Huntley jumps ahead for first IHSA 3A Girls State Title

 

Ince repeats double and anchors for 4x4 win; Prospect wins third straight 4x8 title; Wild finishes in 1600 and 3200; Lydon all-state in four events including defending High Jump title

 

By Michael Newman

 

Charleston, Ill – It was Field and Track for Huntley on Saturday afternoon at the IHSA State Girls Championships on the campus of Eastern Illinois University. The Red Raiders scored 62.5 points to win the program’s first state championship.

 

42.5 of the 62.5 points that Huntley scored happened in field events

 

Results | Video Interviews | Photos

1A Recap | 2A Recap

 

Prospect scored 52 points to finish second. Kenwood earned a trophy in this meet finishing third with 45 points. Neuqua Valley and Prairie Ridge tied for fourth with 42 points.

 

The Johnson sisters led the way for Huntley in this meet scoring 32.5 points alone in the two horizontal jumps. Alexandria Johnson won her third straight 3A title in the Long Jump. Her win in this event seemed fairly easy. Alexandria shut the door on the field in the opening round Friday afternoon with a 19-6.75 jump. Her two remaining jumps on Friday were both over 19-feet. She fouled on her opening jump on Saturday and scratched on the other two. None of the 12 finalists were going to catch her on this day.

 

Rylee Lydon of Prairie Ridge jumped 18-8.75 to finish second. Charlotte Deines of Prospect jumped a personal best of 18-5.75 to place third. Gabriela Manzano of New Trier jumped 18-3.75 to finish fourth. Dominique Johnson of Huntley and Aaliyah Thurman of Proviso West tied for fifth jumping 18-3.25.

 

It was a change of first name on the Johnson name in the Triple Jump. This time it was Dominque Johnson that claimed the win after finishing second last year. She did it with a fair jump. Dominique fouled on three of her four events and scratched on the other two attempts. Her only good jump was 40-6.25 in the second round giving her the win. Alexandria finished second (40-3.25). Elissa Perkins of Plainfield East jumped 39-8.75 on her final jump to finish third.

 

Aly Panzloff surprised some by winning the Discus even though she came into this event with the second best throw from sectionals. Panzloff took the lead from the start throwing 159-10 in the opening round. No one came close to her until the fifth round on Saturday when Reese Garland of Oak Park-River Forest threw 145-7. It was not enough to surpass Panzloff. Kaitlyn Morningstar of Edwardsville threw 143-8 to finish third.

 

Both Johnson sisters were a part of the 4x100m Relay. Huntley ran 47.97 to finish second behind race winner Kenwood (47.13). O’Fallon (48.20) and Neuqua Valley (48.28) to finish third and fourth. The same quartet of the Johnsons along with K’Leigh Saenz and Victoria Evitmov ran in the 4x200m Relay. Neuqua Valley with a great anchor from Zawadi Brown got the Wildcats the win in the event (1:39.77) ahead of Prospect (1:40.66) and Huntley (1:40.72). Breanna Burak also got caught up in the scoring act finishing fifth in the 3200 Meter Run.

 

Prospect wins third straight 3A 4x800m Relay

The showdown that was supposed to happen between defending champion Prospect and Normal Community showed a little promise in the prelims when Normal Community behind Ali Ince’s 2:13 anchor leg gave them the win and the top seed in the finals. Prospect’s only regular in the prelims was Hailey Erickson who secured her team into the finals.

 

The decision was made on Friday evening for Meg Petersen not to run the relay instead concentrated on the open 800 Meter Run. Samantha Patterson ran instead of Peterson with Ericksen, Camden Kalaway running with Lily Ginsberg anchoring. Normal would run with their regular four that ran 9:11 in their sectional.

 

Kalaway has run this relay for the Knights regularly and put their team in the lead at the end of the opening leg with a split of 2:15.9. St. Charles East was second two seconds behind Prospect leading the second pack. Normal was in the middle of that pack in sixth place. Patterson kept Prospect in the lead, but Lyons Township changed their lineup running Catherine Sommerfeld on the second leg. She ran 2:16 to get Lyons Township within a second of the lead. Normal Community slipped back into tenth and now 10 seconds behind the lead that Prospect had set.

