Emmi Scales is seeking three more titles (100h, 100, 300h) before she departs for Lexington, KY.
2A- What lasting legacies will Emmi Scales and Tatum David establish? Is Kankakee truly set for a repeat performance or is Geneseo the spoiler?
The build-up to the state series for Tatum David (Sr., Olney Richland County) included a handful of 3200, 800, 1600, and 4x4 quadruples, so the crescendo to a state 'quad' seemed inevitable. The narrative was forming for David to shoot her shot at the distance triple, with 2A 800 state meet record holder Becca Heitzig (Jr., Lincoln) standing in the way.
But even before the meet have begun, David squashed that narrative by not only beating Heitzig head-to-head but running by far fastest 800 ever run by an Illinois athlete not named Ali Ince, winning the Rantoul sectional 800 in 2:05.29, sandwiched between 11:05 and 4:54 timings. David has always been strong over 800, but relative to her longer distances, this was an event of discomfort. Not anymore, as she and Heitzig now appear to be co-favorites in a fantastic 800 race that will test each runner with multiple events entered for the weekend. Heitzig is also running the 1600, and is squarely slated to finish runner-up (although she will have to contend with Sundara Weber (Fr., Sandwich) to do so). But now that David is mentioned in the same breath as Katelynne Hart on the short list of all-time greats, her state meet in 2023 will be a crucial final piece to the puzzle of her lasting legacy.
Likewise for Emmi Scales (Sr., Arlington Heights), the former all-time record holder in the indoor 60h. This unique year for hurdles indoors saw Scales take down her state record three times, settling at 8.32 from New Balance Indoors, before relinquishing the record to Ana-Liese Torian (Sr., Homewood-Flossmoor) at Top Times. Scales has proven to be the more consistent hurdler of the two, and the only of the two to actually be running both hurdles races. There are strong competitors in the hurdles, headlined by Brianna Dixon (Sr., Rantoul) who just ran a massive PB with a 14.1 100h sectional win. But Scales' attitude should be to race the clock and take down her bests even further to see where she can settle on the list of all-timers. A real legacy opportunity for Scales will also come in the 100, where not she, but Kayda Austin (Jr., Cahokia) is the hands-on favorite. Can Scales pull out a moment of greatness just minutes after leaving the track from the hurdles race?
The Kankakee Kays' hopes to win another state title are headed by Naomi Bey-Osbourne.
A year ago, Kankakee entered the state meet with a full head of steam and finished the job by blowing away the competition (74 points to Normal University's 51). This year, Kankakee is still plastered with the target but has backed into that spot during a less consistent regular season. It helps that the Kays do come off of their best performance of the year from their home sectional. Like last year, the Kays' strength comes from the relays and from Naomi Bey-Osborne (So.). But Kankakee couldn't even consider a title if not for the performances of field stars Na'Kyrah Cooks (Jr.) in the LJ, Aniya Lewis (Jr.) in the HJ, and throwers Nikkel Johnson (Jr.) and Tytiana Sutton (Jr.).
This balanced field attack is exactly what is needed to counter Kankakee's chief competition, the Geneseo Maple Leafs. Where Kankakee has Bey-Osbourne, Geneseo has multi-event Iowa-signee Annie Wirth (Sr.), who is the HJ favorite but also appears in the 4x400, 300h, and will battle Cooks in the LJ. Geneseo also sports the same relays that the Kays do and is supported by Olivia Marshall (Jr.) in the throws, Phoebe Shoemaker (Sr.) in the hurdles, and freshman vaulter Jocelyn Cechowicz.
Another balanced attack is that of Normal University. Anna Barr (Sr.), hurdler and relay leg, leads the Pioneers who may score in all four relays, particularly the 4x400 where they are 2A state leaders. The distance duo of Zoe Carter (So.) and Natalie Bierbaum (Fr.) could accumulate in excess of 10 points in the distances, especially if Bierbaum is at full strength after sitting out most of the outdoor season. Reese Mitchell (Jr., 100) and Emily Gross (Fr., HJ) will add points for Normal as well.
Cahokia doesn't have the same balanced attack but doesn't need to for trophy contention, as the heavy-hitting junior Kayda Austin is a favorite in both sprints. Her teammate, Keymora Hayes (Jr.) is the second big piece with 100h and LJ points in addition to the 200. They lead a couple of Cahokia sprint relays that can really help their trophy cause with some surprising high finishes.
Tatum David makes Richland County a sure bet to score 28 or 30 points. The Tigers may sneak in another point or two if they qualify for the 4x400 final. They need every point they can get to hold off teams like Lincoln, or Sandwich, who will score plenty in just four events between distance runner Sunny Weber and thrower Claire Allen (Sr.). Rochester, Champaign Central, and Richwoods are all second-tier scoring teams that will be in the mix too.
What noise will Lena Jackson (So.) and her Richwood teammates make this weekend? (Photo by Laura Duffy)