By Michael Newman

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Here are some of the highlights of each of the 11 2A Girls IHSA Sectional Meets from May 8 to May 10.

 

FRIDAY May 10

Troy Triad Sectional

East St. Louis-Senior was in charge of this sectional and will be one of the favorites to win the 2A team title next week in Charleston. The Flyerettes qualified 13 individual and all 4 relays in winning the team title with 171 points. Carbondale was a distant second with 90 points.

East St. Louis won three of the four relay events. Carbondale stopped them in the 400 Meter Relay as the Terriers ran 47.89 to win the event ahead of East St. Louis (48.17). East St. Louis ran 9:40.61 to win the 3200 Meter Relay, 1:41.64 in the 800 Meter Relay to win ahead of Carbondale (1:42.13), and 3:53.40 to win the 1600 Meter Relay.

Veronica Sherrod led East St. Louis with two individual wins. Sherrod ran 15.41 to win the 100 Meter Hurdles. She came back to run 44.20 to win the 300 Meter Hurdles to win by more than a second ahead of teammate Maysha Vickers (45.78).

Jariah Turner of East St. Louis won the 400 Meter Dash leading six runners to state in that event. Turner’s winning time was 57.60.

Benton’s Amelia McLain completed a tough double running 2:21.23 to win the 800 Meter Run ahead of Freeburg’s Breanna Chandler (2:22.53). McLain came back to run 5:24.50 to win the 1600 Meter Run. Defending 2A State champion Jenna Schwartz of Waterloo qualified for the 3200 Meter Run as she won easily (11:23.37) ahead of Carbondale freshman Anna Schurz by 30 seconds.

  

Chicago De La Salle Sectional @ Hanson Stadium

South Shore International scored 146 points to win the team title in this Chicago sectional meet. Lindblom scored 130 points to finish second.

South Shore’s Shanisa Stinson had a big meet qualifying for the state meet in winning three events. Stinson jumped 17-1.25 to win the Long Jump, ran15.59 to win the 100 Meter Hurdles, and ran 49.07 to win the 300 Meter Hurdles. Lindblom’s Treasure Keyes also captured two wins running 12.47 to win the 100 Meter Dash and 25.26 to win the 200 Meter Dash.

 

Glenbard South Sectional

Fenwick scored 153 points to win the sectional team title qualifying seven individuals and two relays to next Friday’s 2A state meet prelims. Eriana Dubose of ITW Speer was one of the meet’s two double event winner. The senior jumped 17-5 to win the Long Jump. She also ran 27.61 to win the 200 Meter Dash.

Delaney Seligman of Fenwick cleared 4-11 to win the High Jump and jumped 34-7 to win the Triple Jump.

 

THURSDAY May 9

Metamora Sectional

Morton edged Normal University 86 to 85 for the sectional team title. Big 12 champion Peoria Notre Dame scored 74.50 points to finish third.

U-High’s Jessica McDowell had a big meet winning three individual events. The senior started by running 12.46 to win the 100 Meter Dash to finish ahead of Richwoods’ Seven Hicks (12.77). McDowell then ran 57.39 to finish the 400 Meter Dash and then 25.08 to win the 200 Meter Dash again ahead of Hicks (25.98).

Morton’s Aspen Gordon qualified in two distance events. Gordon ran 11:02.01 to win the 3200 Meter Run as four runners advanced to state in that event. Gordon won the 1600 Meter Run (5:11.07) just ahead of U-High’s Ella Bittner (5:11.19). The field was deep as five runners advanced including two-time 1A state cross country champion Emma Argo of Eureka who ran 5:19.26) to finish fourth.

 

Rochelle Sectional

Burlington Central won the sectional team title with 95 points just ahead of Aurora Rosary (91 points). Six athletes qualified for the state meet in the Pole Vault. Megan Gasparaitis of Burlington Central cleared 11-7 to win the event.

Lianna Surtz of Rosary, who missed most of the season due to shin splints, is coming on strong at the right time. The freshman all-state cross-country runner won the 1600 Meter Run (5:18.43) ahead of IMSA’s Delicia Chen (5:25.40).

