By Michael Newman

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Here is a look at highlights of each of the IHSA 3A Girls Sectional Meets that took place throughout Illinois on May 15-16, 2014.

 

Thursday May 15

 

Aurora Metea Valley Sectional

IHSA Qualifiers

 

Highlights

 

• West Aurora captured the team championship scoring 100 points. The Blackhawks qualified 10 individuals and one relays to next weekend’s state meet.

 

• Emma Spagnola (West HS, Aurora) electrified the crowd at Metea Valley winning three events. She won the Long Jump (19-1 ¾) and the 300 Hurdles (42.95). The eye-opener was in the 100 Hurdles when she ran 13.83 in the prelims. She came back to win the finals in 14.20.

 

• Hoffman Estates held off St. Charles East, Batavia, and Geneva to win the 4 x 8 relay (9:24.63). St. Charles East ended the evening with the state’s fastest time in winning the 4 x 400 Meter Relay (3:57.85).

 

• Jordan Shead (East HS, St. Charles) won a competitive 400 Meter Dash (56.75) by more than a second ahead of Foster Ignoffo (Geneva HS).

Chicago St. Ignatius Sectional (at Concordia University, River Forest)

IHSA Qualifiers

 

Highlights

• Briyana DesRosiers (North Lawndale Prep, Chicago) will be on eof the athletes to watch next weekend in Charleston. She punched her ticket to Charleston winning the 400 Meter Dash (55.69) and the 200 Meter Dash (24.85). She was also a part of her team’s 4x1 relay that won (48.87) as well as the 4x4 which placed second (4:08.94) behind Lane Tech (4:00.10).

 

• Oak Park-River Forest won four events in winning the team championship with 131 points. Whitney Young finished second with 122 points.

DeKalb Sectional

IHSA Qualifiers

 

Highlights

• Cary-Grove qualified 14 including 13 individuals winning the sectional championship easily with 127 points. Huntley finished second with 62 points.

 

• The distance races were excellent. Lauren Van Vlierbergen (Jacobs HS, Algonquin) won the 800 Meter Run by only three hundredths of a second ahead of Morgan Schultz (Cary-Grove HS). Van Vlierbergen’s winning time was 2:14.30. Six runners qualified for that event from this sectional. Schultz came back to win the 300 Hurdles (43.67). She also qualified in the 200 Meter Dash.

 

• Lauren Opatrny (McHenry HS) defeated Van Vlierbergen in the 1600. Her time of 5:01.95 was more than five seconds ahead of Van Vlierbergen. Seven runners qualified for state in that race.

 

• Cary-Grove’s Nikki Freeman won both the Shot Put (38-8 ½) and the Discus (132-0).

Homewood-Flossmoor Sectional

IHSA Qualifiers

 

Highlights

• Defending 3A champions Lincoln-Way East flexed its muscles in dominating this sectional. The Griffins qualified 11 individuals and all four relays scoring 148 points. Host Homewood-Flossmoor finished second with 69 1/3 points.

 

• Alexis Hyshaw (Lincoln-Way East HS) was a double winner in the sprints. She held off teammate Meghan Marias to win the 100 Meter Dash (12.19 – 12.20). The 200 Meter Dash was just as close as Hyshaw just nipped Homewood-Flossmoor’s Antoinette Broughton (25.13 – 25.14).

 

• Julia Junkroski (Lincoln-Way East HS, Frankfort) won the High Jump (5-3) and the Pole Vault (11-6). The meet’s other double winner was Sadie Elliott (Danville HS) winning the 3200 (11:26.97) and the 1600 (5:22.26).

Minooka Sectional

IHSA Qualifiers

 

Highlights

• Host Minooka qualified nine to state in winning their section with 96 points. Yorkville finished second with 84.

 

• The closest race of the day was the 3200 Meter Run where 1 second separated the first three places. Alexis Grandys (Yorkville HS) won the race (11:00.92) by only four hundredth of a seconds ahead of Ashley Tutt (Minooka HS). Elly DeTurris (North HS, Naperville) finished third (11:01.36). Seven runners qualified for state in that race.

 

• It was another close race in the 800 Meter Run. Allison Wilson (Waubonsie Valley HS, Aurora) was only three seconds ahead of Moira McAsey (Minooka HS) in winning the race (2:15.80 – 2:16.19).

 

• Skyler Bollinger (Yorkville HS) led her team to a win in the 4 x 8 relay (9:22.19). he came back to win the 1600 Meter Run holding off Maria McDaniel (North HS, Naperville) to win by less than a second (5:07.10 – 5:07.86).

 

• Janille Rogers (Minooka HS) won the Long Jump (18-11 ½) then came back to win the 100 Meter Dash (12.31).

 

 

Skokie Niles West Sectional

IHSA Qualifiers

 

Highlights

• Parker English’s three wins helped Evanston Township win the sectional team title with 124 points. The Lady Wildkits qualified 12 to next weekend’s state meet. English won the 100 Meter Dash (12.09), 400 Meter Dash (55.50), and 200 Meter Dash (24.64).

 

• Mimi Smith (New Trier HS, Winnetka) qualified in both the 3200 and 1600. She won the 3200 (10:52.10) ahead of teammate Kaitlin Frei. Smith came back and finished second in the 1600 behind Kathryn House (Loyola Academy, Wilmette).

