advertisement

Ignoffo inspires Geneva

Foster Ignoffo has a most unusual medical condition.

"My doctor told that I have two extra bones in each knee," the Geneva junior said.

"My knees have been killing me all season. I can deal with the pain until eventually I go to college (University of Kentucky) for soccer. I'm just dealing with the pain, pushing through."

Ignoffo, sixth in the 400-meter dash at the Class 3A girls track and field state finals last spring, led a clean sweep by Geneva in her specialty event and anchored two other victorious relays on Saturday at the Vikings' Mike VanDeveer Invitational.

The Vikings scored 166 points to deny Palatine in its bid to repeat by 22 points.

St. Charles North flirted with triple figures behind four championships.

Waukesha (Wis.) North was fourth, followed by Burlington Central, Dundee-Crown, Rockford Jefferson and Larkin.

Ignoffo was the lone athlete to better 60 seconds at 400 meters as teammates Molly McQueeny and Isabel Amat followed close behind.

The junior ran the anchor leg on the Vikings' championship 400 and 1,600 relays that won in times of 52.24 and 4:14.09.

"I'm happy with what I got," Ignoffo said. "It was a really good experience coming back."

Colette Malovany won the 100 dash in 12.87 second two events after McKenzie Altmayer defeated teammate Brooke Nusser by almost 15 seconds in the 3,200 run for Geneva.

The Vikings' junior distance ace would only be bettered by St. Charles North freshman sensation Audrey Ernst in the 1,600 in her quest for the exacting double.

"I ran the 32, that was good," said Altmayer, who was timed in 11:09,68. "It was a better time (in the 1,600, 5:15.76) than I thought I was going to get. I was just trying to hold on."

In the field, sophomore Kristin Huggins' 5-foot-1 effort in the high jump was enough to stave off Burlington Central senior Karli Chmelik.

Dundee-Crown freshman Tarrah Kamp had to withstand one final throw to be declared the winner in the discus.

But the Vikings' Veronica Ramming met the challenge and overtook Kamp on her final attempt.

"I went into (finals) as the top seed from prelims, and then a couple of girls (Kamp and Waukesha junior Allie Gartner) from other schools beat that throw," Ramming said. "I knew I had to perform."

"It was good to put some of the pieces together today," Geneva coach Peter Raak said.

The Vikings' Janie McCloughan is a quick study in the 300 hurdles; the senior was runner-up in the event.

"It was only my second time doing it, and I got state-qualifying time (46.38)," McCloughan said. "I would really love to go to state in an individual event."

St. Charles North do-it-all junior Hannah Schilb was also in the 300 hurdles, placing fourth in the event after a disastrous stumble in missing the finals to the 100 hurdles.

"I see (the 300s) being a strong event for me," Schilb said. "It was definitely a fast-paced race - that's what I need."

But the three-time state qualifier was in her domain in the two horizontal jumps.

Schilb won the triple jump at 36-10 after earlier claiming the long jump at a shade over 17 feet.

"My long jumping was the same as the (short) hurdles," Schilb said. "I was too far behind the board. I wanted to get 37 in the triple but am still satisfied."

Ernst anchored the North Stars' 3,200 relay to its second invitational title in as many weekends.

The celebrated ninth-grader then won the North Stars' fourth championship by defeating Altmayer by two and half seconds (5:13.24).

Bryce Weinrich has been slowed all season after a hurdles accident in her first indoor meet of the season.

The Burlington Central returning state qualifier was limited to her specialty event - the 100 hurdles - and the Rockets' 400 relay.

Weinrich had to settle for runner-up status in the 100 hurdles.

"Being a senior, it's not fun being as good you were last year," Weinrich said. "I really wanted to get out and get first, but getting second made me happy."

  Palatine's Morgan Balog in the 4 x 800 meter relay at the 24th annual Mike VanDeveer Track and Field Invitational at Geneva High School Saturday. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
  Geneva's Taryn Christy in the 4 x 800 meter relay at the 24th annual Mike VanDeveer Track and Field Invitational at Geneva High School Saturday. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
  Burlington-Central's Arielle Carani takes the baton over from Chloe Bilyk in the 4 x 800 meter relay at the 24th annual Mike VanDeveer Track and Field Invitational at Geneva High School Saturday. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
  Dundee-Crown's Kayla Leal in the triple jump final at the 24th annual Mike VanDeveer Track and Field Invitational at Geneva High School Saturday. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
  Palatine's Gabbi Heidrich in the triple jump final at the 24th annual Mike VanDeveer Track and Field Invitational at Geneva High School Saturday. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
  Geneva's Grace Ginsberg, center, in the 100 meter hurdle semis at the 24th annual Mike VanDeveer Track and Field Invitational at Geneva High School Saturday. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
  St. Charles North's Audrey Ernst takes the lead in the 4 x 800 meter really for the North Stars and wins the race at the 24th annual Mike VanDeveer Track and Field Invitational at Geneva High School Saturday. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.