 

Tolono Unity Sectional

Monticello could be a team that we see on the podium in Charleston next Saturday. The Lady Sages advanced eight individuals and three relays to nest week’s state meet as they scored 96 points to win the sectional team title. Urbana scored 84 points to finish second ahead of Mt. Zion (77.33 points).

Emelia Ness of Monticello had wins in sweeping both hurdle races. Ness ran 14.82 to win the 100 Meter Hurdles and then 45.94 to win the 300 Meter Hurdles. Her teammate Mattie Lieb also picked up two wins by running 12.46 to win the 100 Meter Dash and then 26.48 to win the 200 Meter Dash.

Urbana’s Olivia Rosenstein did not make it to state last year and an injury caused her to miss all of last fall’s cross-country season. The same held true for Tolono Unity’s Jordan Harmon missed all of last year’s track season due to injury. Both athletes’ comebacks are almost complete as the two qualified in both the 3200 Meter Run and 1600 Meter Run. Rosenstein won the 3200 Meter Run (11:17.11) as seven runners qualified for state. Harmon finished second in that race (11:23.92).

The order was the same in the 1600 Meter Run as Rosenstein ran 5:13.86 for the win ahead of Harmon (5:17.84) and Monticello’s Alyssa McPike (5:18.69). Rachel Koon of Monticello also qualified in the 1600 by finishing fourth as well as qualifying in the 3200 Meter Run.

Two-time defending state champion Diamonasia Taylor of Urbana made it back to state as she cleared 5-5 to win the High Jump. Rhiannon Held of Mt. Zion cleared 12-5 to win the Pole Vault.

 

WEDNESDAY May 8

Chicago Clark Sectional @ Hanson Stadium

Clark made it look easy in their own sectional at Hanson Stadium Wednesday afternoon winning the sectional team title with 172 points. Payton Prep was the closest school in the standings with 72 points followed by Northside Prep.

Clark had 15 overall qualifiers (13 individuals, 2 individuals) to next week’s state meet in Charleston. De'Avian Preston led Clark with a double win running 12.66 to win the 100 Meter Dash and 26.26 to win the 200 Meter Dash. Preston also anchored Clark’s team to a win in the 800 Meter Relay (1:47.56).

Ella Ton-That of Northside Prep, who finished second in last week’s City Championships for 3200-meters, ran alone to dominate in the 1600 Meter Run. The freshman ran 5:22.69 to win the race by 21 seconds.

 

LaSalle-Peru Sectional

Geneseo qualified six individuals and two relays to next week’s state meet in winning the sectional team championship with 113 points. It was a close battle for the second spot as Rock Falls had the edge (74 points) ahead of Providence Catholic (73.25 points) and Kankakee (71 points).

Geneseo’s Ali Rapps was a double event winner. The freshman ran 15.14 to win the 100 Meter Hurdles. She then came back to run 46.88 to win the 300 Meter Hurdles ahead of Tayler Lippens from Rock Falls (47.12) and Tristan Nolan of Kewanee (47.68).

Geneseo’s Josie Brown qualified for the state meet by winning the 800 Meter Run (2:23.37) ahead of LaSalle-Peru’s Ashley Heagy (2:24.11). Brown earlier in the meet anchored Geneseo to the win in the 3200 Meter Relay (9:41.85) with Rock Falls finishing second (9:55.85). Brown teamed up with Rapps to help Geneseo win the 1600 Meter Relay (4:07.17).

Lydia Willis of Mendota was a double sectional winner as she had a 36-3 put to win the Shot Put. She also threw 127-7 to win the Discus.

One of the Class 2A favorites in the Pole Vault Samantha Spencer of Providence Catholic had little trouble winning the event only needing a 11-7 for the win. Spencer also helped Providence Catholic to win the 800 Meter Relay (1:46.45) just ahead of Kankakee (1:46.79).

