.70 – Rachel Hickey, SR, LaSalle-Peru

 

2A Sectional Best – 2:17.55 – Brooke Delahanty, SR, Aurora Rosary

 

Outlook – Rachel Hickey will be the runner to beat in this race. The 2A champion as a sophomore and second last year, Hickey put herself in position to go after the 2A State Meet Record by surpassing that in winning the Distance Night in Palatine race in April (2:10.70). That will be in her mind. Hickey could also be in position to go after Courtney Clayton’s state meet record of 2:07. She could be running possibly eight races in the two days. She will go after the title. Will the state record also be part of that equation?

 

Gillian Fiene of Illiana Christian was almost five seconds behind Hickey a month ago and will look to close that gap in this race. Brooke Delahanty of Rosary is another to keep an eye on having run 2:17.56 last week at Lisle. Shaheeda Dade of Lindblom Academy, Payne Turney of Clinton, and Lesley Viveros of Aurora Central Catholic are all capable of finishing into the top three.

 

 

 

4x200 Meter Relay

 

2A Seasonal Best – 1:40.85 – Dunlap

 

2A Sectional Best – 1:40.85 – Dunlap

 

Outlook – Dunlap enters this meet with the top 2A time and the team to beat. East St. Louis-Senior ran 1:42.14 in their conference meet and will look to finish ahead of the Eagles on Saturday. Rich East ran a fast 1:43.28 in their conference meet two weeks ago and followed that up with a 1:43.63 last week. Keep an eye on this team. Urbana, Carbondale, and Lindblom Academy all have run under 1:45. Watch for them in the finals on Saturday. Rochelle, Rich South and Normal University could find their way into the finals. Dunlap ran 1:41.50 in last year’s final. Could they dip under 1:40 this weekend?

 

 

 

400 Meter Dash

 

2A Seasonal Best – 56.84 – Jayla Campbell, JR, Olympia Fields Rich Central

 

2A Sectional Best – 57.28 – Raven Moore, JR, Springfield Southeast

 

Outlook – This will be close with the top three runners from the sectional list in this event within 16 hundredths of a second of each other. Jayla Campbell comes in with the fastest seasonal time, but it is just less than half a second ahead of Raven Moore. Shonjahnea Griggs of East St. Louis-Senior is in the conversation in this event and could also cross the line. It is anyone’s guess who will win.

 

Summerlyn Smith of Mattoon ran 58.04 in her conference meet and could be a deciding factor in this race. Geneseo’s Erika Furbeck ran 58.20 at her conference meet and could be among the leaders. Lizzy Hoenes of Dunlap should get her team points making the finals and possibly in the top five. Brooke Delahanty of Rosary will be doubling back from the 800 Meter Run. Don’t count her out in this race. Destiny Reid of Macomb and Tya Morgan of Lindblom Academy are some of the other runners that could chase after a spot in the blocks on Saturday.

 

 

 

300 Meter Hurdles

 

2A Seasonal Best – 43.79 – Jessica Franklin, SR, Mahomet-Seymour

 

2A Sectional Best – 43.79 – Jessica Franklin, SR, Mahomet-Seymour

 

Outlook – Karyn Best of Wheaton Academy is the defending champion and will look for the repeat this weekend. Best’s winning time of 44.49 at Lisle ranks third heading into this weekend. Jessica Franklin was the surprise last week running the state’s fastest time of 43.79. Her previous seasonal best of 45.69. Veronica Sherrod of East St. Louis-Senior ran 44.12 at her conference meet and could be in the picture for the state championship. Those three athletes are a second faster than the rest of the field. Does Franklin’s inexperience become a factor in this race? Possibly. She has only run this event three times this season. That 43.79 is huge. Best has the 43.49 from last year and the state championship on her mantle. Sherrod could come away with the win.

 

Monticello’s Emelia Ness leads the next group with a chance of finishing in the top three if one of the above falters. Maysha Vickers of East St. Louis-Senior, Sarah Georgieff of Dunlap, Kynzee Boastick of Urbana, and Brooke Barkocy of Burlington Central all are possible top five finishers.

 

 

 

1600 Meter Run

 

2A Seasonal Best – 5:00.70 – Jenna Schwartz, JR, Waterloo

 

2A Sectional Best – 5:04.88 – Campbell Petersen, FR, Dunlap

 

Outlook – Could Dunlap take the top two spots in Saturday’s final? Chances are good especially since Franny Verville and Campbell Petersen have two of the top three 2A times. Verville will be coming back from the 3200 Meter Relay while Petersen will be doubling back from the 3200 Meter Run. Jenna Schwartz ran 5:00.70 fresh in April and will be doubling back in that 3200 Meter Run.

 

This race could be tactical. If so, keep an eye on Rachel Hickey of LaSalle-Peru who will come back possibly from the 3200 Meter Relay and the 800 Meter Run. Her 5:09.30 comes from a double. She could have the best speed at the end of the race close with Petersen.

 

Jenn Mirande of Bartonville Limestone finished behind Petersen at Macomb running 5:07.93. She could be the only runner in the field that is not doubling back. She could be someone to watch for. Lydia Roller of Staunton has run 5:10.93 and could be a factor in this race if she scratches from the 3200 Meter Run. She could still chase after a top five place even if she doubles back. Emma Argo from Eureka, Kayla Schiera of Sandwich, and Leah Dregenberg of Dixon are some of the runners to keep an eye on for an all-state spot.

 

 

 

200 Meter Dash

 

2A Seasonal Best – 24.26 – Tina Martin, SR, Decatur Eisenhower

 

2A Sectional Best – 24.26 – Tina Martin, SR, Decatur Eisenhower

 

Outlook – This could be a great final with Katina & Tina Martin along with Kiara Pauli of Dunlap. Tina Martin ran a 2A leading 24.26 last week at Monticello with her sister Katina, the defending champion, running 24.79. Pauli on the same night ran a personal best 24.52 to win at Macomb. We could see a winning time under 24 seconds if the conditions are right.

 

Tiera Jones of Evergreen Park is the only other 2A runner under 25 seconds. This sophomore is a runner to keep an eye on. Raven Moore of Springfield Southeast comes back from the 400 Meter Dash and will be looking for a top five finish. Moore finished third in the finals last year. Tredaja Harris of Mt. Vernon, Jayla Campbell of Rich Central, and Treasure Keyes of Lindblom Academy are some of the runners to keep an eye on to make it to the Saturday finals.

 

 

 

4x400 Meter Relay

 

2A Seasonal Best – 3:54.50 – East St. Louis-Senior

 

2A Sectional Best – 3:55.56 – East St. Louis-Senior

 

Outlook – Dunlap completed their sweep in the relays last year with a win in the final event. It could be a little more difficult this weekend especially with East St. Louis-Senior in the field. The Flyerettes have the top two fastest times in the state and will be the favorite in this race. Their time tends to improve by four seconds from the regular season to state. A time near or under 3:50 is a possibility. Don’t count Dunlap. They ran a season’s best 3:57.89 last week and could repeat as event state champions if East St. Louis-Senior has an “off” race.

 

Rosary and Normal University have run under 4:02 and could be in line for a top three finish. Springfield Southeast, Urbana, Rochelle, and Mahomet-Seymour are some of the quartets that could also challenge in the top three. 

 

State Meet Schedule | State Meet Records