By Michael Newman

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Here is a look at each of the 2A Girls Sectional Meets that took place throughout Illinois on Thursday and Friday.

 

Friday

 

Galena Sectional @ Hanover

Results

 

Highlights –  Kaneland won the team championship qualifying 11 to the state meet including all four of their relays. Kaneland scored 119 1/3 points to out distance second place Erie-Prophetstown who scored 65 points. The Knights could score some big points in the relay events. They won the 1600 Meter Relay (4:00.49) with one of the fastest times in 2A. Erie-Prophetstown, who moved up to 2A this season, was only two seconds behind. Kaneland’s 400 Relay was also tough. They ran 49.04 to win the event ahead of Freeport (49.76). It was closer in the 800 Meter Relay as they won by 27 hundredths of a second ahead of Rockford Boylan (1:45.42 – 1:45.69).

 

Freshman Tayla Schwartz (Dixon HS) had a personal best 43-7 to win the Shot Put. She also won the Discus with a 129-10 throw. Allie Heinzer (Kaneland HS, Maple Park) also picked up a pair of wins. She edged Payton Jones (Rockford Christian HS) by two hundredths of a second to win the 100 Meter Dash (12.76-12.78). Heinzer could contend in the 400 at state. She ran 57.49 to win the event by more than a second ahead of Rachel Cobert (Erie-Prophetstown HS).

 

Glen Ellyn Glenbard South Sectional

Results

 

Highlights – Glenbard South won their own sectional with 122 points in a tight 3 team battle. Trinity scored 114 points to finish second three points ahead of Montini Catholic. Anna Sloan (Trinity HS, River Forest) will be one of the 2A state favorites in the short sprints.  The senior ran 12.15 to easily win the 100 Meter Dash by almost a second. She came back to run 25.12 to win the 200 Meter Dash more than a second ahead of teammate Alexis Gay.

 

Montini Catholic could sneak into the top five teams at state. Jasmine Woodley won both the Shot Put (38-1 ½) and the Discus (115-2). Gianna Salzbrunn was also a double winner in the Long Jump (17-7 ¼) and the 300 Hurdles (46.90).  Emma Makowski won the 800 Meter Run (2:19.62). Their 3200 Relay could be a threat at state. They ran 9:38.39 to win by almost 33 seconds in this sectional.

 

Plano Sectional

Results

 

Highlights – Rosary qualified eight individuals and four relays to win the sectional team championship with 103 points. La-Salle Peru was second with 87 points. The distance events could power this team at the state meet. Rosary has one of the top times in the 3200 Meter Relay.They ran 9:41.84 to win by 20 seconds ahead of Aurora Central Catholic. Emily Martin will contend for the 1600 Meter state championship. She ran 5:03.04 to win the race by four seconds ahead of teammate Madison Ronzone (5:07.59).

 

 

Defending 2A 800 state champ and record holder Karina Liz (Aurora Central Catholic HS) looks ready to defend her 800 crown. She won the event (2:13.17) breezing to an eight second win ahead of Rachel Hickey (La-Salle Peru HS). Liz also won the 400 Meter Dash (57.63) to win by almost three seconds ahead of Shea Vero (Rosary HS, Aurora). Kassadee Ifft (Prairie Central HS, Fairbury) will contend for the 2A Pole Vault championship. She cleared 12-3 to win the sectional championship.

 

Vernon Hills Sectional

Results

 

Highlights – Host Vernon Hills easily won their own sectional scoring 101 points. Hampshire was a distant second scoring 68 points. There were two individual double winners in this sectional. Christina Meinhardt won both the Shot Put (39-5) and the Discus (133-0).  Sophie Stricker (Harvard HS) also took home two sectional titles winning the 400 Meter Dash (58.59) by almost a second ahead of Alison Beeman (Wauconda HS). Stricker came back to win the 200 Meter Dash edging Megan Burns (Marengo HS) by seventeen hundredths of a second (26.51 – 26.68).

