By Michael Newman

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While winter still had its icy grip on April and continued its death struggle, Illinois track & field athletes persevered as meets went on throughout the state.

The cold winds had its way with some of the performances with some good and some bad. It was a test to see what some of these athletes had. You never know what the weather will be like when we get to Charleston in May. These meets will just toughen some of these athletes up a little more.

Here are some of the highlights that happened from the past weekend.

You can watch race videos of the following meets:

Bruce Ritter Invitational @ Downers Grove North

Minooka SmithStrong Invitational @ Joliet Memorial Stadium

Bruce Ritter Invitational @ Downers Grove North

The westerly winds that whipped across the north end of the track at Downers Grove North’s Carstens Field did not seem to bother Glenbard West’s Katelynne Hart as she seemed to welcome them. The junior was in control in the three races that she competed in Friday evening.

Hart got the baton with a slight lead in the 3200 Meter Relay. She lengthened that lead starting with a 64 second opening leg and cruised across the line in a 2:17.1 split. Glenbard West won the race (9:31.15, IL #2) ahead of Lyons Township (9:45.02, IL #8).

Hart easily won the 800 Meter Run dropping in 33 second 200’s in her first three going past 600-meters in 1:39.5. She glided across the line in 2:14.42 (IL #3) with closest competition being Glenbrook South’s Lauren Hayes finishing second (2:20.05).

Hart had to play catch-up when she received the baton for the anchor leg of the 1600 Meter Relay. The Lady Hilltoppers were three seconds behind Lyons Township at that point. Hart caught Lyons’ Maddie Cranny 200-meters into the final leg. She pulled ahead in the final 100-meters to capture the win for Glenbard West (4:06.71) ahead of Lyons Township.

Two-time defending 3A 400 Meter Dash champion Dajour Miles of West Aurora also braved the cold elements with a pair of wins. The expected challenge from Wheeling’s Alexis Knight never materialized in the 400 Meter Dash as Miles made up the stagger by 200-meters into the race. Miles held on for the win (58.51) ahead of Knight (59.67) and Glenbard West’s Aaliyah Collier (59.92).

The race was closer for Miles in the 200 Meter Dash. The all-state runner had the lead coming off the curve and held off Lyn’Nikka Vance of Crete Monee for the win. Miles was timed at 25.50 (IL #6) while Vance was next at 25.63.

Palatine’s Erin Oleksak was also a double event winner. The senior ran 15.44 to win the 100 Meter Hurdles ahead of West Aurora’s Victoria Spagnola (15.91). Belvidere North’s Haley Dahl had the lead coming off the curve of the 300 Meter Hurdles. Oleksak took the lead on the second to last hurdle to take the win (46.55) ahead of Dahl’s 46.94.

The wind had a hand in the only meet record Friday night. Raelyn Roberson of Glenbrook South jumped 19-0.50 to win the Long Jump with Lyn’Nikka Vance surpassing her old meet record by jumping 18-9 to finish second.

Minooka SmithStrong Invitational @ Joliet Memorial Stadium

The winds that whipped around Memorial Stadium Saturday afternoon did not seem to bother Lincoln-Way Central’s Jared Kries in the 1600 Meter Run as he powered away from the pack early in the race on his way to the win. Kries went past his first 400-meter splits in 65/2:10/3:15 on his way to running 4:22.47 (IL #8). Kaneland’s Daniel Occhipinti (4:26.97), Normal West’s Charlie Wetzel (4:27.56) and Huntley’s Jadon Conroy (4:27.98) followed.

Batavia won the team competition with 93 points ahead of Oak Park-River Forest (89 points) and Huntley (80 points). The Bulldogs started and ended the running events with wins. Batavia ran a state leading 8:04.10 to win the 3200 Meter Relay ahead of Lakes Community (8:06.70, IL #2). Batavia ended the meet by running 3:26.52 (IL #4) to win the 1600 Meter Relay ahead of Lyons Township (3:26.52).

Oak Park-River Forest’s second-place finish was powered by wins in the sprints and the hurdles. Oak Park started with a win in the 400 Meter Relay (43.15) just ahead of Batavia (43.26). JT Lowder held off the swirling winds to run 15.53 to win the 110 High Hurdles with Zackary McClain of Lyons Township (15.77) and Lockport Township’s Ray Holland (15.78) finishing second and third. Tyrone Clarke followed that race by running 11.29 to win the 100 Meter Dash. Their 800 Meter Relay quartet ran 1:30.41 for the win holding off Batavia (1:30.71). Oak Park’s final sprint win came from Amir Blanchard as he ran 22.54 to win the 200 Meter Dash finishing ahead of Huntley’s Antonio Passarelli (22.68).

