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Streamwood's Juarez climbs to the top in 1,600

CHARLESTON - For Streamwood senior Gabby Juarez, touching the podium had been the goal since the beginning of the season.

The Sabre senior not only touched the podium, she climbed to the top spot.

On a warm spring Saturday, Juarez turned up the heat in the final lap of the 1,600 meters to secure the Class 3A title in 4:53.68 at Eastern Illinois University's O'Brien Stadium.

Juarez became the first Streamwood athlete to secure a state title in track and field for the Sabres.

"I can't ask for a better ending," said Juarez, who was all smiles after passing Palatine junior Kelly O'Brien on the final lap and holding off St. Charles East senior Torree Scull down the home stretch in securing the victory. "It's a first for a Streamwood and it's definitely an honor and a privilege."

O'Brien set a blistering pace hitting the halfway mark in 2:16 and leading the field by over 50 meters, but the Palatine senior started to slow a bit in the final two laps and Juarez saw her opening.

"It's unbelievable, it's just unbelievable," said Streamwood coach Dennis Lau of Juarez's performance. "We knew Gabby could close a lead and she kept grinding it out. She had an extra kick at the end."

Juarez placed seventh in the 3,200 and ninth in the 1,600 last season, and the Sabre senior had a disappointing cross-country last fall finishing in 38th place. That finish seemed to light a fuse.

"Cross-country did not go at all how I wanted," said Juarez who had a pair of fresh legs after scratching from the 3,200. "That fueled my fire and definitely motivated me everyday to push because I knew I wanted to get on that podium."

"We knew she should have been a top five runner at Detweiller," said Lau of the cross-country season. "She worked really hard and I think she found closure today."

Jacobs senior Lauren Van Vlierbergen had high aspirations entering the Class 3A meet. She was looking to defend her 800 title and maybe add a 1,600 title.

And despite not quite reaching her intended target the Golden Eagle standout left with no regrets.

Van Vlierbergen, the Wendy's Heisman winner, jumped out to an early lead in the 800, but couldn't hold off Downers Grove South junior Michaela Hackbarth (2:15.97) who passed her with 200 meters remaining. Van Vlierbergen settled for a third-place finish in the 800 (2:12.34).

She then came back and led the chase pack on O'Brien for the first two laps of the 1,600 before finishing in fifth place in 4:59.76.

"Really it's my last year and I just wanted to give it everything I had," said the Michigan-bound Van Vlierbergen, who earned her fifth and sixth state track medal to complete a brilliant run at Jacobs. "I just wanted to leave it all on the track. It's surreal that it's my last state track meet and I know I gave my best effort."

Huntley senior Macy Tramblay and Cary-Grove senior Eva Burk have had their share of memorable 100 high hurdle races and the two faced off one last time at O'Brien Stadium on Saturday. Both left quite a mark.

Tramblay earned her first state medal tying for fourth place in the 100 high hurdles (14.79).

"I never made finals before and the fact I placed fourth is awesome," said Tramblay, who missed qualifying for last year's finals by one spot. "I knew this was my last shot and it's a weight off my chest."

Burk also hit on her final shot taking sixth place in 14.99.

"I exceeded my expectations by just making it to finals," said Burk, who credited speed work for her senior year improvement. "Placing sixth is just a cherry on top."

Huntley senior Delaney Lyman secured a state medal tying for eighth place in the pole vault (11-0).

Cary-Grove junior Nikki Freeman gave the Trojans an additional state medal finishing in fourth place in the discus (135-07).

Lincoln-Way East won the Class 3A title with 51 points, with Barrington and Warren tying for second with 35 points.

In Class 2A, Hampshire senior Dallas Krueger (5-2) tied for seventh in the high jump with teammate Jacqueline Pytel (5-2) adding a ninth place medal.

And in Class 1A, Elgin Academy senior Kaitlyn Pearson earned a third place medal in the 100 dash (12.45) and came back to secure a sixth place medal in the 200 dash (26.25).

Senior Valerie Richter gave Harvest Christian a lift by taking eighth place in the 800 (2:21.62).

Images: Saturday at the girls track State Final Meet

  Jacobs' Lauren Van Vlierbergen takes third place in the 800-meter run in the IHSA Class 3A state finals at O'Brien Stadium in Charleston, IL Saturday. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
  Elgin Academy's Kaitlyn Pearson takes sixth place in the 200-meter dash in the IHSA Class 1A state finals at O'Brien Stadium in Charleston, IL Saturday. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
  Streamwood's Gabby Juarez takes the lead in the 1,600-meter run in the IHSA Class 3A state finals at O'Brien Stadium in Charleston, IL Saturday. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
  St. Charles North's Audrey Ernst and Jacobs' Lauren Van Vlierbergen in the 1,600-meter run in the IHSA Class 3A state finals at O'Brien Stadium in Charleston, IL Saturday. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
  Jacobs' Caleigh Walsh competes in the IHSA Class 3A state finals of the long jump at O'Brien Stadium in Charleston, IL Saturday. She would take 10th place. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
  Hampshire's Dallas Krueger competes in the high jump in the IHSA Class 2A state finals at O'Brien Stadium in Charleston, IL Saturday. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
  Huntley's Tess Miller competes in the triple jump in the IHSA Class 3A state finals at O'Brien Stadium in Charleston, IL Saturday. She would take 12th place. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
  Huntley's Macy Tramblay takes fourth place in the 100-meter high hurdles in the IHSA Class 3A state finals at O'Brien Stadium in Charleston, IL Saturday. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
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