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2019 IHSA Girls State Track & Field Championships - Class 3A PreviewPublished by
By Michael Newman
We could see history made on the track of O’Brien Field on Saturday as Glenbard West’s Katelynne Hart goes after the distance triple trying for wins in the 3200 Meter Run and the 1600 Meter Run all in a span of a little over three hours. It has never been done in the Boys State Meet. Kelly Curran of Bloomington Central Catholic did it in the 1A Girls State Meet in 2010. The team title will be contested between Homewood-Flossmoor, the team that finished second the last two years, and Naperville North and Glenbard West are the last two state champions. This could be one of the best girls state meets that we have seen. All the fields are deep and talented. Here is a look at each of the 18 events that will be contested this weekend in Charleston. Class 2A athletes will go through their preliminary session Friday afternoon starting with field events at 12:00 PM and running events at approximately at 1:00 PM with the finals beginning on Saturday at 10:00 AM.
3A SECTIONAL HIGHLIGHTS | CLASS 3A STATE FINAL QUALIFIERS CLASS 1A PREVIEW | CLASS 2A PREVIEW | STATE MEET SCHEDULE (*) – Defending 3A State Champion
FIELD EVENTS
LONG JUMP IHSA State Meet Record 20’ 9” - Alexandria Anderson, Morgan Park - 2005 2019 State Best 19’ 10.50” – Raelyn Roberson (JR), Glenbrook South 2019 Class 3A Best 19’ 10.50” – Raelyn Roberson (JR), Glenbrook South 2019 Class 3A Sectional Best 19’ 7” – LaQwasia Stepney (SR), Belleville West 2018 3A State Meet Champion 19’ 4.25” - *LaQwasia Stepney, Belleville West Preview – The first of many loaded Class 3A field events starts with this one. Four athletes have gone past 19-feet in this unseasonably coon spring. Raelyn Roberson jumped her state best at her conference meet on May 3. LaQwasia Stepney jumped 19-7 last week in her sectional meet. Ameia Wilson of Danville and Lyn’Nikka Vance of Crete-Monee also have jumps over 19-feet. Any of these four athletes could be crowned state champion in this discipline. It could take a jump over 20-feet to accomplish that. The next athletes that qualified all have bests over 18-feet with Nicole Nguyen of Wheeling, Emily Kim of Vernon Hills, Madison Myrick of Homewood-Flossmoor, and Riley Ammenhauser of Neuqua Valley all achieving seasonal bests last week in sectional competition. Lincoln-Way East’s Taylor Wright and Mariam Azeez, along with Glenbrook South’s Sydney Willits also have the talent to emerge as one of the top six finishers.
TRIPLE JUMP IHSA State Meet Record 42’ 8.50” - Jaimie Robinson, Homewood-Flossmoor - 2017 2019 State Best 40’ 3.50” – Riley Ammenhauser (SO), Neuqua Valley 2019 Class 3A Best 40’ 3.50” – Riley Ammenhauser (SO), Neuqua Valley 2019 Class 3A Sectional Best 40’ 1” – Riley Ammenhauser (SO), Neuqua Valley 2018 3A State Meet Champion 40’ 2.25” – *Riley Ammenhauser, Neuqua Valley Preview – Riley Ammenhauser has dominated this event the past year winning all eight meets in Illinois that she has competed in. She has jumped over 40-feet three times including a 40-3.50 jump at the Arcadia Invitational in California this past April. That consistency could take her to a second state championship. Trinity Daniels of Homewood-Flossmoor jumped a personal best of 39-5.50 in her sectional meet and could be the athlete to challenge Ammenhauser. Britney Mosby of Belleville West, Shaniah Bowens of TF North, Daryn Davis of Huntley, and Gloria Oteng-Bediarko of Belvidere North all have gone 38 feet or longer and will also challenge for the second-place spot.
HIGH JUMP IHSA State Meet Record 6’ 0” - Jelena Rowe, Bloom Township - 2017 2019 State Best 5’ 10” – Grace Daun (SR), Wauconda 5’ 10” – Diamonasia Taylor (JR), Urbana 2019 Class 3A Best 5’ 10” – Grace Daun (SR), Wauconda 2019 Class 3A Sectional Best 5’ 7” – Grace Daun (SR), Wauconda 5’ 7” – Jenelle Rogers (JR), Oswego 2018 3A State Meet Champion 5’ 8” - *Grace Daun, Wauconda Preview – This could be a great competition with three athletes entering the meet with bests over 5-9. Defending state champion achieved a personal best of 5-10 at her county meet. A day later at the Tiger Invitational, Oswego’s Jenelle Rogers cleared a personal best of 5-9. A day later at a meet in Louisville, Kentucky, Homewood-Flossmoor’s Madison Myrick cleared the same height as Rogers. Put these three athletes together competing against each other and we could see a try for a new state meet record. Annika Bynum of Warren Township, Meghan Fletcher of Grayslake Central, and Olivia Solis of Oswego all have bests at 5-7 and will be factors in this event. Erin Oleksak of Palatine and Jade Hunter of East Moline United have cleared 5-6 this season. Don’t count either of these athletes out in this event.
