Girls track: Naperville North raises the bar with third-place trophy
CHARLESTON - For all its great history in girls cross-country, success in track and field at the state level has been elusive for Naperville North.
That all came to a halt Saturday afternoon at O'Brien Field at Eastern Illinois University for the Huskies at the Class 3A track finals.
Behind a stunning 300-meter hurdles victory from sophomore sensation Halle Bieber and its stable of middle and distance runners, Naperville North earned its first trophy in program history, scoring 40 points to secure third place.
Glenbard West won the team title 47-44 over Homewood-Flossmoor.
Bieber utterly destroyed the field in her state championship, winning by almost two seconds in 43.16.
"I didn't know what to expect," said Bieber, who also anchored the Huskies' 800 relay to eighth place. "I was completely surprised. It's hard to tell where everybody is. I am really thankful. Last year we didn't even have a 4-by-2 (team)."
It was a stunning fall and spring for Claire Hamilton, Sarah Schmitt, Alex Morris, Claire Hill and Hannah Ricci.
The members of the Huskies' state-championship cross-country team all played key roles in track Saturday.
Schmitt and Morris were third and fifth, respectively, in the 3,200 run in 10:41.57 and 10:45.57.
Hamilton was fourth in the 1,600 at 4:58.83, and Ricci - who teamed with Hill, Gabby Champion and Jill Fitz to earn third in the 3,200 relay - was eighth.
"It's just been a whirlwind," Indiana-bound Hamilton said. "Obviously, the times, the places and trophy speak for itself. There was a lot of good competition (in the 1,600)."
"We're such close girls," Schmitt said. "All the girls love each other."
"The credit goes to the kids, not me," Naperville North coach Dan Iverson said. "I'm very excited for the kids, the program. It's an honor to be a part of it."
There were two local athletes who successfully defended state championships.
Courtney Morgan, the Central Florida-bound thrower for Metea Valley, won her third shot put title when her Friday preliminary throw of 46 feet, 3 inches held up.
But the Mustangs' senior had East St. Louis' Jazzmine Pool cost her the discus title by 4 inches at 140-11.
"Discus has been really rough this year," Morgan said. "It hurts for sure. That 4 inches, it hurts a lot. Having that 46 (on Friday in the shot) really helped a lot."
Ali Munson was the Class 2A champion in the pole vault a year ago for Benet. But moving up a division was meaningless to the Princeton-bound senior. Munson took only one vault on Friday, coming in at 11-3.
"I like to conserve my energy," Munson said.
In the finals Munson had a simple task on her final two clearing heights.
"I cleared 12-0 and 12-3 on my first attempt," Munson said.
It was good enough for another state title.
"I couldn't have hoped for a better way to end (my senior season)," Munson said.
Karyn Best has a story to share with the next generation. The Wheaton Academy junior was not even a hurdler a year ago.
"My summer team coach, Abe (Jones), told me that if I wanted to qualify for the Junior National Olympic Team that I would have to hurdle," Best said. "He has changed my life. You can quote me on that. I accepted the challenge."
Best became the first state champion in program history with a Class 2A 300 hurdles title in 43.49 as well as the only two-event medal-winner with a sixth-place finish in the 100 hurdles.