Gabby Juarez (Streamwood) and Lauren VanVlierbergen (Jacobs) staged an epic battle in the girls 3A 1600m (Colin Boyle photo)
The 2015 Illinois High School indoor track and field season culminated this past weekend inside the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Let's take a look at some of the key highlight meet action from the meet:
[Class 1A]-
Marcus Sitko (Staunton) takes boys long jump skiing 22-2.75- Class A #1 time
Galesburg junior Josh Eiker completes impressive day in 2A with a 21.88 win in the boys 200m (Colin Boyle photo)
[Class 2A]
Claire Buck (Triad) wins girls pole vault to upset Kassadee Ifft (Prairie Central) 12-0 to 11-6
- Maryjeanne Gilbert (Peoria Notre Dame) needed a strong second half to win the 3200m (10:54.32) and finish the indoor season with a classification best; Vivian Overbeck (Vernon Hills) overtook a tiring Kitty Allen (Marengo) 11:16.99-11:18.43
- Cassidy Osborne-Butle (Mt. Zion) 42-7 is the shot put winner
- Noah Agnew (Vernon Hills) 6-6 wins jumpoff against Sabree Bakari (Springfield Southeast) in the boys high jump
- Salvatore Flight (Fenwick) edges Shane Williamson (Vernon Hills) 9:32.84-9:32.85 in the 3200m; Walmer Saavedra (Lindblom) 9:36.60 PB
- Cahokia boys 8:05.84 in 4x800- easy work and grab classification best in the process
- Montini takes the girls 4x800 in 9:42.66; Rosary 9:46.74- 2A #1 marks for both schools
- The new jack Imani Carothers (Chicago Brooks College Prep) starts her career with a big win in the girls 60HH in 9.05; Olivia Ness (Monticello) 9.27
- Jaimie Robinson (Chicago De La Salle) takes Girls Triple Jump 39-9 in a meet record and 2A #1 mark as well as makes it her PB
- Ja'mari Ward continues his undefeated season with an impressive 49-2.5 after only one jump. Ward's effort broke the class record
- Josh Eiker (Galesburg) with a close finish over Dion Hooker (Sycamore) 6.91-6.94 grabs #1 time in the 2A boys 60m (6.91). Eiker's start was suspect in that he got out of the blocks late once again against a stacked field but superior talent prevailed anyway
- Korrion Session (Cahokia) takes the Boys 60HH with a speedy 8.18
- Dominique Lewis (Centennial) takes final with 7.64, Anna Sloan with a close 7.70 in the 60m dash. Lewis collects classification record
- Springfield Southeast teammates Lunden Henry 5-6 and Jamari Drake 5-5 sweep the girls high jump
- Karina Liz (Aurora Central) takes the girls 800m in 2:13.05 solo. Liz went out in record breaking pace that saw the first 400 in 63-seconds. She tired over the final 200 but still cruised in the second fastest classification time ever
- The boys 800m was snatched by Connor Stine (Olympia) 1:58.30 and a close second; Nick Wondaal (Illiana Christian) who clocked 1:58.31
- Sam Sikon (Carbondale) wins boys Shot Put by over four feet w/ 56-6.25
- Triston Ballinger (Olympia) gets the boys pole vault victory with a winning effort of 14-6
- Girls 4x200 was taken by Chicago De La Salle in 1:47.87
- Cahokia blazes the track with a 1:31.37 barely missing the Class 2A record without #2 leg who sat out because of disciplinary reasons
- Upstart Gabrielle DesRosiers (North Lawndale College Prep) takes the 400 with a quick 58.85- good for 2A #2
- Sam Blakenship (Johnsburg) battles for first in the 400m with 50.48- 2A #2; Tyler Higgings (Highland) 50.55 in section 1 takes second
- Madison Ronzone (Rosary)- the surprise of the indoor season wins girls 1600m in 5:09.10
- Boys 1600m was a race, Brenner Webster (Salem) takes it in 4:26.83
- Anna Sloan's (Trinity) 25.11 won the Girls 200m over Tyuana Eason (Kankakee) 25.19 and Dominique Lewis 25.21- all three marks are classification bests
- Springfield Southeast slides by Maple Park Kaneland in the 4x4 4:09.40-4:09.64
Glenbard West junior Lindsay Graham cleans up the field in the girls 3200m (Colin Boyle photo)
[3A]-
- Anthony Colangelo (Lincoln-Way East) wins Boys High Jump with a height of 6-7; the state leader Jamante Steward of Proviso West finishes 3rd (6-5)
- The Boys Long Jump was tight but Dylan Boye was victorious with a distance of 22-0.5
- Cheyenne White (Waukegan) takes Girls Long Jump 18-7
- 3200m was picked up by Luke Hoffert (Yorkville) in a solid 9:18.46
- Brooke Catherine (Normal) clears a height 12-6 for Pole Vault victory
- Lindsay Graham (Glenbard West) wins 3200m in a school record and IL#1/US#1 10:22.53 (5:11/5:11)
- Girls Shot Put was won with 42-00 effort by Fiona Kanam (Skokie Niles North)
- A healthy Jayla Stewart (Homewood-Flossmoor) runs state best 8.64 60HH time and blows away the field
- Eric Walker (St. Rita) matches his prelim leading 60HH time 8.10 for the finals win
- Kahmari Montgomery (Plainfield Central) shuts down critics in the 60m with a sizzling meet record 6.84 and IL#1/ US #15 clocking. "I shut off all devices for this one," said Montgomery in lieu to apparent whispers that he was hurt or not among the state's best in the chatter sessions
- Fremd bid their time well and used a 2:17 anchor leg to win the girls 4x800 with a time of 9:25.09- IL#1
- Glenbrook North notches boys 4x800 title in 8:08.93
- Homewood-Flossmoor girls successfully gets the stick around the track in the 4x200 and mutes naysayers with 1:43.30- good for IL#2
- Brittny Ellis (Warren Township) easily wins girls 60m in a meet record 7.65
- Kyle Hedge (Crystal Lake South) wins the boys Shot Put 56-10.75
- Jes Skudlarek (Prospect) takes the girls High Jump with a height of 5-7
- It look several minutes to sort out who won the girls 1600m, but when the results came out Lauren VanVlierbergen (Jacobs) was victorious over Gabby Juarez (Streamwood) 4:53.83-4:54.01-- both times go in as IL#1 & 2. Torree Scull (St.Charles East) gets the Bronze medal running 4:57.88. It was also the deepest field in meet history
- Brittny Ellis gets DQ'ed in the 400m on an apparent phantom false start call. No problem. She gets real angry and dusts 200m field w/ IL#1 24.75. "I was like I didn't false start; it made me angry and I don't normal get angry," said Ellis
- Late girls 800m entry Morgan Schulz (Cary-Grove) 2:13.09 steals the show. Schulz was not in meet program but she won anyway! More on this later!!!!
- Keagan Smith (Huntley) holds off Bryce Richards (Mundelein) in the boys 1600m 4:16.86-4:17.39
- The little known Cierra Pulliam (Romeoville) cracks the magical 40-foot mark in the girls triple jump and breaks a 16 year old record with a 40-2 (IL#1/US#10)
- The young and tough Bloom Twp girls win a spirited 4x400 over hard charging Downers Grove South 4:02.18-4:02.89
- Evanston boys bring the meet to a close in the 4x400 with a solid 3:25.16 (Carl Klamm anchors w/49.3) over Homewood-Flossmoor 3:26.29; Plainfield Central takes third from the first section running 3:26.90 (Kahmari Montgomery glides 48.1 on his carry)