It's that time again... whew time flew by quick when you are focused and set on your goals. The annual B-Side sprint flat races and relay predictions are in order. These are purely my picks and my thoughts alone. I hope you enjoy them and good luck to all of you this weekend!
The relays are going to fast and exciting from both classes!
*images by Colin Boyle and Mark Capappas
2A Predictions-
4x100m relay: Chicago Morgan Park, Maple Park Kaneland, River Forest Trinity; Darkhorses Kankakee, Springfield Southeast, Chicago North Lawndale. This could be the return of Morgan Park?
100m: Pick'm Dominique Lewis (Champaign Centennial) / Anna Sloan (River Forest Trinity)
Mariya Hudson (Cahokia); Darkhorses: Jeniba Johnson (Troy Triad), Jada Layne (Morgan Park)- This one may be real close.
4x200m relay: Richton Park, Morgan Park, Clinton / Springfield Southeast is a Pick'm; Darkhorse is Galesburg
400m: Mariya Hudson (Cahokia) 2nd is a Pick'm Allie Heinzer (Maple Park Kaneland), Deven Bax (Lincoln Way West), Karina Liz (Aurora Central Catholic)
200m: Tyuana Eason (Kankakee), Tina Martin (Decatur Eisenhower)- watch her close, Dominique Lewis (Champaign Centennial)- Not sure how she recovered mentally from the sectional loss to Tina Martin.
Darkhorses: Anna Sloan (River Forest Trinity), Mariya Hudson (Cahokia), Jada Layne (Chicago Morgan Park)
4x400m relay: Galesburg, Maple Park Kaneland, Springfield Southeast, Darkhorses: Dunlap, Erie (Coop)
Lincoln-Way East plans on distancing themselves from the field this weekend
3A Predictions-
4x100m relay: Lincoln-Way East, Homewood Flossmoor, Bloomington; Darkhorses: Oak Park-River Forest, Chicago Westinghouse - If HF's first two legs can step up bigger than they did at sectional they may win it. Don't be shoked if Bloomington sneaks everybody. LWE knows its showtime so it will take a mistake to beat them.
100m: Brittny Ellis (Gurnee Warren), Asia Brown (Lincoln-Way East), 3rd is a pick'm Briana Driver (Chicago Mother McAuley), Jayla Stewart (Homewood-Flossmoor), Antoinette Broughton (Homewood-Flossmoor) * foot issues keep her out of my top 3; Darkhorse: Natajah Simmons (Oswego).
The battle between Asia Brown vs. Antoinette "Angel" Broughton has been in favor of Brown lately
4x200m relay: Pick'm: Lincoln- Way East / Oak Park, Bloomington; darkhorse: O' Fallon, Chicago Mother McAuley- I havent seen Oak Park or Bloomington, but Lincoln-Way East better not slip
400m: Brittny Ellis (Gurnee Warren). Kierra Griggs (Chicago Hts Bloom), Ashleigh Wilson (Minooka)
200m: Brittny Ellis (Gurnee Warren), Jayla Stewart (Homewood-Flossmoor), Jenzel Martin (Bloomington); darkhorse Norma Abdur-Rafia (Oak Park-River Forest)
4x400m relay: Lincoln-Way East, Barrington, Oak Park-River-Forest; Darkhorse: St. Charles East, Chicago Hts Bloom... St Charles East laid in the weeds last year. Could the Saints strike again like a panther again?