 

The lead grew to four seconds for Prospect as Hailey Erickson ran 2:18.6 on the third leg ahead of Lyons Township, Barrington, and Naperville Central. The big question was where was Normal Community? They were in last 24 seconds behind Prospect.

 

“I checked before I got the baton were they (Normal) was,” Prospect’s anchor Lily Ginsberg. You know I was going to run hard, but it was good to know where she (Ince) was.

 

Ince could look ahead at the next three races she would run in this race but that simply is not her nature. “I was going to go all out to get some medals for my teammates.”

 

Ince went out in 60 seconds for the first 400 of this final 800 of the race. Ginsberg went out in 63 seconds wanting to secure the win for her team. Ginsberg continued to stretch the lead until the final 200-meters of the race. Scout Storms was anchoring for Barrington. Lily Eddington was anchoring for Downers Grove North. It was a battle for second place with Prospect in control.

 

The Knights picked up their third state championship in a row, this time with a clocking of 9:07.46. She ran a 2:12.99 to accomplish that. Barrington was next in 9:15,11 giving the MSL a 1-2 finish. Downers Grove North ran 9:17.68 to finish third ahead of WSC-Silver rival Lyons Township (9:18.38), Naperville Central was the only other team under 9:20 finishing fifth with a 9:18.28 time. St. Charles East ran a season’s best of 9:22.83 leg. Ali Ince took her team from twelfth all to way to seventh with a 2:08.4 split.

 

Ince and her other three races

Ince still had three races left in this meet with her short rest period between the 800 and the 400 still to come. The Normal junior would be the huge favorite in this race going for her third title in a row. It was not the typical opening lap in the race we were used to seeing from this national champion.

 

“I looked at the clock at the finish,” Ince remarked. “I thought I may need to pick up the pace.” Annika Swan of St. Ignatius was right on her side as the two passed 400-meters in 66 seconds. Praise Oyebanji of Mundelein led the pack in third. Ince likes to accelerate, push the pace on the third 200 section of this event. She did that throwing in a 31 second 200 to take control of the race. This would be no meet record, but Ince was more concerned about the state title.

 

She took the win in 2:10.40 crossing the line and looking ahead to the 400 that would be coming up. Swan in her first state final ran 2:13.85 to finish second. The move paid off for Prospect as Meg Peterson ran 2:14.34 to finish third. Oyebanji (2:14.91) and Ginsberg (2:16.53) finished fourth and fifth.

 

It was a short break. Ince head experienced this double last year and knew what to expect. Four runners in the 400 Meter Dash would run in under 56 seconds. Ince came off the final turn in third place with Rylee Lydon and Katelyn Lehnen of Chatham-Glenwood within reach of the win. Angela Alozie of Homewood-Flossmoor started to make her move. This was similar as last year when Ince started to get closer to the lead. One final surge to get to the finish line gave Ince the advantage (55.18) just edging Lydon by a tenth of a second. Lehnen was at 55.87 in third with Alozie running 55.94 to place fourth.

 

Ince was part of all 33 points that Normal scored to finish sixth. Prospect and Hinsdale Central were a second ahead of Normal when Ince got the baton. That was not a big enough margin for the rest of the teams. Ince’s eighth race in the past day resulted in a 54.68 anchor leg to give Normal the win. Catie McCabe ran a 57.93 split to give Hinsdale Central finishing second (3:56.75). Prospect (3:57.73), Plainfield North (3:58.08), and Joliet West (3:58.39) were third through fifth.

 

Wild finishes in the distances

Grace Schager of Glenbard North had her sights on back-to-back titles in the 3200 Meter Run. It was expected that Rachel Soukup of Prairie Ridge would be close to Schager just like what happened indoors at Illinois Top Times. Schager and Soukup distanced themselves from the rest of the field early as the two runners went through the first mile in a blistering 5:01. Anna Harden of Hersey tried to stay with early but was at 5:09 at the 1600 point. Bria Bennis of York had been running negative splits during the 3200 Meter Run races she was in. She was at 5:14 and ready for another negative split race.