POLE VAULT IHSA State Meet Record 13’ 4” – Lindsey Murray, Harrisburg - 2014 2019 State Best 13’ 0” – Windsor Roberts, Downs Tri-Valley 2019 Class 3A Best 11’ 10” – Kelsey Rothas (JR), Lake Zurich 2019 Class 3A Sectional Best 11’ 9” – Jenna Pauly (SR), McHenry 2018 3A State Meet Champion 11’ 9” – Kelly Zehnder, Lake Park Preview – This event is WIDE open. There are up to ten athletes that have a chance to actually win the state title. Kelsey Rothas cleared 11-10 in winning her county meet and has the best mark in 3A. Jenna Pauly of McHenry cleared 11-9 last week at Antioch and is on the rise in this event. Maddy Smith of Ottawa, Emma Barnard of Lincoln-Way East, Noor Abdellatif of Antioch, and Yasmin Ruff of Oak Park-River Forest all have cleared 11-6 at some point this season. Any of these six athletes could come away with the state title. Other athletes to watch for in this event include Claire Barenie of Oswego, Natalia Kurowska of Maine South, Carolyn-Paige Breit of Downers Grove North, Jess Streepy of Palatine, Sithara Gajapala of Neuqua Valley, and Abigail Kuhn of West Aurora.
SHOT PUT IHSA State Meet Record 51’ 0” – Kathleen Young, Warrensburg-Latham, 2016 2019 State Best 47’ 10” – Chloe Lindeman, Fulton 2019 Class 3A Best 47’ 7” – Jasmine Mitchell (SR), Thornwood 2019 Class 3A Sectional Best 45’ 6” – Jasmine Mitchell (SR), Thornwood 2018 3A State Meet Champion 45’ 10” – *Jasmine Mitchell, Thornwood Preview – We could see back to back state titles for Jasmine Mitchell in this event. Mitchell, who is ranked eighth nationally in this event, has a 47-7 to her credit. She is ahead of the rest of the qualifiers by three feet. There are six athletes that have season bests at 42-feet or longer. Miranda Cadwell of Plainfield South has a 44-9 best to lead the group. Morgan Reed of Thornwood, Katie Fare of Machesney Park Harlem, Makiyha Blackwell of Hoffman Estates, Trinity Wilson of TF South and Amy Zabka of Batavia all have good chances to finish in the first three. Batya Butler of Dunlap, Dior Nicholson of Hinsdale Central, and Kelsie Johnson are some of the other athletes that could find their way onto the podium.
DISCUS IHSA State Meet Record 167’ 4” – Kelsey Card, Carlinville - 2010 2019 State Best 141’ 9” – Catie Daily (SR), Machesney Park Harlem 2019 Class 3A Best 141’ 9” – Catie Daily (SR), Machesney Park Harlem 2019 Class 3A Sectional Best 140’ 5” – Catie Daily (SR), Machesney Park Harlem 2018 3A State Meet Champion 147’ 8” - *Jasmine Mitchell, Thornwood Preview – 12 athletes in this event are within 10 feet of each other making this a tough event to predict. Jasmine Mitchell is the defending champion in this event but is throwing ten feet shorter than she was at this time last year. Catie Daily has showed consistency in the event going undefeated and having three throws over 139-0. She could be the athlete to keep an eye on this weekend. There is a three-foot gap between these two athletes and the rest of the qualifiers. Katie Fare of Machesney Park Harlem achieved a personal best last week in her sectional and could challenge for a top finish. Lake Park’s Stephanie Montenegro and Dominika Baranska have the distances to finish in the top five. Julia Reglewski of Grayslake Central, Kayla Mikkotis of St. Charles North, and Chikere Oduocha of Conant are some of the athletes that also could challenge for an all-state finish.
TRACK EVENTS
4x800 METER RELAY IHSA State Meet Record 8:59.03 – Wheaton-Warrenville South - 2012 2019 State Best 9:17.63 – Mt. Prospect-Prospect 2019 Class 3A Best 9:17.63 – Mt. Prospect-Prospect 2019 Class 3A Sectional Best 9:17.63 – Mt. Prospect-Prospect 2018 3A State Meet Champion 9:03.41 – Hinsdale Central Preview – So where do we start in this event? There are usually three of four teams that separate themselves during the season and in sectionals. 2019 is the exception year where 10 to 12 teams could win this event. Prospect and Hoffman Estates ran the top two times in the state last week at the Glenbard North Sectional with the Lady Knights running 9:17.63 for the win. Prospect has a solid quartet led by Lia Skoufos and Marissa Valentini. Hoffman Estates dropped their time from 9:33 in their conference meet to 9:17.92 last Thursday with Janae Dean and Anna Miller leading them. Glenbard West has a seasonal best of 9:18.70 run at their conference meet with Katelynne Hart anchoring. It is doubtful that Hart will be part of the relay. The Lady Hilltoppers still have a strong group led by Audrey Allman and Katie Hohe. Naperville North ran 9:22.81 to finish behind Glenbard West in their sectional race. They did not have Claire Hill or Campbell Petersen part of the quartet. Either or both in on the Saturday final could give the edge to the Lady Huskies. Barrington, with Alyssa Norris and Molly FitzPatrick and Lyons Township, with Kate Dickman, have seasonal bests at 9:23 will be in the mix. New Trier ran 9:22.37 to win their sectional last week without Marne Sullivan part of the quartet. The addition of Sullivan, a 2:12 800 runner, in the finals could make Saturday interesting. Evanston Township ran 9:25 behind New Trier in that sectional race and could be in the mix. Batavia only ran 9:43.54 to win their sectional race but do have 9:27.75 to their credit with Katrina Schlenker and Mia Gianfrancesco running on the quartet. Downers Grove South ran state leading 9:20 indoors and have a 9:26.15 best outdoors anchored by Erin Reidy. Oswego quietly ran 9:24.08 to win at Moline last week and could be the surprise in this final. Isabelle Christiansen and Ella Hale lead this underrated group. There are a number teams that could sneak into the final 12 for Saturday. Wheaton-Warrenville South, last year’s champion Hinsdale Central, and Lincoln-Way East are some of the teams to watch for. It could take 9:25 or faster to make it to the finals.
