Girls track: Wheeling edges Glenbard West for sectional title

Wheeling girls track and field coach Tim Nowicki had the luxury of inserting the 400-meter champion on the anchor leg of the 1,600 relay Friday night in Elmhurst.

Alexis Knight had a come-from-behind victory over her Glenbard North counterpart to give the Wildcats the win in 4 minutes, 0.63 seconds.

It was the difference in the team title at the Class 3A York sectional as Wheeling edged Glenbard West 77-75.

Prospect (67 points), Lake Park (58) and Glenbard North (48) were the other programs in the top five.

"Either 1991 or '92," Nowicki said of the Wildcats' last sectional win. "It was definitely a team effort. A title is a title - and we will definitely take it."

"In the open quarter-(mile) you never know what can happen," said the top-seeded Knight, who won in 58.54. "You can't win on paper. I knew I had to do it for my team (in the relay)."

The Wildcats also received a triple-jump championship from Arkansas State senior volleyball recruit Timber Terrell, who prevented Lake Park junior Isabelle Kennedy a sweep of the horizontal jumps with her effort of 38 feet, 9 inches.

"Tears," Terrell said of her reaction to winning. "We came into this meet with the smallest team here. I am so proud of these guys."

Knight also anchored the Wildcats' 400 to a state berth.

Prospect junior Annie Walsh had a final sectional not soon to forget.

The Ohio recruit powered two Prospect sprint relays to victory and finished runner-up at 100 and 200 meters to become a four-event state qualifier.

"This is a huge, big dream of mine," Walsh said. "We were super positive (in the relays). (Relay teammate) Natalie Kowalczuk made state-qualifying in the long jump. That just made us that more excited for the relays."

Brooke Wilson will conclude her senior season for Prospect with two final state appearances. The South Carolina-bound senior will make return engagements in the 3,200 and 1,600.

Wilson was one of five athletes to break 11 minutes in 3,200.

"Obviously, you want to qualify (in the 3,200), but you to run fast enough to run in the fast heat (Saturday in Charleston)," Wilson said.

Additional individual state qualifiers for Prospect included senior Jillian Hennig in shot put (39-3.5, third place), senior Autumn Stone in pole vault (10-3, fourth) and Kowalczuk, a senior, in the long jump (17-8.75, fifth).

Prospect's 4 x 100 relay of Walsh, sophomore Samantha Berman, Hennig and Kowalczuk won in 48.50, and the 4 x 200 relay of Walsh, Berman, sophomore Amanda Behles and Stone won in 1:44.50.

In the 3,200, Hersey senior Hailey Bowes also eclipsed the 11-minute mark in finish one place behind Wilson in fourth.

Hersey sophomore Alessia Olhava won the high jump with a 5-5 effort, and the Huskies also had invividual state qualification from Stefanie Pawlis (high jump, 17-10.25), Barbara Rydzewski (discus, 122-11) and Sarah Harden (1,600, 5:02.06).

In the 800 run Elk Grove senior Emily Steigmeier was in a class of her own with a withering final lap to win in 2:13.96.

"I really tried to pass on the home straight," Steigmeier said. "You never know how close people are getting to you."

The possibility of the Triple Crown increased substantially after the latest brilliant performance delivered by Glenbard West freshman wunderkind Katelynne Hart.

The reigning cross country state champion was once again unstoppable in forging three state passes.

Hart began her night with a sub-2:14 anchor in the 3,200 relay for one triumph and then dominated the 1,600 and 3,200 runs with times of 4:47.54 and 10:14.47.

"I didn't even know what the (distance racing) Triple Crown was until last week," Hart said. "I was looking for a 4:46. I was really happy with the mile. I felt really good in it."

Glenbard West defending state champion Lindsay Payne was runner-up at 3,200 meters.

Lake Park received wins from Kennedy in the long jump and 300 hurdler Natalie Zolkos.

Glenbard East's Keonnah Weaver won the 100 hurdles.

Wheaton North senior Micah Brady was the champion in the pole vault.

"Even though I qualified last year, I was still nervous," said Brady, who won at 11-3.

Lauren Kroll is a five-time sectional sprint champion after the Addison Trail, and senior Loyola recruit swept the two dashes for a second straight year.

"I there was (additional pressure as the top seed)," said Kroll, all-state in both events last year.