 

 

Thursday

 

Chicago North Lawndale Sectional @ Concordia University

Results

 

Highlights – Host North Lawndale easily won the team championship in this meet held at Concordia University. They scored 129 points while qualifying nine to next weekend’s state meet. De La Salle Institute scored 94 points to place second. Jamie Robinson (De La Salle Institute, Chicago) showed that she could be a threat for state championships in both horizontal jumps. She went a seasonal best 39-8 to win the triple Jump. She easily won the Long Jump with a 16-7 ½ effort. Robinson also helped her team win the 800 Meter Relay (1:46.31) by nearly four seconds ahead of Dunbar.

 

Gabrielle Desrosiers (North Lawndale, Chicago) will be a threat down state in both the 400 Meter Dash and the 200 Meter Dash. She won the 400 Thursday (59.15) by only two tenths of a second ahead of Kaitlyn Thrash (De La Salle Institute. Her winning margin was bigger in the 200 Meter Dash as she ran 25.58) to win by almost a full second ahead of Jada Price (De La Salle Institute, Chicago). Abigail Nadler (Latin School, Chicago) won both the 3200 Meter Run (11:39.27) and the 1600 Meter Run (5:24.95).

 

 

Chicago University Sectional @ Chicago Christian

Results

 

Highlights – Brooks College Prep scored 105 points to win the team championship only seven points ahead of Chicago University. Brooks could be in the mix for a trophy next weekend as they qualified 3 relays and four individuals. Freshman Imani Carothers could carry this team to a trophy. She ran into a headwind to win the 100 Hurdles (15.22). Carothers also won the Long Jump with a 17-0 effort. Her teammate Whitney Ward captured the 300 Hurdles (47.32).

 

A team that could be sneaky tough next weekend is Morgan Park. Even though they finished fourth in this meet, they have quality qualifiers that could be enough to have them contending for a top three finish. Freshman Jada Laye could be one of their keys. She won the 100 Meter Dash (12.34) only thirteen hundredths of a second ahead of teammate Kelsie Prear. The two finished 1-2 in the 200 Meter Dash with Laye running a fast 25.21. Their 800 Meter Relay could contend for a championship. They ran 1:44.37 for a four second win ahead of Brooks College Prep.

 

 

Clinton Sectional @ Millikin University

Results

 

Highlights – Monticello won the team championship (86 2/3) by eleven points ahead of Charleston. The Lady Sages qualified eight individuals and two relays for next week’s state meet. Dominique Lewis (Centennial HS, Champaign) should be one of the favorites in the sprints but could have some company. She won the 100 Meter Dash (12.12) by a quarter of a second ahead of Lizzie Rupkey (Monticello HS). The story was different in the 200 Meter Dash as Freshman Tina Martin (Eisenhower HS, Decatur) excited her home crowd running 24.71 for the win. Lewis ran 25.40 to finish second. Both will contend for the state title in this event next Saturday.

 

Cassidy Osborne-Butler (Mt. Zion HS) will be one of the favorites in the Shot Put as her 42-1 effort won the event in this sectional. The sophomore finished second in the Discus (124-10) behind the 128-0 throw of Emily Kauffman (Mahomet-Seymour HS). Grace Oetting (Charleston HS) will shoot for a state medal in the 3200 Meter Run. She won the sectional title (11:22.43) by three seconds ahead of Lauren Whitehouse (Mahomet-Seymour HS).

 

Clinton ran 1:44.93 to win the 800 Meter Relay and could be in contention for the state championship. They did finish second in the 400 Meter Relay only seven hundredths of a second behind Decatur Eisenhower.

 

 

Dunlap Sectional

Results

 

Highlights – Weather caused the suspension of this meet on Thursday evening. The meet was competed Friday afternoon.

