Girls track and field: Bittersweet day at state for West Aurora's Miles
CHARLESTON - West Aurora had grand ambitions for a girls state track and field trophy on Saturday.
But the dream unraveled when star sophomore Dajour Miles had to withdraw from three of the four events she qualified for on Friday.
But showing determination and focus, Miles did enter the 400-meter dash.
"That's her baby," West Aurora coach Teresa Towles said of Miles' favorite event.
Miles, suffering from a flexor muscle injury to her right hip, was determined not to leave O'Brien Field at Eastern Illinois University without some hardware.
The sophomore took the lead in the Class 3A race with less than 200 meters to go and held off defending state champion Kylie Welch of Bloomington to win in 54.75 seconds.
Injured and all, it was Miles' lowest time in the event this season.
"It was a minor setback," Miles said of withdrawing from the 400 relay, the 100 and 200. "A minor setback for a major comeback. I didn't have any discomfort. My goal was to pass Kylie Welch at the 150-meter mark. She can kick it in the 400."
But Miles had to wait a little longer, finally overcoming the Iowa-bound Welch on the final curve.
Miles braved a strong headwind to win the first West Aurora state championship since Emma Spagnola swept the 100 and 300 hurdles three years ago.
"She said she was just going to stride," Towles said of her star athlete. "There's no striding in her. We have to get her healthy."
The revamped West Aurora 400 relay of Taty Skokan, Rajiah Andrews, Nia Wood and Tamia Rayford finished seventh in 48.95.
Andrews was directly responsible for the other 9 points for West Aurora.
The senior missed out being runner-up by eight one-thousands of a second in the 100 hurdles (12.47) and was bumped back a spot in the long jump to finish eighth (18 feet, 2½ inches).
"I was really hoping to win," Andrews said of the hurdles. "It's great being a (two-event) medal-winner. It feels amazing."
"She opened some eyes this weekend," Towles said of Andrews.
The Blackhawks were top 10 after finishing in a tie for ninth with Bolingbrook with 22 points.
In the 300 hurdles, which Naperville North sophomore Halle Bieber dominated to win in 43.16, Geneva junior Georgia Reed collected her second career medal in the event.
Casey McNichols, who began her state career three years ago with a relay championship for St. Charles East, closed it out with a seventh-place finish (45.87).
Reed was fifth in the event at 45.52.
"I had that year of experience under my belt," Reed said. "I knew what I needed to do. The beginning (of the race) wasn't my best."
McNIchols had an unusual introduction to the obstacle-laden discipline.
"I used to hurdle in my backyard (as a child)," McNichols said. "It's great to go out on your last race with something you are passionate about,"
Tabor Gleason, a Cary-Grove junior, tied for third in the high jump at 5 feet, 5 inches; Kristin Higgins was eighth in her final appearance for Geneva.
The Vikings' Sophia McDonnell and St. Charles North junior Audrey Ernst were 13th and 14th, respectively, in the 3,200 run while Crystal Lake South senior Caitlin Bruzzini finished eighth.
Huntley freshman Daryn Davis was sixth in the triple jump.