4x100 METER RELAY IHSA State Meet Record 46.04 – Lincoln-Way East - 2014 2019 State Best 47.07 – Homewood-Flossmoor 2019 Class 3A Best 47.07 – Homewood-Flossmoor 2019 Class 3A Sectional Best 47.07 – Homewood-Flossmoor 2018 3A State Meet Champion 46.97 – Homewood-Flossmoor Preview – The loss of Belleville West in this event due to not advancing out of their sectional will have an effect on this relay. The Maroons’ best time of 47.46 was within four tenths of a second of state leading Homewood-Flossmoor. With Belleville West out, the Lady Vikings have the best 3A time by more than a second. All that HF has to do is run their race and get the baton around the track for prelims and the finals and they defend their state title. The Lady Vikings have the talent led by Kaylah McCall and Trelyn Newkirk that could run in the mid 46’s. The next seven teams are close within four tenths of a second of each other led by Kenwood Academy and West Aurora led by Dajour Miles. Bloom Township, Whitney Young, and Thornton are only separated by mere hundredths of a second. Dunlap, with Kiara Pauli running anchor, won the 2A title last year. The Eagles could be among the top five on Saturday. Belleville East is sneaky good having run 48.46 in their conference meet. They are another team to watch in the top five. Downers Grove North, Warren Township, and Evanston Township are other teams to keep an eye on.
3200 METER RUN IHSA State Meet Record 9:56.96 – Kayla Beattie, Woodstock - 2011 2019 State Best 9:59.57 – Katelynne Hart (JR), Glenbard West 2019 Class 3A Best 9:59.97 – Katelynne Hart (JR), Glenbard West 2019 Class 3A Sectional Best 10:18.41 – Katelynne Hart (JR), Glenbard West 2018 3A State Meet Champion 10:12.96 - *Katelynne Hart, Glenbard West Preview – What happens in the second section of this event starts with the conclusion of the first section. Argo’s Abby Lopez ran 11:13.58 to win the Reavis Sectional. The time was 43 seconds slower than the personal best that she ran at Distance Night in Palatine (10:30.52) which is the third fastest time in the state. Her sectional time puts her in the first section of the event. Lopez should be able to earn all-state honors most likely running by herself. The junior will determine the scenario that will follow almost two hours later. It is hard to imagine anyone beating Katelynne Hart in this race. The two-time defending state champion in this race has run under 10-minutes twice this season. Hart was in control last week at Naperville when she “only” ran 10:18.41 against a field that had six other state qualifiers all under 11-minutes. Hart will be pushed in this race. The question will be how much energy she can conserve with the 800 Meter Run almost 70 minutes later. Three-time cross country All-American Alex Morris of Naperville North is running with tremendous confidence running 10:25.21 to win in April at Palatine. Fatima Giron of Round Lake has showed the most improvement in the last year. She has a 10:32.68 best and will be near the front. Sophia McDonnell of Geneva and Kailey Fox of Yorkville are the third and fourth sectional qualifiers and could finish in the top five. Wheaton-Warrenville South’s Laurel Moneysmith ran 10:48.92 to finish third last week at Naperville North. Her confidence is immense through the improvement in each of her races. She could again surprise people on Saturday. Ella Behrens of Whitney Young is on the verge of great things. We could see some of those on Saturday. Brenna Cohoon of Downers Grove South has gone through a season of nagging injuries. She ran good in running 10:53 last week. She runs her best in pressure meets. This would be considered one where she could run under 10:45. Alice Abbot of St. Charles East, McKenna Revord of Hinsdale Central, Vivian Van Eck of Minooka could all be sucked along to a fast race in this high-quality field. Brooke Stromsland of Lakes Community has a 10:40.95 best and could be among the top nine. Aly Negovetich of Grant Community, Melissa Weidner of Downers Grove South, Juliana Stogsdill of Plainfield North, and Maggie Gamboa could provide surprises in the first nine. The field of the second section is loaded. It may take a time under 10:45 to earn all-state honors.
