Lena Giger poses with history after becoming the first Illinois girl to toss the shot put over 50-feet (photo by David Giger)
The past weekend was an indication that spring is near with fast times and marks generated throughout the state. In meets all around the state and to those traveling to New York for the New Balance Indoor Nationals, it was a welcoming sight to see the birds singing and the snow mcompleted melted.
Check out a few highlights from around the state:
3/15
Lady Pirate Invitational:
• Proviso East hosted the last meet of the year inside the very busy Proviso West field house, and it was long but action packed meet with full events on both levels that attracted the likes of state powers Frankfort Lincoln-Way East, E. St. Louis Senior, and Kankakee.
• Ryan Preacely (Sr., Johnson College Prep) has been good for awhile and she has been low key in putting up some good marks over the past year. But after posting the second fastest time in the state in the 55m (7.07) behind Chicago Public League rival Ebony McClendon (Sr., Brooks College Prep), she is no longer an anomaly to the viewing public. Preacely got out of the blocks so fast that the race was over before it started. The distance that Preacely put on second place finisher Brittany Thomas (Sr., Chicago Heights Bloom) who ran 7.24 was ridiculous.
• Jayla Stewart (Jr., Homewood-Flossmoor) won the 55H in a meet record performance 8.14. She was very ecstatic when her time was punched up on the board. Stewart’s mark is the second fastest time in the state.
• Amanda Thate (Jr., Downers Grove South) is finally coming into her own with an outstanding indoor season so far. She set the Mustangs undercover 3200m record in a come from behind win over Plainfield North sophomore Rachael Lau 11.18.85-11:25.67. Lau set a hard pace for the first six laps and slowing down a bit by the first 1600m in 5:35. Thate picked her up from there and never trailed again.
• Lincoln-Way East put two “B” team relays on the track because their personnel was stretched out across the United States with meets in three different locations. The 4x200m controlled the race through various stages against a pesky Kankakee quartet. Asia Brown turned on the jets late to propel her team to a 1:47.12-1:47.81 victory; the Griffins finished second to Barrington in the 4x4 relay running 4:12.24. Barrington won in 4:10.90.
• St. Ignatius junior Alexis Jakubowski nearly led wire to wire in the 1600m. She led at the first three metric splits before Downers Grove South senior Haley Albers took over until the final 50m. Jakubowski put on a kick to win in 5:16.85. Albers took silver in 5:17.12.
-New Balance Nationals Final Day Coverage
- Emma Spagnola (Sr., West Aurora) blazes in the 60H semi-final but barely misses the final by two spots in 8.64. Spagnola had a great weekend in NYC garning one All-American honor in the long jump and two state bests (55H enroute and 60H).
- The news of the day unfortunately was bad news for Illinois. Sophomore sensation Ja'Mari Ward of Cahokia came into the competition with high hopes of a national championship. He came away with a 7th place finish in the triple jump. What's worse is that he got hurt in the competition after his last jump. Ward hit 47-8.5 on his attempt. He was not comfortable in competing without his coach as his steps were off according to head coach Leroy Millsap. Ward took one more jump before passing on the finals.
- Cole Henderson (Sr., Pekin) placed 8th out of 9th in 60m running 7.03. Henderson hit IL#3 6.52 for 55m. Now that Henderson used the biggest stage for a high school kid to compete, he should be ready for whatever Illinois throws at him now.
Jack Denby (Sr., Carlinville) placed an awesome second to national record holder Devin King of Sumner, LA. Denby hit on a personal best 16-6.
In the pole vault, Brooke Catherine (Jr., Normal Community) led a trio of vaulters in 22nd place clearing a height of 12-0.75; Kassadee Ifft (So., Prairie Central) places 23rd with a vault of 12-0.75; Mackenzie Gallagher (Jr., Normal West) takes 31st in 11-7
.-Meet action around the state-
- Katie Hoffman (Jr., Naperville Central) shines in the 1600m running 5:11.17
- Kelsey Hildreth (Sr., Byron) takes the 3200m rolling 11:09.24
- Erin Zappia (Sr., Wheaton-Warrenville South) jumps to top spot in the high jump and US#7 with 5-8
- Torree Scull (So., St. Charles East) wins 1600m in 5:11.19
- Zach Hird (Sr., Rock Island Alleman) takes 1600m in 4:21.86 over Simon Thorpe (Sr., Dixon) 4:25.43
- Sophomore Josh Eiker of Galesburg continues to impress in the sprints sweeping the 60m (6.96) and 200m (22.59)
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