Girls track and field: West Aurora wins County meet
The two outstanding athletes at the girls track and field meet had an epic encounter in the final event of the Kane County Championship Friday night in Aurora.
West Aurora sophomore Dajour Miles was seeking a fourth championship after breaking two meet records en route to wins in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes.
But Abby Fioresi put the proverbial monkey wrench in Miles' plans.
The Aurora Central Catholic senior, bound for Xavier University, showcased why she is one of the top Class 2A talents in the state.
Fioresi, who earlier won the 800 and 1,600 runs, ran a blistering anchor leg in the 1,600 relay to pass Miles in the waning meters to give the Chargers the win in 4 minutes, 7.7 seconds to the Blackhawks' 4:08.05.
"I knew (Miles) had a kick," Fioresi said.
But it was all host West Aurora for bragging rights for best team in the county.
Winning their first county championship since Emma Spagnola won four events to give the Blackhawks a fifth consecutive title three years ago, West Aurora finished with 142 points.
Defending champion Geneva was a distant second with 100 points.
Batavia was third with 95 points, and defending Class 2A state champion Kaneland was fourth at 70 points.
St. Charles East (62 points), Rosary (55), Aurora Central Catholic (51), St. Charles North (33), Dundee-Crown (25), Streamwood (19), South Elgin (16), St. Edward (16), Burlington Central (11), Larkin (4), Elgin (3) and East Aurora (0) rounded out the field.
Miles, who established new county benchmarks in the 200 and 400 dashes in 24.67 and 57.03 seconds, earlier nipped Class 1A all-stater Bella Uscila of St. Edward by one one-hundredth of a second in the 100 in 12.34.
"Winning the team title (means more than anything else)," Miles said. "I was a little worried (about Uscila). I wanted to get back into shape. It's only my second 400 outdoors. I am really happy."
"(Miles in the 400) was like watching someone on video - and it was being fast forwarded," said St. Charles North 3,200 champion Audrey Ernst. "It was amazing to watch."
Uscila etched her name in St. Edward athletic history last year by becoming the first girl to earn all-state honors in the sport.
"It honestly feels amazing," Uscila said of the distinction. "I honestly think (tonight) is the best I have ever done. I am pretty impressed right now. (Miles) was my main competition."
The Green Wave junior scored every point for her team with her two runner-up finishes in the 100 and 200 (25.22).
But Fioresi, who ran a 2:16:86 in the 800 and a 5:08.02 in the 1,600, turned the tables on Miles in the final event of the meet.
"The whole race (at 1,600 meters) I was kind of giving up the whole time," Fioresi said. "I said, 'I have a lot of energy in me. I can just go.' I said that I have to go as fast as I can."
Geneva junior Georgia Reed became the third multiple-event individual champion by sweeping both hurdles races in 16.11 and 45.53.
"The 300 hurdles, I knew I wanted to win that," said Reed, a returning all-stater in the event. "I was (seeded) third in my heat."
Kaneland state veterans Nicole Sreenan and Carley Elliot powered the Knights' 400 relay to victory.
"(Elliott and I) are already thinking about state," said Sreenan.
Rosary won the 800 relay, with Kaneland beginning the track schedule with a win in the 3,200 relay.
The six field events were captured by the following girls: high jump, Kristin Higgins, Geneva senior; pole vault, Cierra Kuipers, Kaneland junior; long jump, Kayla Battle, West Aurora senior; triple jump, Susan D'Onofrio, Geneva junior; shot put, Sam Healy, Batavia senior, and discus, Tarrah Kamp, Dundee-Crown junior.