100 METER HURDLES IHSA State Meet Record 13.54 – Dawn Harper, East St. Louis-Senior – 2001 2019 State Best 13.96 – Kaylah McCall (JR), Homewood-Flossmoor 2019 Class 3A Best 13.96 – Kaylah McCall (JR), Homewood-Flossmoor 2019 Class 3A Sectional Best 13.98 – Kaylah McCall (JR), Homewood-Flossmoor 2018 3A State Meet Champion 14.06 - *Kaylah McCall, Homewood-Flossmoor Preview – Defending champion Kaylah McCall was one of the favorites heading into last year’s Saturday finals. Now she is the favorite heading into this meet. This has been her event this spring having running under 14-seconds twice in two of last three meets. Do we see another sub-14 this weekend? The chances are pretty good that we do. The experience in this event is big with six other all-state athletes from last year ready for another go in this event. The second through fourth finishers from last year’s final Halle Bieber of Naperville North, Kayla Walters of Bolingbrook, and LaQwasia Stepney of Belleville West all have seasonal bests under 14.5. They will run faster than that in prelims and finals. Belleville West freshman Macee Rivers ran a personal best 14.57 last week and will be in the mix for a top five finish. The same holds true for Dunlap’s Brittany Rainey who finished second in the 2A race last year. Rainey is showing improvement down the stretch with a 14.67 last week. She could surprise some people this weekend. Arryona Simmons of Thornwood, Erin Oleksak of Palatine, Victoria Spagnola of West Aurora, Jasmyn Hunter of Homewood-Flossmoor, and Aaliyah Thomas of Belleville East will all go after top nine finishes in Friday’s prelims.
100 METER DASH IHSA State Meet Record 11.41 – Alexandria Anderson, Morgan Park – 2004 11.41 – Morolake Akinosun, Waubonsie Valley – 2012 2019 State Best 11.74 – Serena Bolden (SR), Springfield Southeast 2019 Class 3A Best 11.84 – Lyn’Nikka Vance (SR), Crete-Monee 2019 Class 3A Sectional Best 12.00 – Kaylah McCall (JR), Homewood-Flossmoor 2018 3A State Meet Champion 11.71 – Amira Young, Whitney Young Preview – The top five runners in this field all have seasonal best times under 12.1 seconds making for what could be a fast final on Saturday. We saw a mini-preview of a state final last week at the Homewood-Flossmoor Sectional when Kaylah McCall came right back after her hurdle win to run 12.00 to win the final ahead of Lyn’Nikka Vance (12.07). The Crete-Monee senior has the fastest 3A time heading into this meet (11.84). Ameia Wilson of Danville finished second in last year’s final and is determined to leave Charleston with a state title. Wilson has an 11.87 seasonal best. The one runner to keep an eye on is Highland Park’s Taylor Gilling. The senior surprised some by winning the 60 Meter Dash at Illinois Top Times in March. Gilling has a 12.02 season’s best and could win this state title. Kiara Paul of Dunlap ran a seasonal best of 12.09 in winning last week at Moline and will be among the runners in the front. Alton’s Jeanea Epps and Renee Raglin should be two of the runners challenging for spots in the finals. Ayanna Tommy of Antioch, Kimberly Brent of Downers Grove North, Trelyn Newkirk of Homewood-Flossmoor, Sydney Robinson of Whitney Young, and Nicole Nguyen of Wheeling are some of the other runners that we could see among the nine advancing to the Saturday finals.
800 METER RUN IHSA State Meet Record 2:07.05 – Courtney Clayton, Rockton Hononegah – 2013 2019 State Best 2:10.81 – Katelynne Hart (JR), Glenbard West 2019 Class 3A Best 2:10.81 – Katelynne Hart (JR), Glenbard West 2019 Class 3A Sectional Best 2:11.99 – Katelynne Hart (JR), Glenbard West 2018 3A State Meet Champion 2:08.44 – Enyaeva Michelin, Evanston Township Preview – It should be about 70 minutes on Saturday after the finish of the 3200 Meter Run before Katelynne Hart steps to the line for the start of this race. The junior only had 35 minutes between races last week in her sectional. She went out and ran 2:11.99 for the win. Hart won the sectional race just under two seconds ahead of Erin Reidy of Downers Grove South, Claire Hill of Naperville North, Kaylie Politza of Lemont, and Hart’s teammate Audrey Allman. Reidy and Hill made a charge on Hart at the end of the race but ran out of real estate. Both will be ready on Saturday. The runner that could be a surprise is Politza. The freshman is gaining confidence with every race. Marne Sullivan of New Trier stayed with Hart for the first 600-meters of the 800 Meter Race at Illinois Top Times before Hart pulled away in the final lap. Sullivan has a 2:12 best and will push and challenge Hart again. Olivia Schmitt of Lakes Community won Distance Night in Palatine running 2:13.29. Watch for her in the front of this race.
4X200 METER RELAY IHSA State Meet Record 1:38:86 – Lincoln-Way East - 2013 2019 State Best 1:40.82 – Homewood-Flossmoor 2019 Class 3A Best 1:40.82 – Homewood-Flossmoor 2019 Class 3A Sectional Best 1:40.82 – Homewood-Flossmoor 2018 3A State Meet Champion 1:38.59 – DeKalb Preview – Homewood-Flossmoor enters this relay as the favorite. The Lady Vikings have a one second advantage against the rest of the field. This race could be closer than what we are expecting in the 400 Meter Relay. Bloom Township ran 1:41.84 finishing behind Homewood-Flossmoor in the sectional race and will hope to get closer this week. Belleville East won their sectional race ahead of Belleville West. Both teams could run in the 1:40’s in Charleston. Kenwood Academy ran 1:43.18 and Dunlap ran 1:43.21 in their sectional wins. They could be faster on Friday and Saturday. Lincoln-Way East usually shows improvement in this event. They finished fourth behind Thornwood in their HF Sectional race. Keep an eye on both of those teams. Rock Island, Evanston Township, and Whitney Young are some of the teams in the “pack” that could challenge for a state finals spot.