Oak Park also received a win from Keion Gilbert as he had a 54-4 mark to win the Shot Put. The Huskies are still without their star sprinter/hurdler Koren Leonard who is still recovering from an indoor season hamstring injury. He could be expected back soon according to OPRF Coach Tim Hasso.

Granite City Boys Invitational

Andrew O’Keefe of Granite City tuned up for this Saturday’s 1600 Meter Run at Palatine. It was a great 3200 Meter Run race as O’Keefe and Edwardsville’s Roland Prenzler pushed each other to top ten state times. O’Keefe pulled away to run 9:11.11 (IL #3) for the win and a new school record while Prenzler ran 9:18.04 (IL #7) to finish second.

Zachary Pluff of Freeburg continued his strong senior campaign with another personal best in the High Jump. Pluff cleared a state leading 6-10 to win the event. Springfield Southeast’s David Emuze had a great Friday by jumping a personal best 23-1 (IL #6) to win the Long Jump.

Cahokia’s Steven Harris was a winner in both hurdle events. Harris ran a personal best of 14.60 (IL #7) to win the 110 High Hurdles. He came back to run 39.52 (IL #5) to win the 300 Meter Hurdles.

Wheaton North Blue and Gold Girls Invitational

Riley Ammenhauser of Neuqua Valley again ruled the horizontal jumps as she picked up wins in both events. The sophomore had a seasonal best of 18-0.75 (IL #9) to win the Long Jump. Ammenhauser came back to jump 39-11 to win the Triple Jump by more than four feet.

The distance events again were the spotlight of this meet. Downers Grove South, with Becky Versaskas, Rebecca Diddia, Kennedy Warden, and Erin Reidy in their lineup, ran a state leading 9:29.58 to win the 3200 Meter Relay ahead of Wheaton-Warrenville South (9:47.23).

The finish of the 800 Meter Run had a close finish. Reidy, Marianne Mihas of Latin School, and Mikenna Robinson of Neuqua Valley came off the final curve fairly even with Mihas having the edge. Reidy tried to pass Mihas in the final 20-meters having to move out to the third lane to make the pass over a drifting Mihas. The Latin School sophomore won the race 2:19.12 ahead of Reidy (2:19.23) and Robinson (2:20.87).

Latin School freshman Ava Parekh came back from a strong race in the 3200 Meter Run at Arcadia by running 5:07.04 to win the 1600 Meter Run. Parekh was eight seconds ahead of second-place finisher Kennedy Warden of Downers Grove South (5:15.52). Oswego’s Isabelle Christiansen easily won the 3200 Meter Run (11:16.51) to finish ahead of teammate Rebecca Corbett (11:40.11).

Samantha Poglitsch of Wheaton-Warrenville South is a three-time all-state runner in Cross Country and last spring in the 1600 Meter Run. The sophomore stepped down to the 400 Meter Dash after running in her team’s quartet in the 3200 Meter Relay. She won the race (1:01.10) finishing ahead of Jennelle Rogers of Oswego (1:01.54). Rogers won the High Jump clearing 5-6.

Capitol City Classic @ Memorial Stadium, Springfield

Mundelein looked good in running 8:06.90 (IL #3) to win the 3200 Meter Relay just ahead of Normal University (8:07.38, IL #4). Two all-state runners faced off in the 1600 Meter Run as Bloomington’s Nick Doud ran 4:19.69 (IL #4) for the win ahead of 2A State XC Champion Mathias Powell of Mahomet-Seymour who ran 4:21.87 (#6) to finish second.

Hunter Hendershot of Mahomet-Seymour was a double winner in the weight events. He started with a 52-5.50 put to win the Shot Put. He also threw 167-2 to win the Discus.

Homewood-Flossmoor Boys Invitational

The winds had an affect in the Long Jump with three of the top four marks in the state produced in this meet. Crete-Monee’s Jamal Safo jumped a state leading 24-5.75 (US #6, all-conditions) to win the event. Homewood-Flossmoor’s Jalen Hunter jumped 23-8.5 with second best mark in the state. Safo’s teammate Kaon Jones established a personal best of 23-3.75 (IL #4) to finish third.

Homewood-Flossmoor and Crete Monee established the top two times in the state in the 400 Meter Relay. The two teams were separated by only four hundredths of a second in the event as Homewood-Flossmoor ran 41.74 ahead of Crete-Monee’s 41.78.

