Girls track: Wheaton North's Brady makes her mark
Wheaton North senior pole vaulter Micah Brady wasn't chasing 11 feet, 6 inches Friday for the obvious reasons.
When Brady cleared that height to win at Wheaton Warrenville South's 40th annual Tiger Invitational at Grange Field, she accomplished much more than becoming the seventh vaulter to share the invite's record height.
By clearing 11-6 for the first time, Brady now shares the outdoor school record with 2006 graduate and all-stater Rachel Secrest. Brady's previous best 11-3 March 10 is the indoor school record.
"I've been trying all season to get this (personal record)," said Brady, a 2016 Class 3A state qualifier. "I want to get to state and place in state. That's my big goal. I think 11-6 or 11-9 will help me do that."
Glenbard West standout freshman Katelynne Hart's winning 1,600 in an outdoor school record 4:48.61 also broke the invite record after she earlier anchored the record-setting 3,200 relay in a personal-best sub-2:14.
Juniors Lindsey Payne, Claire Kenwood and Janie Nabholz and Hart won in 9:13.17 to edge the 9:13.47 by Schaumburg in 2011.
Naperville North finished second for the second year in a row, this time to Bolingbrook 100-88. Glenbard West and Hinsdale Central were fourth and fifth and Downers Grove South, the host Tigers, Wheaton North and Naperville Central were seventh through 10th.
Naperville North sophomore Halle Bieber won the 300 hurdles in a season-best 44.66, just .02 from the invite record, and senior Elise Chao's 36-8 won triple jump. Glenbard South senior won discus with 118-7.
WW South junior Tonjalaya Yarbar won shot put with a personal-best 39-10, the third longest personal-best outdoor distance in program history. Glenbard West sophomore Katie Hohe won the 3,200 in a season-best 11:09.74.
At Glenbard West's Sue Pariseau Invite on April 22, Hart won the 3,200, 800 and 1,600 - the latter two in invite-record times.
Friday's 1,600 featured 11 runners seeded under 5:10. Second-place Hannah Ricci of Naperville North ran 4:55.56. Hinsdale Central junior Reilly Revord, the previous record holder at 4:53.63, was third in 5:00.90.
The 3,200 relay won by 6.03 seconds over Naperville North.
"I think we all had really good races (in the relay) and the weather was super nice," Hart said. "I was really hoping to PR (in the 1,600) so 4:48 tied my PR. I was a little frustrated with myself at the end, but overall I'm happy with it. I feel like I had a tiny bit left at the end."
Bieber sat out the Pariseau Invite to rest a shin injury. She won Friday by 1.53 seconds with a time comparable to her fourth-place 44.57 at Class 3A state.
"I was really happy about (my time). I was surprised but really happy," Bieber said. "It's just a big confidence boost that the season's not over yet and I feel good."
Breen felt great, to finally break her invite "curse." She missed her lifetime best 125 feet but won by 3-2 over Wheaton North's Gwyneth Johnson.
"Freshman year I threw like 67 here. I've had a mental breakdown every year," said Breen, ninth last year and under 100 feet. "This meet's always been the rough one of the year."
Yarbar, seeded third in shot, beat her previous best by nearly 8 inches to prevail. Naperville North's Sarah Wastek was second.
"So close to 40," Yarbar lamented. "It's huge. (The atmosphere) definitely boosted me up, knowing that there was one girl that threw farther than me. I'm so surprised."
In the 800 junior Grace McCabe, a member of Hinsdale Central's 2016 state title 3,200 relay, finished strong to win the 800 over Schaumburg's Madison Marasco 2:17.19 to 2:17.95.
Hinsdale Central won the 400 relay in 49.46 with senior Caroline Chisnell junior Caroline Renehan and sophomores Karla Schueler and Kya Collier and were second in the 800 and 1,600 relays.