400 METER DASH IHSA State Meet Record 52.63 – Alexandria Anderson, Morgan Park – 2005 2019 State Best 55.23 – Dajour Miles (SR), West Aurora 2019 Class 3A Best 55.23 – Dajour Miles (SR), West Aurora 2019 Class 3A Sectional Best 55.23 – Dajour Miles (SR), West Aurora 2018 3A State Meet Champion 54.72 - *Dajour Miles, West Aurora Preview – Dajour Miles comes into this meet looking for her third straight title in this event. She may be healthier than the previous two state meets which could mean trouble for the rest of the field. Miles lurked around the 58 second range until her sectional race last week when she dropped down to 55.23. Miles could run in the low 54’s in the finals. Ashanti Denton of Homewood-Flossmoor ran 55.76 early in the season in California. The junior came back to run 56.04 in last week’s sectional win. She could push Miles to a time under 55 seconds. Mikenna Robinson of Neuqua Valley finished third in the 800 Meter Run in last year’s state meet. She qualified in this event as well as the 200 Meter Dash. The University of Texas signee ran 56.57 last week behind Miles and should go faster this weekend. There are five runners that qualified that have seasonal best times under 58 seconds. Jessica Coughlin of Belleville West will be looking for big points for her team in the finals. She has a 57.13 best. Kayla Bell of TF South improved on her seasonal best by close to three seconds last week. Could there be another PR drop in her racing future this weekend. Taylor Wright of Lincoln-Way East earned all-state honors last year and could be among the top five finishers on Saturday. Amaiya Barnes of Homewood-Flossmoor, Tesa Roberts of Brooks College Prep, Janii Jenkins of Warren Township, and Alexis Knight of Wheeling are some of the other runners to watch for.
300 METER HURDLES IHSA State Meet Record 40.61 – Shalina Clarke, Evanston Township – 2005 2019 State Best 43.13 – Lauren Ferguson, Springfield 2019 Class 3A Best 43.13 – Lauren Ferguson, Springfield 2019 Class 3A Sectional Best 44.48 – Katie Sciarini (SO), Frankfort Lincoln-Way East 2018 3A State Meet Champion 43.48 – *Halle Bieber, Naperville North Preview – This event opened up a little last week when LaQwasia Stepney of Belleville West, who has the fourth fastest 3A time, did not advance to Charleston finishing third in her sectional. Lauren Ferguson ran and won her sectional race last week running with a stress fracture. Ferguson still had the third fastest sectional time. Halle Bieber, who has a 44.69 seasonal best, will go after her third straight sate title in this event. The one athlete that is coming on strong is Katie Sciarini. The Lincoln-Way East sophomore has dropped her time down to a sectional best 44.48. Bieber and Sciarini have race each other twice this season with Bieber winning both. At the WWS Tiger Invitational, the margin of victory was only two tenths of a second. Evanston sophomore Gabrielle Calixte has also been coming on strong running 45.30 in her sectional race. Erin Oleksak of Palatine and Sydney Leonardi of Lake Forest both have times under 45.4. Watch for them to challenge for top five finishes. Ayah Mustafa of Homewood-Flossmoor ran 45.28 in California in April. She ran 46.15 last week but still has a chance to advance to Saturday’s finals. Arryona Simmons of Thornwood, Gabby Cossio of Barrington, Claire Haas of Wheaton-Warrenville South, and Kayla Walters of Bolingbrook all could find themselves advancing out of the prelims.
1600 METER RUN IHSA State Meet Record 4:43.65 – Kayla Beattie, Woodstock – 2011 2019 State Best 4:45.33 – Katelynne Hart (JR), Glenbard West 2019 Class 3A Best 4:45.33 – Katelynne Hart (JR), Glenbard West 2019 Class 3A Sectional Best 4:51.40 – Katelynne Hart (JR), Glenbard West 2018 State 3A Meet Champion 4:47.36 – *Katelynne Hart, Glenbard West Preview – If Katelynne Hart wants to complete the triple, she will have to work to get it. She should have close to 90 minutes after the 800 Meter Run in recovery time. KK had close to 60 minutes last week. Hart ran 4:44.22 indoors and 4:45.33 on her home track in April. We remember how Hart held off Enyaeva Michelin in the final 100-meters for the win in last year’s state final. She may have to do that again in this final race. The one runner that could be the roadblock for Hart is Katrina Schlenker. The Batavia freshman kicked down 800 Meter Run indoor national champion Rosin Willis at Distance Night in Palatine running a 4:51.36 winning time. Schlenker will be coming back from running the 3200 Meter Relay. Both runners like to take the lead early and push the pace which makes this possible race on Saturday fascinating. We may get a sneak preview of the final. Both Hart and Schlenker could be in the same preliminary heat Friday afternoon. Emma Watcke of Hinsdale Central raced smartly last week against Hart in Naperville letting Hart go early and then trying to kick her down. She closed the margin down from six seconds to under three seconds in the final lap. She could be a factor in this race. Campbell Petersen of Naperville North and Samantha Poglitsch both ran under 4:55 in Palatine. Both could run near 4:50 in this race. Alex Morris of Naperville North will be doubling back from the 3200 Meter Run and should get her team points in this event. Isabelle Christiansen of Oswego has run under five-minutes this season and should also be a factor along with Molly FitzPatrick and Alyssa Norris of Barrington. Katie Hohe of Glenbard West, Katherine Olsen of DeKalb ,Emily Eberhart of Yorkville, and Abby Korak of Edwardsville could be among the top nine. Watch for Kennedy Warden of Downers Grove North and Brielle Rochester of Libertyville could surprise in this event this weekend.