 

Schager was making little moves trying to gap Soukup. It started to happen on the sixth and seventh laps where she opened up a four second lead. It looked that the Glenbard North senior would win this race – not so fast. Soukup did not know the meaning of quit and started to close the gap. Schager felt the energy that the crowd was bringing and surged for one final time.

 

Schager defended her state title and earned her third overall state  title running 10:15.81. It was not her fastest time of the year, but that did not matter. She had the state title. Soukup capped off a great senior season running a personal best of 10:16.51 closing to under a second of Schager. Bennis ran her second personal best of the meet after the 1600 prelims running 10:24.08 to place third. Harden looked exhausted after she finished in 10:31.08 to place fourth. All four of these runners would be coming back to run the 1600. How would they race?

 

There was no favorite heading into the 1600 Meter Run. There would be only Catie McCabe of Hinsdale Central who was the only runner that had not raced earlier in the day. The first lap showed that this race would be sit and kick where none of the 12 runners wanted to take the lead. Schager reluctantly was leading if you can call it that. She was in that pack but had the lead  with a 75 second opening lap. All 12 runners in this race were within a second of each other.

 

The question was after the second lap in another 75 seconds was who would take the lead. McCabe had moved closer to the front within race leader Schager contemplating she would take the lead. Scout Storms was finding lanes within the pack finding a way to the outside. Anna Harden was towards the front of the pack contemplating when to go or to counter when someone would break away from the pack.

 

The moves started to happen with 450-meters left in the race when Storms on the outside to take the lead as the bell sounded. McCabe saw what was happening and pushed for the lead. Juliet Frum of Glenbrook North was a factor maker heading into the race. This sophomore went with the two along with Schager, Harden, and Sophia Ramirez of Washington countering.

 

McCabe came off the curve with a slight lead and was within 100-meters of the finish line. Storms opening move had started this mess with her move as nine runners were within two seconds of each other. Storms looked like she had the race. All of a sudden Harden appeared on the outside of the pack in Lane 3 surging for the finish. McCabe countered the move battling for the win. McCabe stumbled in the final 10 meters of the race. It looked lie Harden did also, but she found her way to the finish.

 

The two runners were within 18 hundredth of a second. Harden was in disbelief after she crossed the line in 4:53.14. The end of the race played out just like what happened two months before at Illinois Top Times when she slipped by Schager for the win.

 

McCabe finished second in 4:53.32 and in disbelief of how close that finish was. Seven runners within two seconds with basically the leaders running the final laps in 67 seconds after three laps of hum drum 75’s for the first three laps. Maybe it was she had already started to focus for the 4x400m Relay where she would anchor her team to a second-place finish. It was quite a day for the Hinsdale Central senior.

 

In her final high school race, Harden stood near the finish line accepting congratulations  with her hand over her mouth trying to accept the fact that she realized her dream. No more high school races for her. She would now prepare herself for next stage in life in the United States Air Force Academy.

 

Storms (4:54.20), Frum (4:54.69), Ramirez (4:54.85), and Schager (4:54.90) were all under 4:55 and the next four spots. Annika Swan came off a fast 800 to finish eighth running 4:55.16 to place seventh. Soukup (4:58.80) and Bennis (5:03.18) rounded out the podium

 

Four all-state performances just a typical day in the office for Lydon

It was not a surprise that Rylee Lydon of Prairie Ridge would earn all-state places in all places as the IHSA State Meet. Lydon has shown that she will become one of the top multi-event athletes first collegiately and professionally when all is said and done. She won the USATF Heptathlon last year. She will defend her title this summer before heading to Texas A&M in August.

 

This was not a matter of unfinished business for the graduated senior. It was a matter of continuing it. Four events. Four all-state medals including a state championship.

