By Michael Newman

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Batavia, Ill. – There is a joyful innocence that emulates from Batavia freshman Katrina Schlenker as she hangs out with her friends and teammates after a track meet.

When she steps on the line for a race, Schlenker is all business.

The freshman showed that Saturday afternoon during the inaugural DuKane Girls Indoor Championships. Schlenker won both distance races helping Batavia win the conference title with 126 points. St. Charles East (108 points) and Wheaton-Warrenville South (102 points) finished second and third.

RESULTS | MEET VIDEO

The 3200 Meter Run race was all about times. The 1600 Meter Run win was for the team.

We knew that the 3200 Meter Run would be a fast race when Schlenker went through the first 1600-meters in a quick 5:16. She did have help with the pace. St. Charles East sophomore Alice Abbott was right on her side pushing her faster. Schlenker final pulled away in the final two laps gaining four seconds in the penultimate 200-meters.

Schlenker crossed the line in 10:32.62 (IL #2) for the win establishing a new fieldhouse record. The old record was set last year when Sarah Schmitt ran 10:34 at Batavia Distance Madness. Abbott finished second in 10:40.6 but was informed after the race that she was disqualified for cutting in too soon at the start of the race.

It was all about the points for the Batavia freshman in the 1600 Meter Run. Schlenker waited until 600-meters left in the race before moving away from Abbott and Samantha Poglitsch from Wheaton-Warrenville South. Schlenker covered the final 400-meters in a comfortable 72.7 seconds to win the race (5:03.56) ahead of Poglitsch (5:07.48) and Abbott (5:09.45). It was great doubles by all three runners. Earlier in the meet, Poglitsch waited until the final 125-meters to surge past Batavia’s Mia Gianfrancesco to win the 800 Meter Run (2:22.75). Gianfrancesco ran 2:24.68 to finish second.

“I was paced to run 10:30 today, but I am really happy to run 10:32,” Schlenker said after her cool down. “I was feeling pretty good (in the 1600 Meter Run). I cooled down well. I warmed up well. I wasn’t really going for time. I was just trying to help my team as much as I could.”

Batavia also picked up a win by Amy Zabka in the Shot Put. The senior had a 39-4.50 personal best to win the event ahead of Lake Park’s Stephanie Montenegro (38-1). Batavia’s Mackenzie Benkers and Jamie Schulz of Wheaton North both cleared 9-6 in the Pole Vault. Benkers was awarded the win due to fewer misses in the competition.

There were two multi-event winners in this meet. Andelyn Granskog of Lake Park picked up wins in three events. The senior, who competed in the pentathlon in last week’s New Balance Indoor Nationals, cleared 5-1 to win the High Jump, jumped 17-8.50 to win the Long Jump, and also ran 8.61 to win the 55 Meter Hurdles.

Emily Nichols of St. Charles East was a double winner just missing on a third. Nicholls got off to a good start in her section of the 55 Meter Dash running a personal best 7.49 for the win just two hundredths of a second ahead of Batavia’s Davina Wilson (7.51).

Nichols was in control with her teammate Victoria Kortan in the 400 Meter Dash as the teammates took the top two spots in the event. Nicholls won her second race of the day (1:01.33) just ahead of Kortan (1:01.54).

Nicholls just missed by five hundredths of a second in the 200 Meter Dash. Nicholls had the lead coming off the curve only to be caught at the line by Wheaton North’s Leeya Zander who crossed the line in 26.57 seconds. Nichols was timed in 26.62 seconds.