200 METER DASH IHSA State Meet Record 23.32 – Alexandria Anderson, Morgan Park – 2005 2019 State Best 24.10 – Ameia Wilson (SR), Danville 2019 Class 3A Best 24.10 – Ameia Wilson (SR), Danville 2019 Class 3A Sectional Best 24.37 – Ameia Wilson (SR), Danville 2018 3A State Meet Champion 24.21 – Amira Young, Whitney Young Preview – Do we see a double sprint win in this event? This distance could be the best for Ameia Wilson. She enters this meet with a 24.37 best. Favorable conditions could see her run under 24 seconds. Lyn’Nikka Vance of Crete-Monee ran 24.56 in her sectional win and should be a threat in the front. Taylor Gilling of Highland Park, Dajour Miles of West Aurora, and Kiara Pauli all have seasonal bests under 24.8. They could challenge for the win. Naperville North’s Halle Bieber continues to improve in this event that her coach Dan Iverson has said that she is still figuring out. Her time dropped to 24.97 in winning her sectional race. It could drop even more in her next two races. Kimberly Brent of Downers Grove North was just behind Bieber in sectionals. She could be a surprise in this event. Janea Gardener of Bloom Township, Trelyn Newkirk of Homewood-Flossmoor, and Zakiya Johnson of Kenwood Academy are some of the runners to keep an eye on.
4x400 METER RELAY IHSA State Meet Record 3:54.14 (CMT) – East St. Louis-Lincoln – 1984 2019 State Best 3:50.54 – East St. Louis-Senior 2019 Class 3A Best 3:52.54 – Homewood-Flossmoor 2019 Class 3A Sectional Best 3:52.54 – Homewood-Flossmoor 2018 3A State Meet Champion 3:52.73 – Whitney Young Preview – Homewood-Flossmoor could be the deepest team in the state with runners at 400-meters. That could show in this race. The Lady Vikings have the fastest 3A time in the state by almost five seconds ahead of New Trier. Evanston Township has a time under four minutes this season and could challenge New Trier for the second spot and perhaps Homewood-Flossmoor for the win. Hoffman Estates had a strong sectional race where they ran 4:00.59 for the win. Keep an eye on that team. Glenbard West, Kenwood Academy, Barrington, Lyons Township, Belleville East, and Whitney Young all have times under 4:03. Any of these quartets could finish in the top five.
TEAMS Ten points have separated Homewood-Flossmoor from a state championship in the past two state track & field championships with the Vikings finished second in both. This could be the year that they climb to the top of the mountain. We will have the answer if they made it to the top by the end of Saturday afternoon in Charleston. Homewood-Flossmoor will be the team to beat as we head into the Class 3A State Prelims Friday afternoon. There will be several teams that will try to stop them including last year’s state champion Naperville North and 2017 champion Glenbard West. Here is a look at 14 of the teams to keep an eye on as we start the 3A state meet competition on Friday.
Homewood-Flossmoor 1st – Homewood-Flossmoor Sectional Qualifiers – 19 Total (16 Individuals, 3 Relays) Overview – The number of qualifiers that the Vikings have put them ahead of the rest of the field. They can afford to have a few mishaps on Friday, but they can’t afford an implosion. I don’t think this team will. Homewood-Flossmoor has two individual qualifiers each in the sprint races from 100-meters to 400-meters as well as both hurdle events. In the field events, add in the Long and Triple Jump as well as the High Jump. Their strength is in the sprints. You can tell by the success that they have in the relays where they have the best 3A time in the 400, 800, and 1600 Meter Relays. They will get big points out of those three events. Kaylah McCall is the defending champion in the 100 Meter Hurdles and should be the favorite again in that event. She will come right back and run in the 100 Meter Dash where she also has the fastest sectional time. Trelyn Newkirk is in both the 100 Meter Dash and 200 Meter Dash. She could score in both events. Ashanti Denton has one of the top times in the 400 Meter Dash where she will be chasing Dajour Miles for the state championship. Teammate Amaiya Barnes could also find her way onto the podium in that event. Jasmyn Hunter is also a possibility of scoring points in the 100 Meter Hurdles. Trinity Daniels has one of the top marks in the Triple Jump and should get her team big points. Daniels could also score points in the Long Jump with Madison Myrick. In the High Jump, Myrick will be chasing after big points.
