Girls track: Benet's Steed a quick learner

First-year Benet Academy track and field athlete Kerry Steed realized potential she didn't know she had.

"The first day they were like, 'Oh, we're running 200s in practice,' and I didn't even know what that was," said Steed, competing in her first sport for Benet.

With her high jump of 5 feet, 1 inch Tuesday at the Class 2A Lisle sectional at Benedictine University, the Vanderbilt-bound senior, a lifelong club gymnast, qualified for next week's state meet.

"I never thought that would happen," Steed said.

She had company.

"For shot put I just didn't expect it," said Wheaton Academy senior Emily Norbeck, who trailed Glenbard South's Ciara Jackson but became her school's first qualifying female thrower with the key second-place finish at 32 feet, 8 inches.

"Looking at the seeds (coming in), I was fifth. It's just a wonderful surprise," said Norbeck, who while speaking saw teammate Karyn Best earn her way to Charleston by winning the 200-meter dash.

St. Francis had not won an 800-meter relay this season - until Amanda Peterson, Haley Garvy, Kate Howard and Brianna French did when it mattered, at 1 minute, 47.68 seconds.

"This experience has been amazing, because we were supposed to be ranked fifth," French said. "They didn't even say our names when they called off the fastest teams."

There are also retribution stories. Lisle's Edoise Omoike won the 100, passed two runners over 60 meters to win the 400, and advanced in the 200. In 2014 as a freshman she was all-state in the 100 and 400 before hamstring, ankle and knee injuries hurt her 2015 chances.

"It just goes to show you can start down, not being able to run to your full potential, be injured and you can still make it to the top," Omoike said.

Benet's Ali Munson reached the top. The program pole vault record holder went 12 feet, 8 inches, at the time the top girls mark in the state.

"You get up there and you literally think like you're on top of the world, it's just so high up there," said Munson, who helped Benet beat Glenbard South for the sectional title in the Redwings' first foray into Class 2A.

Usual suspects Gianna Salzbrunn and Emma Makowski of Montini were among Broncos qualifiers, Makowski in the 800, 1,600 and 1,600 relay.

Among Glenbard South's qualifiers was sophomore Suvannah Williams in the 400 and 800 relays.

"I felt like I ran good, I'm proud of myself," she said. "There's only time to get better."