 

Lincoln Sectional @ Memorial Stadium, Springfield

Springfield Southeast’s Serena Bolden had a big night qualifying for state in four events (winning three of them) to help her team to a sectional title with 130 points. Clinton (89 points) and Pittsfield (64 points) finished second and third. The Lady Spartans qualified 13 individuals and two relays to next week’s state meet in Charleston.

Bolden was on fire in the horizontal jumps winning both of those events. She started by jumping 19-0 to win the Long Jump. Bolden followed that up by jumping 39-4.50 to win the Triple Jump.

It was then time to go to the track for Bolden where she continued her hot streak. Bolden ran one of the fastest times this year in the state (11.74) to win the 100 Meter Dash ahead of teammate Raven Moore (12.04). Six runners in that event qualified for the state meet. Moore and Bolden took the top two spots in the 200 Meter Dash with Moore running 25.34 for the win ahead of Bolden (25.45). Moore also took home the championship in the 400 Meter Dash running 57.96 for the win. Lanphier’s Jaylen Muldrow finished second (59.64).

Springfield Southeast ran a swift 48.90 to win the 400 Meter Relay ahead of crosstown rival Springfield Lanphier (49.11). Lanphier had the edge in the 800 Meter Relay running 1:47.81 for the win ahead of Pittsfield (1:48.07).

The weight events in this sectional could have served as a preview for next week’s state meet. Jayden Ulrich of East Alton-Wood River had a 45-7 put to win the Shot Put ahead of Pittsfield’s Chandler Hayden (41-7.50). The order changed in the Discus as Hayden threw 132-7 to win the event ahead of Ulrich (127-8).

Staunton’s Lydia Roller was impressive in her two wins in the distance events. She ran a solo 11:02.43 to win the 3200 Meter Run lapping the field and winning by more than two minutes. Roller came back to run 5:12.87 to win the 1600 Meter Run ahead of Clinton’s Payne Turney (5:43.94) who just needed to finish second to grab one of the two qualifying spots. Turney earlier in the meet ran 2:22.28 to win the 800 Meter Run. Turney also anchored Clinton to the win in the 1600 Meter Relay (4:11.91) ahead of Springfield Southeast (4:12.45).

 

Richmond-Burton Sectional

Woodstock Marian advanced 10 (8 individuals, 2 relays) to next week’s state meet in winning the sectional team title with 124 points. Carmel Catholic (80 points) and Saint Viator (75 points) finished second and third. Marian’s Regan Dineen qualified in two events jumping 17-6.75 to win the Long Jump and clearing 5-3 to win the High Jump.

Katie Castelli of Saint Viator was a double winner in the distance events. Castelli ran 11:38.70 to win the 3200 Meter Run with Marian’s Siobhan Stoll finishing second (11:45.95). It was the same order of finish in the 1600 Meter Run as Castelli ran 5:34.54 for the win ahead of Stoll (5:36.85).

Saint Viator’s Isabella Pierce ran 16.70 to win the 100 Meter Hurdles and came back to run 48.45 to win the 300 Meter Hurdles. Marengo’s Bailey Bertrand won both weight events. The junior had a 35-3 best to win the Shot Put and threw 121-1 to win the Discus.

 

Thornridge Sectional

It was a close team finish in this sectional as Evergreen Park scored 109.50 points to hold off Rich South (107.50 points) to capture the team title. Rich Central scored 86 points to finish third. The big story of the meet was the four wins from Rich Central’s Jayla Campbell which included a win in the 400 Meter Relay. Campbell was part of the quartet from Rich Central that ran 49.42 to win the event ahead of Evergreen Park (49.68).

Campbell’s first individual win came when she ran 12.68 to win the 100 Meter Dash ahead of Rich South’s Arianna Walker (12.83). Campbell, the defending 2A State champion in the 400 Meter Dash, looked comfortable when she ran 58.39 to win the event. Her final win came when she ran 25.58 to win the 200 Meter Dash ahead of Walker (25.80).

Thornridge’s Jokeyla Rice was the meet’s other double event winner. The senior cleared 4-9 to win the High Jump. She also jumped 36-10 to win the Triple Jump