Naperville North 2nd – Naperville North Sectional Qualifiers – 13 Total (10 Individuals, 3 Relays) Overview – The defending 3A champions have the athletes that could win again but will need a perfect Friday to put them in position. Halle Bieber has come on strong over the past month and could get her team big points in three events. She is the two-time defending champion in the 300 Meter Hurdles and has a good chance to defend that title. She will be among the scorers in the 100 Meter Hurdles. Bieber has discovered her talents in the sprints and enters this meet with the sixth fastest sectional time. She could surprise in that event. Naperville North’s distance runners have finished second in the last two Nike Cross Nationals in the fall. The Lady Huskies could score big points in the four distance events. Alex Morris has the second fastest time in the state in the 3200 Meter Run and should be among the leaders in that race. Maggie Gamboa could be a surprise in the event. Morris will also run the 1600 Meter Run where she could be among the top nine in the finals. Campbell Petersen, who won the 2A state title last spring, should be among the top runners in this race. Claire Hill has been among the top runners in the state at 800-meters. Watch for her near the front on Saturday. Their 3200 Meter Relay team has the fifth fastest sectional time and that was without Hill or Petersen. Even without the two all-state runners, the quartet that runs on Saturday could still contend for a state title. It would be a bonus if their 1600 Meter Relay made it to Saturday’s finals. Bieber ran in the sectionals in the 800 Meter Relay as a last-minute substitution. She brought her team from fifth on her leg to finish third and qualify for state. It is unsure if she will run in that relay this weekend.
Glen Ellyn Glenbard West 1st – Naperville North Sectional Qualifiers – 10 Total (8 Individuals, 2 Relays) Overview – The Lady Hilltoppers won their sectional by four points ahead of Naperville North last week. They have the athletes in place that could contend for a state team title. It does help when you have Katelynne Hart in your lineup. The seven-time state champion qualified in the three distance events for this weekend’s meet and will attempt to accomplish triple wins for the first time in those events since 2010. The possible 30 points from Hart will be an obvious plus. Audrey Allman has showed improvement in the 800 Meter Run. The freshman could be among the top five in that race. Katie Hohe was all-state last year in the 1600 Meter Run. She could be among the top runners in that race. Both Hohe and Allman led Glenbard West in the 3200 Meter Relay to a sectional win. The Lady Hilltoppers ran 9:18.70 with Hart anchoring. It is doubtful she will be in the race this weekend. Still that relay could be among the favorites. Huda Hussaini could be a surprise in either the 100 Meter Dash or 200 Meter Dash. Aaliyah Collier could also be a surprise in the 400 Meter Dash. You could see Ashley Samuta score points in the Triple Jump. We could see Hart in the finals of the 1600 Meter Relay if the quartet makes it to the Saturday final. That moment could be magical.
Belleville West 1st – O’Fallon Sectional Qualifiers – 11 Total (9 Individuals, 2 Relays) Overview – The Maroons took a big hit in their sectional meet when their top ranked team in the 400 Meter Relay was disqualified and LaQwasia Stepney missed qualifying in the 300 Meter Hurdles, an event she was highly ranked in. Belleville West still has the athletes in Charleston that could challenge for a top three team finish. Stepney, the defending champion in the Long Jump, had the longest sectional mark last week and should again score big points in that event. Stepney will also be among the athletes to watch in the 100 Meter Hurdles along with freshman Macee Rivers. The two could give their team double-digit points. They will also help in the 800 Meter Relay that could place in the top five on Saturday. Another big scorer for the Maroons could be Jessica Coughlin who qualified in the three sprint events. Coughlin could be among the top runners in both the 200 Meter Dash and 400 Meter Dash. The junior could be a surprise in the 100 Meter Dash. Britney Mosby has the third longest 3A mark in the Triple Jump this season. Don’t be surprised if she is among the top three in this meet. Belleville West has the points to make it to the podium. They will need a close to perfect weekend to make that journey to the infield late Saturday afternoon.
Dunlap 1st – Moline Sectional Qualifiers – 12 Total (9 Individuals, 3 Relays) Overview – The 2A team champion from the past two years has made a nice transition to Class 3A after winning the Moline Sectional. Don’t be surprised if the Eagles finish in the top five on Saturday. Kiara Pauli enters her final state meet as a runner to watch in both the 100 Meter Dash and 200 Meter Dash. Pauli also anchors Dunlap’s 400 Meter Relay and 800 Meter Relay squads that could be a factor in the finals on Saturday. Brittany Rainey has come on strong in the 100 Meter Hurdles and could be one of the top athletes in that event. Lizzy Hoenes could be a surprise in the 400 Meter Dash. Batya Butler could get her team points in both the Shot Put and the Discus. Dunlap also has a good relay squad that could find its way to the finals in the 1600 Meter Relay.
South Holland Thornwood 3rd – Homewood-Flossmoor Sectional Qualifiers – 8 Total (7 Individuals, 1 Relay) Overview – The Thunderbirds don’t have the numbers that some of the other team’s have in Charleston. They do have the quality points that could get them near a top three finish. It all starts in the weight events with Jasmine Mitchell. The defending champion in both the Discus and the Shot Put is a good bet to repeat in that event. Mitchell has one of the top three throws in Class 3A this season. She will get her team big points in that event. Morgan Reed has been in the shadows of Mitchell in both events. Finishing in the top three in the Shot Put is a possibility for Reed as well as placing in the top five in the Discus. Arryona Simmons qualified in three events and could score points in all of them. Simons could be among the finalists in both the 100 Meter Hurdles and 300 Meter Hurdles. It would be a bonus if she made the finals in the 200 Meter Dash. Simmons is also part of a strong 800 Meter Relay team that could finish in the top five.
