Girls track and field: Aurora Central's Fioresi state 800 champ
CHARLESTON - The final indoor girls track and field meet provided an invaluable pointer to Aurora Central Catholic senior Abby Fioresi.
"At Indoor Top Times I learned my lesson that you cannot pass on the inside," Fioresi said. "I got boxed in."
Saturday on the final day of the outdoor season, the Class 2A state finals, Fioresi parlayed her newfound knowledge into a state championship.
After taking the lead at the gun lap of the 800-meter run, Fioresi was behind three runners with less than 200 meters to go.
But the Chargers' Xavier-bound senior broke to the outside on the final curve and outraced her three competitors to the finish line to win in 2 minutes, 12.37 seconds.
It was the third time in the last four years an ACC athlete captured the distance at the state meet.
"I knew what I had to do," Fioresi said. "I knew I had a strong kick at the end. My legs were bricks (in the final meters)."
"(Fioresi) is the greatest racer I have ever coached," 28-year ACC veteran Troy Kerber said.
The extraordinary state career of Kaneland senior Nicole Sreenan came to a close on Saturday at O'Brien Field at Eastern Illinois University.
In three state appearances - Sreenan missed the state series her sophomore year with an injury - the Grand Valley recruit won 10 medals in 12 attempts.
Sreenan ended her decorated career with a fifth-place finish in the 100 dash (12.34) and teamed with Emma Stoker, Linsey Turner and Carley Elliott for an eighth-place finish in the 800 relay (1:44.96).
Elliott finished her Kaneland career with six career medals.
"It was really good competition," Sreenan, runner-up last year, said of the 100. "After (Cahokia senior) Mariya (Hudson) and the (Decatur) Eisenhower girl (Katrina Martin), it was going to be everybody going after it."
Sreenan had battled Hudson all three years at state as the two schools shared the state championship last year.
"It hasn't sunk in yet," Sreenan said of her final high school meet. "It was something like winning state - I didn't realize it."
Kaneland finished with 20 points, good for a 13th-place tie.
The Knights' Cierra Kuipers cleared 11 feet to place sixth in the pole vault.
The Kaneland 3,200 relay was fourth (9:44.99) behind sisters Becca and Rachel Richtman. The latter was also seventh in the 1,600 run.
In that open race, Rosary junior Claire Hengesbaugh was fourth in 5:13.1.
"I tried to find a girl to run with," Hengesbaugh said. "Then I didn't want to play it safe. I wanted to give it my all."
The Royals' Brooke Delahanty was fifth in the Fioresi victory at 800 meters in 2:17.26 and later anchored the 1,600 relay to the same verdict in 4:01.06.
"It was my goal this season," Delahanty said of her twin state medals. "I wanted to get on the podium. To be halfway up it is amazing. I can't even describe it."
Rosary scored 18 points to finish tied for 17th.
In Class 1A, St. Edward sprinter Bella Uscila added to her program firsts at 100 and 200 meters.
In becoming the first athlete in St. Edward history to win two state medals, the junior was third in the 100 (12.18) and sixth in the 200 (26.01).
"I can say I wasn't too worried about what place I got," Uscila said. "I was definitely happy with the time. My 200 is something I'm definitely going to be working on."
Before last year, St. Edward had only one relay medal to account for in its history.