St. Charles East still going strong; Geneva ready for road trip
Allison Chmelik was quick to stick up for this year's St. Charles East girls track team.
She'd just won the A-level 200-meter dash at Naperville North's three-tier Gus Scott Invitational. She was asked if, after the Saints graduated the likes of Jordan Shead, who helped secure a 3A third-place trophy last season, if this spring was like starting over.
"I think we're continuing on the legacy rather than starting," she said, and she was absolutely correct.
Shead was a force of nature already rolling at Notre Dame. But aside from fellow graduates Corrin Adams and Kim Abels, St. Charles East returns more all-state athletes than it lost - and adds a young but effective sprint group.
Veterans and newcomers alike showed up well at Naperville North. Upperclassmen Chmelik, Anastasia Honea, Carly Anderson, Parker Kresl all won their levels in events. Sophomores and freshmen Stephanie Garcia, Alexia Scull and Kathleen Strohaker did the same.
Each class was represented in the Saints' 1,600-meter relay win by junior Keeley Flanigan, senior Torree Scull, sophomore Casey McNichols and freshman Kyanna McClinton.
Garcia, Chmelik, Flanigan and McClinton ran on a second-place 400 relay that broke 50 seconds, "a week ahead" of expectations according to Chmelik.
St. Charles East benefits by the addition of Alexia Scull, the sophomore sister of senior Torree - who gave Cary-Grove's Morgan Shulz all she could handle in the 800, leading out of the last turn before Shulz surged past the all-state Liberty University recruit.
Alexia Scull is a converted right midfielder from St. Charles East, who joined track this year simply because she liked it more.
"I just realized I love running way more than I love soccer," she said.
She was asked what she learned from Torree.
"Everything," she said.
Road Trip:
Geneva senior Justin Taormina had a solid Upstate Eight Conference indoor meet - second in the 55 dash, second in long jump, fourth in the 200 - and then no results from the junior.
Vikings boys track coach Gale Gross said Taormina has been recovering from an appendectomy. The coach said Taormina should be cleared by Thursday, just in time for Geneva's visit to the Eastern Relays April 24-25 at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. It's the second time in three seasons the Vikings are making the trip.
There are qualifying standards to get into the Eastern Relays. Based on the Vikings' performances at last Saturday's Mike Van Deveer Invitational alone, 11 different athletes stand to compete in 12 different events, not counting relays - or Taormina.
Matt Weston surpasses standards in both shot put and discus; other twofers include jumper Justin Nebel, distance runner Mitcheal Deamantopulos, sprinter Ryan Skibinski and the versatile junior Zeke Buck.
At the Van Deveer Invite Buck won the 400-meter dash, finished fourth in pole vault and joined Nebel, Skibinski and hurdler Nick Carlton no a second-place 1,600 relay.
Late-season form:
As a sophomore, Aurora Central Catholic's Karina Liz set a girls Class 2A state record in the 800-meter run at 2 minutes, 10.73 seconds.
Chargers coach Troy Kerber believes that, given the right circumstances and the proper push, "she can run 2:10 right now."
The stars didn't align for such a time April 17 at Yorkville's Matt Wulf Invitational, so instead the junior had to settle for a time of 2:13.64 - the fastest time in the state regardless of class, according to Dyestat.
The schools she is interested in included Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois State, St. John's, Wisconsin and Illinois, Kerber said.
Liz won the 400 dash and the 800 - "with 15 minutes recovery" in between, Kerber noted - and then anchored the Chargers' second-place 1,600 relay with a split time of 57 seconds.
Chargers freshman Abby Fioresi won the 1,600 and with Kerber being a track fan in general regardless of school, he noted that Liz and Fioresi, and Rosary's Emily Martin (1,600) and Madison Ronzone (3,200) all are among the top 10 in Class 2A in their events.
"Two rival schools just blocks apart," he said.