Frankfort Lincoln-Way East 2nd – Homewood-Flossmoor Sectional Qualifiers – 11 Total (8 Individuals, 3 Relays) Overview – Lincoln-Way East showed what kind of quality team that they are after tying Homewood-Flossmoor for the SWSC-Blue Championships two weeks ago. The Griffins, with their 11 qualifiers from last week, showed that they could challenge for a top three team finish this weekend. Katie Sciarini has developed into one of the top 3A athletes in the 300 Meter Hurdles this spring. The sophomore has the top sectional time in the event and will be one of the favorites. Sciarini could also get points in the 100 Meter Hurdles. Taylor Wright ends her high school career in this meet where she could finish in the top five in the 400 Meter Dash. It is also possible that Wright gets points in the Long Jump. Freshman Mariam Azeez has one of the top 3A marks in the Long Jump. She could also be in line for a finish in the top five. The Griffins have one of the top eight times in the 800 Meter Relay. East could get points in that event. This school usually runs their best 1600 Meter Relay time at the end of the year. Don’t expect that to change this weekend. Emma Barnard is tied for the fourth best sectional mark in the Pole Vault. She could be one of the favorites in this wide-open event. Ali Van Dyke could also be a surprise in that event.
West Aurora 1st – Metea Valley Sectional Qualifiers – 9 Total (6 individuals, 3 Relays) Overview – Another team to keep an eye on near the top three teams if they whether the Friday prelim storm. They have two-time state champion Dajour Miles leading them. The senior appears to be peaking at the right time as she has the fastest time in the state in the 400 Meter Dash after sectionals. She will be going for her third straight state win in the event. Miles also has one of the top five times in the 200 Meter Dash and will be a factor in that event. Victoria Spagnola should be one of the nine finalists in the 100 Meter Hurdles. Spagnola could also surprise some of the competition in the 300 Meter Hurdles. West Aurora qualified in three relay events. Their time in the 400 Meter Relay is third best heading into this meet. Getting the stick around the track in the prelims could mean big points on Saturday. The Pole Vault is wide-open. Abbi Kuhn could be the surprise in the event finishing in the top six.
Wheeling 1st – Glenbard North Sectional Qualifiers – 10 Total (9 Individuals, 1 Relay) Overview – The Wildcats could be one of the surprise teams in this meet. Nicole Nguyen qualified in three events with possibilities of scoring big points in both the Long Jump and the 100 Meter Dash. Nguyen also qualified in the 300 Meter Hurdles. Alexis Knight won sectional titles in the 200 Meter Dash and 400 Meter Dash. She could be among the finalists in the 400 Meter Dash. It could be a bonus if she advances to Saturday in the 200 Meter Dash. Nosa Igiehon is an athlete to keep an eye on in the Triple Jump.
Chicago Whitney Young 1st – Kenwood Academy Sectional Qualifiers – 11 Total (8 Individuals, 3 Relays) Overview – The Lady Dolphins might be a surprise in this meet possibly cracking into the top five teams. Their quartet in the 400 Meter Relay is one of the top five in Class 3A and could score big points in the event. Their team in the 800 Meter Relay could also be a squad to keep an eye on. Ella Behrens has had a fine senior season in the distance events. She could score in the 3200 Meter Run. Sydney Robinson could also catch the attention of the EIU crowd. The freshman could be a surprise in either the 100 Meter Dash or 200 Meter Dash. Lovie Annafi qualified in both horizontal jumps. She could get her team points in the Triple Jump.
Oswego 2nd – Moline Sectional Qualifiers – 9 Total – (6 Individuals, 3 Relays) Overview – The Southwest Prairie Conference champions have some how slipped under the radar. They could be a surprise near the top five. Jenelle Rogers has one of the top marks in the state in the High Jump. The junior will be one of the favorites in the event. Teammate Olivia Solis could also get points with Rogers. Isabelle Christiansen is one of the top distance runners that this school has ever produced. The senior should get points for her team in the 1600 Meter Run. She will also be a part of a 3200 Meter Relay team that could be among the top five relay teams. Ella Hale, who should also be a part f that squad, could be a factor in the 800 Meter Run. Jennah Rogers could get her team points in the 100 Meter Hurdles. A big meet from Claire Barenie could net her a top six finish in the Pole Vault.
Roselle Lake Park 3rd – Glenbard North Sectional Qualifiers – 7 Total ( 7 Individuals, 0 Relays) Overview – A good weekend from the Lady Lancers could get them into the top ten teams. Stephanie Montenegro could be one of the top athletes in the Discus. She could also score points in the Shot Put. Dominika Baranska finished third behind Montenegro in the sectionals in the discus. Do not be surprised if the senior also earns all-state honors. Paulina Lucer could be a surprise in the Pole Vault. Andie Granskog has the ability to place in both the Long Jump and the 100 Meter Hurdles.
Downers Grove North 3rd – Naperville North Sectional Qualifiers – 8 Total (6 Individuals, 2 Relays) Overview – Kimberly Brent is the main cog in this Downers Grove North team. Brent anchors their 400 Meter Relay and 800 Meter Relay squads that could make the Saturday finals. Brent is also a good bet to make the finals in both the 100 Meter Dash and 200 Meter Dash. McKenna Cinotte has come on strong in the Triple Jump and could earn all-state honors. Carolyn-Paige Breit could be a surprise in the Pole Vault.
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