Wheaton-Warrenville South Sectional

IHSA Qualifiers

DyeStat IL Meet Recap

 

 

 

Friday May 16

 

Downers Grove South Sectional

IHSA Qualifiers

 

Highlights

• Host Downers Grove South needed to stay close to Hinsdale Central in the final event the 4 x 400 Meter Relay. Hinsdale Central finished fourth in the event. Downers Grove South was fifth. It gave the Lady Mustangs 67 points, 2 points ahead of Hinsdale Central for the sectional championship.

 

• Downers Grove North won the 4 x 800 Meter Relay running the second fastest time in the state (9:20.86). Lockport ran a seasonal best 9:22.27 to finish second.

 

• Michaela Hackbarth (South HS, Downers Grove) qualified for two events on her home track. The sophomore won the 800 Meter Run with a 2:14.45 PR winning time. Renee Letz (Sandburg HS, Orland Park) and Stephanie Urbancik (North HS, Downers Grove) were the other qualifiers in the event. Hackbarth came back thirty minutes later in the 400 Meter Dash. She finished second only five hundredths slower than event winner Charlyncia Stennis (Bolingbrook HS).

 

• Jessica Watkins (Bolingbrook HS) ruled the short sprints in this meet. She captured the 100 Meter Dash (12.52). She won the 200 Meter Dash but by only one hundredth of a second ahead of Kyla Jimmar (Richards HS, Oak Lawn).

 

• Hinsdale Central captured the two long distance races. 3A Xc state runner-up Alexa Haff had to outkick Abby Kargol (South HS, Downers Grove) to win the 3200 Meter Run (11:04.24 – 11:04.80). Only two seconds separated the first three runners in the 1600 Meter Run. Anne Zaher brought home a victory for the Red Devils in the race winning in 5:02.00. She was more than a second ahead of second place Casey Jensen (Sandburg HS, Orland Park).

 

LaGrange Lyons Township Sectional

IHSA Qualifiers

 

Highlights

• Host Lyons Township more than dominated this meet qualifying 16 in scoring 192 points. They were more than 100 points ahead of second place Berwyn-Cicero Morton.

 

• Mother McAuley had a good meet winning 3 relay events. Their best performance was their win in the 4x2 when they ran one of the best times in the state (1:43.20) more than four seconds ahead of Lyons Township.

 

• Brianna Driver (Mother McAuley) was part of thse relays. She also won the Long Jump (18-0).

 

• Emma Haugen (Lyons Township HS, LaGrange) qualified in three events. She win the High Jump (5-3), placed second in the Triple Jump behind event winner Olivia Woods (Morton HS, Berwyn). Haugen also won the 100 Meter Hurdles (16.07).

Lake Zurich Sectional

IHSA Qualifiers

 

Highlights

• Palatine qualified 5 individuals and 3 relays in winning this sectional meet. The Lady Pirates scored 106 points. They were 8 points ahead of conference rival Barrington.

 

• Palatine won three of the four distance events. Their 4x8 relay ran 9:20.67 nine seconds ahead of second place Fremd. Amy Kieliszewski and Jessica Lincoln finished 1-2 in the 3200 Meter Run. Cassidy McPherson finished second in the 800 Meter Run behind race winner Danielle Griesbaum. Kelly O’Brien won the 1600 Meter Run by two seconds (5:05.47) ahead of Fremd’s Ayako Higuchi.

 

• Two time defending 3A 400 champ Brittny Ellis (Warren Township HS, Gurnee) prepared for Charleston by winning two individual events. She easily won the 400 Meter Dash (56.08) by more than two seconds ahead of Addison Coy (Barrington). Ellis came back to win the 200 Meter Dash (25.24) ahead of Lakes’ Brittni Griesbaum. Warren, with Ellis anchoring, also won the 4 x 100 Meter Relay (49.03).

 

Rock Island Sectional

IHSA Qualifiers

 

Highlights

• O’Fallon qualified all four relays along with seven individuals to win this tough sectional with 96 points. Host Rock Island finished second with 87 points.

 

• The horizontal jumps went crazy in this meet qualifying multiple athletes. The Long Jump had 8 athletes that will be competing at state led by the 18-6.25 winning jump of Hannah Willhite (Rock Island HS). LaJarvia Brown (Alton HS) won the Triple Jump (39-0) just 1 ¾ inches ahead of runner up Kayla Marshall (Collinsville HS). She also placed second in the Long Jump. 9 athletes qualified in the Triple Jump.

 

• LaCresha Linton (Rock Island won both the 100 Meter Dash (12.31) and the 200 Meter Dash (25.37). Both races were close for the Rock Island senior. Linton only won the 100 by eight hundredth of a second ahead of Aleasha Jones (O’Fallon HS). Linton only defeated Jezel Martin (Bloomington HS) by three hundredths of a second to win the 200 Meter Dash. Linton was also a member of Rock Island’s winning 4 x 100 Meter Relay (47.52).

 

• Aaliyah Covington (Edwardsville HS) was on top in both of the weight events. She won the Shot Put (42-5), almost a foot ahead of second place Lexie Yeley (Pekin). The two placed 1-2 also in the Discus. Covington’s winning throw of 134-6 was more than two feet ahead of Yeley.