The girls 60m final was an epic one for Ebony McClendon who streaked home in white and blue (Colin Boyle photo)
Ebony McClendon is a superstar in the making-
There is a famous quote that says, " a sucker is born every minute" but in the case of Ebony McClendon it should read: "A superstar was born in less than a minute." That's because it took her less than that time to wow nearly everyone inside the Shirk Center on Saturday morning. The Chicago Public League standout senior from Brooks College Prep on the far southside of Chicago has been turning heads on the summer track circuit for several years now. She has now captured a new legion of fans within the IHSA stratosphere. Before McClendon takes off for the University of Wisconsin next fall, she is going to turn more heads like her predecessor Shamier Little (Lindblom) did several season ago.
McClendon took to the track mind state early with her teammates as they waltzed around the Shirk Center marveling things. If have never met McClendon it would not be not be hard to take her for a prized light weight boxer with chisled muscles only fit for defensive football backs. Her facial appearance can be intimidating when she steps into the blocks and the crowd noise ceases. But once the race is over and business is taken care of, it is all smiles for Ebony. She was all smiles after laying out on the track for about five minutes after running the 4x4 relay for team. That particular race was anomaly from the explots that she gave her foes earlier in the day. McClendon made her presence known in the 60m when she blazed the fifth fastest time in the country at 7.45 and established a meet record. If that wasn't enough for the new sprint queen, she made the 200m her next victim in another meet record 24.58. It was a great day for a tired but smiling Ebony McClendon, the state's new female sprint ambassador.
The best of the rest-
[Girls]
- Karina Liz (So., Aurora Central Catholic) made her presence felt with the succession completion of arguably track and field's toughest double (800/400m). Liz won the half-mile in 2:17.48- more than five seconds ahead of Zoe Mead (Sr., Princeton) 2:22.52. In the 400, Liz needed every meter in defeating NiaPearl Minor-Clark (Sr., Chicago De La Salle) 58.87-58.94.
- Sydney Billingsley (Sr., Normal U High) won the 1600m in 5:06.59 over a pack that didn't challenge her much in the second half of the race.
- Maura Beattie (Sr., Woodstock) did not race much during this past indoor season, but Saturday she used the occasion to record her personal best indoors or outside by winning the 3200m in 10:49.44- the fifth fastest in the state.
- Chante Stonewall (So., Normal U High) wanted to break nine seconds for the 60HH, but she also said that she would accept the first place medal. The tall and long-legged one completed the task over Katelyn Hill (Sr., Glenbard South) 9.21-9.26.
- Lindsey Murray (Sr., Harrisburg) took over the state pole vault lead that was in a four-way long jam 12'6" coming into the weekend. The Southern Illinois University signee won in a meet record 13'0" and US#9 mark. Murray then attempted 13'6" in which she had her best attempt on the first try.
- The state's #1 triple jumper Jaimie Robinson is just a freshman. She didn't perform like one on Saturday in winning by a huge margin in 37'6.50". Robinson also had the top triple jump performance of any jumper regardless of classification.
- It was another day at the office for the All-American and Stanford bound Lena Giger who didn't set another all-time best in the shot put. However, she got the comfy win in a classification record 47'4". As Giger moves outside, she will continue to provide major fireworks in an event that continues to produce great performances.
Logan Zeman was a key performer at the Top Times meet in the high jump
[Boys]-
- Josh Eiker (So., Galesburg) may have come of age this past weekend at the Top Times meet for growth and maturity. In between two solid winning individual efforts in the 60m (7.01) and 200m (22.36) was the way that he accepted responsibility in handling bad sportsmanship. His team was in position to win their section of the 4x200 relay but a bad handoff was botched. Eiker took the baton and tossed it aside on the track like a piece of garbage and had a few glaring choice words for his teammates. He later apologized for his misdeeds. "The bad handoff was my fault," he said with contrite.
- JD Lafayette (Sr., Normal U High) established a new meet record in the 800m running 1:56.45. For awhile it looked like Matt O'Connor (Sr., Burlington Central) and Kevin Vroegh (Sr., Illiana Christian) were going to walk away 1-2. But like a savvy veteran Lafayette bid his time well and moved closer to the leaders on the penultimate lap. He did not pass on the curve like most runners who panic, but instead he used it to build his momentum and then shifted into a rocket finish right through the finish line.
- Simon Thorpe (Sr., Dixon) built a big lead in the 1600m with metric marks 2:10.6 and 3:15.0 before winning by nearly five seconds in 4:20.76. Ben Mohrdieck (Sr., Vernon Hills) was second in 4:25.43.
- Cahokia had a terrible performance in the 4x200 relay with another bad handoff on the third leg. It was the Comanches fourth DQ or awful effort of the season and something they need to fix. Dunlap took full advantage of the miscue and won in 1:33.26.
- Speaking of miscues, there was one in the 4x800 but this one comes courtesy of a meet official human error. Cahokia was in position to win going away. In fact as head coach Leroy Millsap stated "we were on pace to run a school which was 8:01 or 8:02." The Comanches had opened a strong lead on the third leg who knew he had one lap to go, but the marshall signaled the anchor leg to move into lane one. The reluctant runners transitioned over and took the baton as well as several other teams. The end result was a controversal call that disqualified Cahokia. Illiana Christian did a re-run after the meet was over but it did not improve their performance. Kaneland won in 8:07.62.... Cahokia got some satisfaction in winning the 4x4 in 3:26.00.
- Logan Zeman (Sr., Lasalle-Peru) and Alex King (Sr., Massac County) waged a long battle of attrition in the high jump that ended in a somber victory for Zeman at 6'8". Things were going well until the bar hit 6'10" and tired legs and injuries took over. King had to bow out due to a previous injury occuring. He previously fractured his foot during the winter and the injury returned as he was helped off the surface to the medical staff. Zeman took a winning jump at 6'2" for the victory.