 

Saturday at state started in the Long Jump where she stood in second-place behind eventual champion Alexandria Johnson. Only four athletes jumped better than they did in prelims. None of them surpassed Lydon as she jumped 18-8.75 to finish second. Charlotte Deines of Prospect, who also had a great state meet, jumped 18-5.75 to finish third.

 

Lydon was the defending champion in the High Jump and failed to disappoint in that event on this day. Her chief competition came from Baelyn Zitzmann of Lake Zurich. The junior will be a force in the 2024 season. She was matching Lydon in every height. Zitzmann had a miss at 5-3, 5-4.25, and 5-6.5 but was still in contention for the win. Lydon had no misses on those heights having a perfect day. At 5-7.75, Lydon cleared on her first attempt gently brushing the crossbar, of course on this day. Zitzmann would finish second after missing all three attempts. The second state championship in this event was Lydon’s. She continued on clearing 5-8.75 on her second event. Her misses at 5-10 signaled she was ready to head to the track.

 

The 100m Hurdles was new for Lydon in her schedule of events in 2023. She had raced only once in this outdoor hurdle race before this season. College coaches that she had talked to in her recruiting had recommended it to her. 100m Hurdles would get you bigger points in the multi scoring tables. This season would get her in the habit to perfect going a series of 10 hurdles.  She had raced in five invitationals in that event heading to state 14.88 her best time.

 

Lydon qualified for the finals with the sixth fastest and personal best of 14.72. Aisha Kazeem of Palatine led qualifiers in that event with a 14.43 personal best. Corynn Holmes of Moline (14.49), Abrielle Artley of Evanston (14.50), Daisha Brunson of Conant (14.53), and Simone Bernard of Whitney Young (14.65) were all ahead.

 

Lydon’s inexperience in this event did not show. Neither did it show for Brunson. The freshman had the lead by the second hurdle blowing away this talented field running a 14.16 time for a state championship. The first five runners in this race achieved personal bests. Artley was second (14.35) followed by Holmes (14.38) and then Lydon with her second personal best as in many days (14.50).

 

Lydon was focused as she settled into the blocks in the 400 Meter Dash. There was no thought that this was her final high school race. The eye was on the prize of a state title which she won in this event in 2021.

 

She had the lead heading into the final 50 meters of the race. On came Allison Ince who was the defending champion. Ince made a surge at the finish as Lydon leaned for the line. Ince defended her title in 55.18. Lydon ran another personal best of 55.28 to finish second ahead of Chatham-Glenwood’s Katelyn Lehnen who finished third (55.87).

 

Lydon walked over to the grassy area by the starters tent and sat down not wanting to get up. She had a smile on her face after a successful day not wanting to move from the area for a little time.

 

This athlete from Prairie Ridge competed in three state meets in career with her freshman state meet not held due to COVID-19. In those three meets she was all-state nine times. She was all-state twice as a sophomore, three times as a junior, and four times on Saturday.

 

Lydon won two state championships in the High Jump. She won a state champion as a sophomore in the 400 Meter Dash in 2021.

 

To narrow it down even more, she earned all-state status three times in the 400 Meter Dash and High Jump, twice in the Long Jump and once in the 100m Hurdles.

 

She did run cross country in her first two years at Prairie Ridge. She finished 22nd in the 2A race at Detweiller Park in 2019. There was no IHSA State Meet in 2020. She did finish in the ShaZam alternate state meet placing 23rd.

 

Lydon had quite a high school career in two sports. The best is yet to come in collegiate competitions and beyond.

 

MEET HIGHLIGHTS

The results were a surprise to most in the 100 Meter Dash. All eyes were on Asia Thomas of Kenwood who led all qualifiers in the prelims of this event with a 11.74 time. Her teammate Jaliyah Shepherd won her heat in 11.78 seconds. Katelyn Lehnen and Charlotte Deines were the other heat winners both under 12 seconds.

 

Shepherd’s only race win in this event all season came in this meet. She got off to a great start moving her out of the shadows of Thomas and into a spotlight of her own. Shepherd achieved a personal best of 11.70 to claim the state title. Zawadi Brown of Neuqua Valley had a super meet running a 11.79 personal best to finish second. Tania Miller of Romeoville was a surprise in third with a personal best of 11.89 to place third. Thomas (11.91) and Lehnen (11.94).