 

Host Dunlap scored 117 ½ points to win the sectional team championship ahead of Normal University (88 ½ points) and Peoria Notre Dame (76 points). Maryjeanne Gilbert (Notre Dame HS, Peoria) will head to Charleston as one of the favorites in both the 3200 and the 1600. The defending champion in the 3200 won the race at this sectional (10:44.08) almost 20 seconds ahead of Abby Jockisch (Dunlap HS). Gilbert ran a personal best (5:01.46) to easily win the 1600 Meter Run again ahead of Jockisch (5:14.29).

 

Chante Stonewell (Normal University HS) will be the athlete to watch in the hurdle races next weekend. She ran 14.92 to win the 100 Hurdles two tenths of a second ahead of Tiarra Smith (Richwoods HS, Peoria). Stonewall was dominat in the 300 Hurdles running 44.37 to win her race by two seconds.

 

 

Normal University won the 3200 Meter Relay (9:36.91) running the second fastest time in the 2A sectionals. Washington (9:40.55) and Dunlap (9:40.60) finished behind the Pioneers and will also be threats in the event next weekend. Galesburg ran the fastest time in the 2A Sectionals (4:00.12) to win the 1600 Meter Relay two seconds ahead of Dunlap.

 

 

Kankakee Sectional

Results

 

Highlights – Lincoln-Way West scored 90 points to win the sectional championship ahead of cross town rival Providence Catholic who scored 63 points. Rich South’s 800 Meter Relay had the performance of the meet when they ran 1:43.14 to win the event by almost two seconds ahead of Providence Catholic. Christina MacNabb (Providence Catholic HS, New Lenox) cleared 5-6 to win the High Jump. She will be one of the favorites next weekend in that event. Tyjuana Eason sizzled a 24.55 on her home track to win the 200 Meter Dash by almost a second. She also led her team’s 400 Meter Relay to a win (49.32) ahead of Rich South.

 

 

Springfield Southeast Sectional

Results

 

Highlights – Host Springfield Southeast won three relays and qualified 10 overall to next week’s state meet in winning their sectional meet with 143 points. Chatham Glenwood scored 110 points to finish second. The Spartans finished off the meet by running a season’s best 4:01.86 in the 1600 Meter Relay to win by six seconds ahead of Chatham-Glenwood. The Spartans also bested Glenwood in the 800 Meter Relay running 1:44.91 for the win. Chatham-Glenwood ran 9:49.68 to win the 3200 Meter Relay demonstrating they could contend for a state championship in that event.

 

Alison Woerner (Glenwood HS, Chatham) had the performance of the meet when she jumped 18-4 ¾ to win the Long Jump. Woerner also won the 300 Hurdles (46.38). In one of the closest races of the meet, Megan McNicholas (Rochester HS), who missed last cross country season to an injury, came back to win the 800 Meter Run (2:21.28) by six tenths of a second ahead of Erica Rideout (Glenwood HS, Chatham).

 

 

Troy Triad Sectional

Results

 

Highlights – Defending 2A State Team Champion Cahokia dominated this sectional qualifying nine individuals and three relays to win the team title with 121 points. Mt. Vernon was second scoring 66 points. Mariya Hudson will be the key to Cahokia’s success. She won the 100 Meter Dash (12.34) in a photo finish with Triad’s Jenniba Johnson. It was easier for her in the 400 Meter Dash. The state favorite in this event ran 56.99 to win by more than two seconds. Hudson finished her day running 25.25 to win the 200 Meter Dash. She also jumped 17-8 ½ to win the Long Jump ahead of teammate Raynesha Lewis who was also victorious in the triple Jump (35-5 ½) and the 100 Hurdles (14.51).

 

 

Latavia Maines put herself in the favorites role as She had a personal best 43-5 ½ performance to win the Shot Put. Kara Martin (Herrin HS) performed the distance triple winning the 3200 Meter Run (11:41.55), the 800 Meter Run (2:19.03), and the 1600 Meter Run (5:21.39).