Thomas McBride Invitational @ Springfield Southeast

Serena Bolden had a big day on her home track winning four individual events. Bolden won both events in the horizontal jumps with a 18-2.50 mark to win the Long Jump and jumping 39-8.50 to win the Triple Jump. She went to the track to run 12.45 to win the 100 Meter Dash and then 25.41 to win the 200 Meter Dash. Her teammate Raven Moore ran 58.13 to win the 400 Meter Dash ahead of Homewood-Flossmoor’s Amaiya Barnes (59.76).

It was close in the 300 Meter Hurdles as East St. Louis-Senior’s Veronica Sherrod ran 45.47 to win the event by just a tenth of a second ahead of Evanston’s Gabriella Calixte (45.57).

The battles were great in the three sprint relays between perennial powers Homewood-Flossmoor and East St. Louis-Senior. The Lady Vikings were in command of the 400 Meter Relay (48.09) winning by over two seconds ahead of the Flyerettes (50.48). It was another two second margin in the 800 Meter Relay as Homewood-Flossmoor ran (1:42.18) to finish ahead of East St. Louis-Senior (1:44.80). Homewood-Flossmoor completed the sweep by running 3:57.65 to win the 1600 Meter Relay just ahead of East St. Louis-Senior (3:58.96).

Other Highlights

Bloomington Lady Raider – Danville’s Ameia Wilson runs 11.87 to win the 100 Meter Dash ahead of Dunlap’s Kiara Pauli (12.27, IL #). Wilson also runs a state leading 24.72 to win the 200 Meter Dash and jumped 18-9.50 to win the Long Jump.

Tri-Valley’s Windsor Roberts clearing a state leading 13-0 to win the Pole Vault. Normal U-High’s Jessica McDowell ran 58.22 (IL #5) to win the 400 Meter Dash.

Oswego East Girls Inv – Jayla Campbell of Rich Central ran 12.29 (IL #5) to win the 100 Meter Dash and 56.69 (IL #2) to win the 400 Meter Dash. Campbell ran 25.53 (IL #8) to finish second in the 200 Meter Dash behind the 24.84 (IL #4) win from Evergreen Park’s Tiera Robinson-Jones. The Shot Put competition was great as defending 3A State Champion Jasmine Mitchell of Thornwood had a 45-3.75 best to win the event while Plainfield South’s Miranda Cadwell established a huge personal best of 44-5 (IL #2) to finish second.

Gus Scott Invitational @ Naperville North – The host Huskies made their presence known in the Girls Distance Events. Alex Morris ran a state leading 4:56.29 in the 1600 Meter Run with teammate Claire Hill running 4:59.31 (IL #2). Campbell Petersen ran 2:18.30 (IL #6) to win the 800 Meter Run. St. Charles East’s Alice Abbott ran 10:53.53 to win the 3200 Meter Run.

Halle Bieber of Naperville North used solo efforts in both hurdle races to put herself among the state’s best. Bieber ran 14.74 (IL #2) to win the 100 Meter Hurdles. She came back to run 44.69 (IL #2) to win the 300 Meter Hurdles.

Amiri Buchanan of Romeoville had a big night in the Boys weight events. The senior had a 60-8 put (IL #3) to win the Shot Put. He came back to throw 180-2 (IL #3) to win the Discus.

Metea Valley Boys Inv – Marcellus Moore of Plainfield North took his ACT test in the morning, and then took to the track. Moore ran 22.04 to win the 200 Meter Dash ahead of Wheaton-Warrenville South’s Cedric Rowzee (22.44). Moore came back to run a 48.9 split on his team’s 1600 Meter Relay quartet that ran 3:28.14 for the win just ahead of Plainfield East (3:28.99).

Lane Tech Pizza Battle – Two of the top 800 Meter Run times were produced at this meet Thursday. Whitney Young’s Samuel Rivera ran 1:55.09 (IL #3) to win the event ahead of Mundelein’s Michael Parduhn (1:57.70).

Bud Mohns Invitational @ Downers Grove South – Guillermo Ibarra of Morton tuned up for his Palatine 3200m race this Saturday by running 4:24.37 (IL #10) to win the 1600 Meter Run. In the same meet, York ran a solo 8:08.42 (IL #6) to win the 3200 Meter Relay by 14 seconds.

Capital City Relays @ Columbia, Missouri

Quincy’s Jordan Johnson improved his personal best in the Shot Put. The defending 3A champion in the Discus had a 61-0 best (IL #2) in this meet in Missouri. Johnson also threw 198-9 to win the Discus.

HUB Relays @ Rochelle

Kyle Kruthoff of Erie-Prophetstown established the state lead in the Pole Vault by clearing 16-1 to win the event.