 

Thomas and Shepherd were part of a great quartet for Kenwood along with Harmony Brown and Kee’Lani Whitlock in the 4x100m Relay. The Broncos were the favorites entering into Fridays prelims. They added to that aura in their heat when they ran a state leading and a national top 50 time of 46.66 for the win. O’Fallon (47.47), Neuqua Valley (47.48), and Huntley (47.81) had the next three fastest teams.

 

It was Kenwood’s race in the finals, and they did just that. Good handoffs led the Broncos to the state championship in 47.13. Huntley (47.97), O’Fallon (48.20), and Neuqua Valley followed (48.28).

 

We mentioned earlier that Zawadi Brown had a great meet on Saturday. It started when she finished second in the 100 Meter Dash and the 4x1. She got even stronger in her final two events.

 

It was fairly even between Neuqua Valley, Huntley, and Huntley through the first three legs of the 4x200m Relay. That was until Brown received the baton to run the anchor leg. She came out of the curve on fire and moved away from the rest of the field. Brown ran Neuqua Valley to a state title running the state’s fastest of 1:39.77. Prospect ran a best of 1:40.66 to finish second ahead of Huntley (1:40.72), O’Fallon (1:41.42), Kenwood (1:41.86), and Lake Zurich (1:42.46).

 

Brown’s final race was her best of the day. She controlled the finals of the 200 Meter Dash in a big way. She crossed the line for the win and a state leading time of 23.85 to claim her first state title individually. She did not realize how fast she ran in that race until she was told so. She was in disbelief that she had run under 24-seconds for the first time.

 

Asia Thomas finished second 24.56 to finish second ahead of Katelyn Lehnen (24.58) and DeAndranay Chism of Belleville East (24.63).

 

Abrielle Artley of Evanston took the lead on the final two hurdles of the 300 Meter Hurdles to take the state championship with a 43.25 personal best. Aisha Kazeem of Palatine ran a personal best of 43.48 to finish second with Tori Robinson-Thomas of Proviso East ran a personal best of 44.79 to finish third. Kyra Hayden of Lincoln-Way East ran her best race of the season in this event running 45.00 seconds to finish fourth.

 

Kait McHale of Naperville Central cleared 12-8.75 on her opening attempt at the height to claim the state championship in the Pole Vault. This event became very strategical with passing at heights between McHale and second-place finisher Jocelyn Dieckman of DeKalb made every attempt even more suspenseful. Dieckman had the advantage between these two DuPage Valley Conference rivals as she cleared her opening heights of 11-9 and 12-4.75. McHale missed once in both heights that put Dieckman in the lead on fewer misses. McHale made a strategic pass at 12-6.75 putting the pressure on Dieckman who was the only athlete left in the competition.

 

Dieckman missed on her next three attempts knocking her out of this event. Dieckman still had the lead putting the pressure on McHale to clear 12-8.75. McHale cleared that height easily to claim the state crown. Mia Boule of Yorkville and Reese Wolfe of Chatham-Glenwood finished third and fourth clearing 12-00.75. That height clearance was a personal best for Wolfe.

 

Dawson Wright of Evanston Township entered the state meet with the seventh longest mark from sectionals. By the time the event was over on Saturday, Wright was the queen of the ring with a 43-3.25 personal best to claim the state title.

 

Wright was 16 after the opening round on Friday with only a 36-7.75 mark. She let the 4kg shot fly in the second attempt taking the lead for good with that winning mark. She had three more good marks in the meet fouling on the other one. The best of those marks was just 38-5.50. Her personal best before that was 40-6.50 in her league championships on May 4.

 

The top five finishers were within a foot of each other. Amaya Hendrickson of Hoffman Estates had a best of 42-11 to finish second. Jaclyn Riedl of Maine West (42-10.75), Antenise Williams of Schaumburg (42-11), and Reese Garland of Oak Park-River Forest (42-5.25) were the next three finishers.