Girls track and field: Batavia claims own invite
It was as if Batavia girls track and field coach Justin Allison were doing the math in his head Thursday night at St. Charles North.
"I don't know," Allison said when asked to explain how his girls overcame the seeming dominance of DeKalb to win the team title of the Bulldogs' Carlson-Anderson Classic. "I thought DeKalb was running away it. They are one of the best teams in the state. Very surprised, but pleasantly surprised."
Brimonet Buggs was the personification of the Barbs' brilliance on the track with wins in four sprinting events, but Batavia totaled 133 points to win the seven-team invitational for the third straight year.
DeKalb had to settle for runner-up with 124 points; Glenbard North was a strong third at 122.
Plainfield South (104), St. Charles North (62), East Aurora (7) and Bartlett (2) rounded out the field.
Mandy Saucedo was the Bulldogs' star in the field as the junior was the only local multiple-event champion in the triple and long jumps.
"I don't think I have ever had a meet when I won both long and triple," said Saucedo, who captured the former in 16 feet, 5.5 inches and the latter in 34-8. "The wind did help a lot. It helped me get my speed up more."
The Bulldogs' Angie Kilbride and Sam Healy were runners-up in the pole vault and shot put, respectively.
On the track, senior Addie Bobosky teamed with the all-junior trio of Sarah Hager, Emma Stephens and Daphne Kolody to ease to the title for Batavia in the 3,200-meter relay in 10 minutes, 22.85 seconds.
"I love being the anchor," Bobosky said. "I kind of get a feel for where we are at. I had to finish what they started."
But it proved to be the lone track championship for Batavia in 12 attempts.
The Bulldogs did, however, receive valuable second-place finishes from Josie Adams in the 3,200 run (12:26.88), Brittany Wall in the 100 hurdles (16.88) and Hannah Schlaman in the 200 (26.2)
"It's been a much harder season with the injuries and not having a track," said Schlaman.
The Bulldogs' Sabrina Schlenker appeared headed for certain victory in the 300 hurdles, only to fall over the final obstacle in her third-place finish.
"I was going for a 46-flat," Schlenker. "(Automatic) state qualifying is 46.9. At least it wasn't the sectional. I have other meets."
Natalie Galvan was seeking her third consecutive invitational title in the 800 run, but the St. Charles North sophomore was denied by the Barbs' Katherine Olsen.
Galvan came back to try the 1,600 double, but also had to be content with a silver place.
"I had to regain that focus and drive to win the mile," said Galvan, who was timed in 2:25.6 and a personal-best 5:29.92. "I was angry that I didn't win (the 800) and brought it to the mile."
But the North Stars did have one champion as junior Autumn Horlbeck denied the Bulldogs' Kilbride on criteria to win the pole vault at 9-0.
"I was a gymnast for eight years," said Kilbride, echoing a familiar athletic background among many female pole vaulters. "It wasn't personally my best meet with the cross winds. I think a crosswind is harder than a headwind."