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Huntley has high hopes for state medals

The Huntley girls track team has hit it out of the park this season.

The Fox Valley Conference champions added Class 3A sectional titlist to their resume last Friday and now the Red Raiders will look to cap an outstanding season with three individuals and two relays competing at this weekend's state finals meet at Eastern Illinois University's O'Brien Stadium in Charleston.

"We all wanted to make it Downstate so bad," said Huntley's Macy Tramblay, who qualified in three events. "Making it Downstate is the reward we got for working all season for this."

Tramblay, a four-time participant in Charleston, qualified individually in the 100 hurdles where she is seeded fourth heading into prelims. "This year I'm keeping my nerves in check," she said. "I'm focusing on my own race. I haven't really changed anything. I'm going to keep everything the same and not get weird just because I'm at state."

Teammate Tess Miller will be part of the Class 3A triple jump field and is seeded 13th. "This year I'm more consistent with my jumping," she said. "I've been consistently in the 35s. I didn't PR since last year's sectional (36-2) and last week at sectionals I made 36-6. I'm definitely more confident. I'm stretching out my phases. I feel like I have it down."

Huntley's third individual qualifier is Delaney Lyman in the pole vault. Lyman's 11-6 vault at sectionals earned her the fourth seed. This also will be her fourth time competing in the state meet. "This year I've been working a lot more on the top of the pole," she said. "I've moved up poles and have gone to a longer and higher-weight pole. Last year I would drop out when I got at the top. You want to keep going up and pop straight up. That adds a lot of extra height. I'm vaulting 6 inches higher than last year."

Huntley's 400 relay team features Tramblay, Cassidy Lackovic (freshman), Miller and Nicole Zielinski, while the 1,600 relay consists of Alyssa Bushman, Tramblay, Kate Mitchell and Miller.

"In the 4-by-1 Cassidy is only a freshman and she's helped us a lot," said Miller. "We've been practicing our handoffs and have been doing pretty well. That's taken a couple seconds off our time."

Miller added this season has been "awesome for the team."

"The coaches told us we've never had this successful of a team. We're happy to be a part of it," she said.

Cary-Grove qualified four individuals in three events for state. Nikki Freeman and Olivia Roehri will throw the discus in Charleston, while freshman Tabor Gleason made it in high jump and Eva Burk in the 100 high hurdles.

Freeman goes into preliminaries seeded No. 5 thanks to her 130-6 heave at the sectional.

"I've worked a lot on my technique," she said. "I've never been absolutely great with technique, but I've put it together. I've worked on smaller bits of my technique. I'm really turning my front/right foot and getting underneath me. That's helped a lot."

Freeman said she'll be ultra-focused when she steps up to throw. "I have to keep my head on straight and remember to do it," she said. "I'm there for myself. There is no outside pressure."

Burk is seeded eighth in the 100 hurdles.

Jacobs senior Lauren Van Vlierbergen is the defending 800 state champion. She is seeded third in that event with a 2:13.29 sectional time behind Downers Grove South junior Michaela Hackbarth (2:11.27) and Downers Grove North sophomore Emma Moravec (2:12.66).

Van Vlierbergen also is seeded seventh in the 1,600 at 5:05.55. Palatine junior Kelly O'Brien had the only sub-5:00 mile in Class 3A at sectionals and is the top seed at 4:57.54.

Joining Van Vlierbergen will be Golden Eagles teammates Caleigh Walsh (long jump) and Taylor Bradford (200).

Crystal Lake South's Kianna Clark won the sectional shot put title with a mark of 37-9 3Ž4. Sophomore Kelly Doerr made it for the Gators in the 3,200, as did the 300 hurdles tandem of Natalie Boorom and Maddy Gil. South's 3,200 relay of Kiley Britten, Boorom, sophomore Caitlin Bruzzini and freshman Kayla Ehrenhaft.

Streamwood's Gabby Juarez qualified in both the 1,600 and 3,200 but said earlier in the week she hadn't decided yet if she will do the 3,200 at state. Her main focus is on the 1,600 where she is seeded sixth at 5:04.37. She holds the third-fastest sectional time in Class 3A in the 3,200 at 10:48.11.

"I've seen more competition this season in the mile," she said. "That's pushed me to run faster times. It's easier to run those faster times when girls are running the same times. I'm looking forward to the competition."

Juarez has some goals she would like to achieve on the blue track. "For sure I would like to be in the Top 3," she said. "I ran 4:54 indoors. I'm sure I can do it outdoors.

Streamwood's Addie Kelly also qualified in the 1,600 (one of 11 out of her sectional to earn a Charleston ticket in the event).

South Elgin qualified pole vaulter Ann Mikulecky and high jumper Caroline Muller, while Bartlett sophomore Nicolette Zolecki qualified in the 200.

In Class 2A, sectional runner-up Hampshire will have the most area representation at state. Individually, Rebecca Freund will compete in pole vault, while Jacqueline Pytel is seeded fourth in the high jump at 5-3. Like Cary-Grove and Crystal Lake South, Hampshire also qualified two girls in one event with Pytel being joined by Dallas Krueger, who is seeded 12th. Morgan Richert, a sophomore, will run the 3,200 for the Whip-Purs.

Hampshire also has three relays that will be in action. The 3,200 relay of Nikki Dumoulin, Elizabeth Evans, Aimee Jarvis and Marie Mayer won the sectional title and is seeded eighth. Dumoulin also leads off the 800 relay and is followed by Pytel, Valeria Wozniak and Alexis Nguyen. Doumoulin also is first on the 1,600 relay that also features Evans, Mayer and Natalie Nollinger.

Jasmine Castillo (100 hurdles) and Chloe Bilyk (800) qualified for Burlington Central.

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