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Class 3A Girls recap
Aaliyah Brown makes her presense felt among the quality field, Ashley Stacey AOM
Tony Jones- Dyestat IL/ESPN
 | Thorntons Ashley Stacey,
Class AAA Girls Athlete of the meet
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It was all about quality and starpower this year at IPTT this year. Admittedly, the standards kept the numbers down but the fierce battles in individual events as well as relays continued to shine through at the Shirk Center.
Track-
4x800m-
Schaumburg 9:23.87 MR/all-time best [2:21.2, 2:19.2, 2:24.2, 2:18.9]
Hinsdale Central 9:31.56
Mt. Prospect (Prospect) 9:36.60
Summary: the defending champs came into the affair with more than just wanting to win. They knew what teams like Whitney Young and Lyons did at the Downers Grove South Relays earlier in the month. Meanwhile, the Saxons had to toil away on small 160m flat tracks that didn’t allow for spikes. It wasn’t until their conference meet that a true outlook was revealed. Schaumburg ran on the same 200m Lewis University oval that the DGS Relays were held and produced a likable 9:31. So, the drama was set in this final indoor season affair. The Saxons jumped on the competition right away being near front of the pack on the first exchange on the strength of Collette Falsey’s solid carry. Nora Ferguson toted the baton second and opened up a small gap in which third leg and team ace Britten Petrey could work with. Petrey actually opened up the hole over Hinsdale Central. List leader Whitney Young tried getting back in the race despite not having State XC champ Lavinia Jurkiewicz on the field. The Dolphins fought hard for 4th overall. But it was Schaumburg all the way chasing after the now legendary mark that Wheaton-Warrenville set back in 1996. The 9:26.6h was poof as anchor Karen Lesiewicz entered the homestretch with the clock reading 9:08. The official clock rang out 9:23.87 seconds later to the jubilant cheers of the Schaumburg faithful.
3200m-
Amanda Fox (Naperville Central) 10:59.88
Jill Hardies (Hinsdale Central) 11:00.40
Brook Wolfe (Mt. Prospect Prospect) 11:07.54
Summary: despite several scratches from an already small field Fox and company made the best of the situation. The pace was modest at best and really didn’t get going until after the first mile [mid 5:30’s]. Hardies and Fox pulled away from Wolfe mid-way through the second half of the race. Fox held strong over Hardies and produced a season best and indoor top mark for Class 3A.
55H-
Jenna Combs (Maschesney Park) 8.46
Sharone Greenlaw (Chicago Hyde Park) 8.57
Imani Haynes (Chicago Heights Marian Catholic) 8.74
Summary: the battle of the newcomers on the scene here despite Combs not really being a newcomer. Greenlaw led all competitors in the prelim with top mark. Combs blew away the field in the final though- it was not even close.
55m-
Aaliyah Brown (Frankfort Lincoln-Way East) 6.99
Cessily Jones (Plainfield North) 7.07
Jeronda Womack (Homewood-Flossmoor) 7.13
Summary: Brown was the class of field here and not really even being compared to them. All eyes were on the scoreboard and record mark in the program. The 6.97 by Shakedia Jones (Waukegan) was in serious jeopardy after a 7.00 prelim clocking by Brown. Brown, a freshman, showed no mercy on the field as she rocketed out of the blocks probably faster than anyone in the building has ever seen a sprinter run. In a flash, it was over. The initial read on the unofficial board said: 6.94- causing fervor amongst the watchers crowding the track. But one minute later the official timing revealed 6.99. So, Jones’s mark will remain on life support one more year.
800m-
Annette Eichenberger (West Chicago) 2:16.23 SB
Gabriella Effrein (Downers Grove North) 2:17.03
Alex Sampson (Batavia) 2:17.66 [65.0, 1:40.8]
Summary: Eichenberger held back off the leader’s pace set by Sampson for quite a while. Eichenberger and Effrein moved on the final lap passing Sampson but it was Eichenberger who was the strongest down the stretch in winning. The Air Force Academy signee indicated that improved training has been the biggest reason in her now at this point in the season as opposed to last year. She was also proud of her teammates accomplishments in the 4x8r.
400m-
Raena Rhone (Chicago Whitney Young) 57.09
Kellion Gordon (Skokie Niles West) 59.15
Tara Gonzalez (Bloom) 59.43
Summary: Rhone held back as newcomer to the event Gordon led through the first 200m in 27.3. Rhone moved quickly past Gordon and won going away.
4x200m relay-
Aurora Waubonsie Valley 1:44.52
Homewood-Flossmoor 1:45.20
Plainfield North 1:45.91
Summary: Waubonsie won this easily with the Akinsoun sisters leading and anchoring the relay with bandaged quads. Aaliyah Brown was a scratch for her team that was DQ’ed anyway. Plainfield North used a splendid effort from Cessily Jones who placed third.
1600m-
Karen Lesiewicz (Schaumburg) 5:00.24
Margaret Connelly (Oak Park Fenwick) 5:00.61
Lavinia Jurkiewicz (Chicago Whitney Young) 5:02.67
Summary: a great race here. Hoffman Estates runner Haley Goers took charge of the pacing duties right away through steady splits of 69, 2:32. Connelly took over there after with Lesiewicz, Jurkiewicz and Marie O’Leary (Normal Community) in tow. O’Leary was the first to fall off with one quarter-mile to go. Connelly pushed the pace hard on the bell lap but Lesiewicz went with her. Lesiewicz got around Connelly with seconds away from the finish line and won the race soon to be a classic.
200m-
Aaliyah Brown 24.83
Cessily Jones 24.92
Kellion Gordon 25.56
Summary: Brown won this one, but it was much harder than her 55m one. Jones did her very best to break down Brown who ran one less race than she at this point. It appeared Jones ran out of real estate over the tiring Brown.
4x400m relay-
Downers Grove South 4:00.03 [60.1, 60.8, 60.2, 58.8]
Schaumburg 4:08.31
Plainfield North 4:14.82
Summary: Downers Grove South won this in a laugher and broke their indoor school record.
Field-
Jumps
Ashley Stacey (Thornton) won the long jump and triple jumps with 18-11 and 39-2.5 marks respectively. Stacey, the athlete of the meet, hit the board well in the long jump on numerous attempts according to her coaches. Stacey continued on to the triple jump where she completed her tour with a personal best effort.
Pole Vault-
Megan Weller (Lincoln Way East) 12-6: Weller produced the US#6 mark in the close win over Allie Pace of Geneva who vaulted 12-0.
Shot Put-
Precious Ogunleye (Hoffman Estates) 42-4. Ogunleye won her first title with ease.
High Jump-
Amy Harvoth (Bradley Bourbonnais) 5-6. Harvoth squeaks past Glenbard West’s Sarah Udelhofen. |
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