Girls track and field: West Aurora's Miles defends state title

CHARLESTON - Dajour Miles' final day of the girls track and field season was limited for a second consecutive year.

But, once again, the West Aurora junior made the most of her one opportunity in the Class 3A state finals at O'Brien Stadium on the campus of Eastern Illinois University.

Unable to compete in the Friday preliminaries in the 400-meter relay or 100 dash, Miles had to settle for the open 400.

In a pair of performances illuminating desire overcoming physical limitations, Miles was the class of both fields in defending her state championship at the distance.

Miles obliterated the stagger as the No. 1 seed Saturday afternoon and left no doubt for a second career title with another dominate win on the weekend in 54.72 seconds.

"First off, I tried not to think about my injury," said Miles, who pulled her hamstring in the 200 at the Blackhawks' sectional last week. "I did not think about anything. The more I thought about it, I thought, 'Oh, I'm injured. I can't do it.'"

Miles joins Emma Spagnola (long jump, 100 and 300 hurdles) as the only multiple state champion in West Aurora history.

Tori Spagnola is seeking to live up to the immense expectations her older sister forged during her storied career.

A freshman, the younger Spagnola earned all-state distinctions in both hurdles races with a seventh- and ninth-place finish with her respective times of 14.74 and 47.35.

"I think I did the best I could today," Spagnola said. "I feel like my energy (level) was better (on Friday)."

Batavia sophomore Sabrina Schlenker was also all-state in a pair of events.

Schlenker bested Spagnola by two positions to finish seventh in the long hurdles at 46.07 after earlier teaming with Davinia Wilson, Symone Houston-Davis and Tori Oritz to frame the same result in the 400 relay.

"I'm still not happy with how I did this year (at state)," Schlenker said. "I didn't run the time in the finals that I wanted to."

Making her state track debut this weekend, Geneva senior Taryn Christy went out in a fitting manner.

In a loaded 800 field, the Geneva senior lowered her personal-best time by a second and a half to finish sixth in 2:15.05.

"That second lap was my biggest moment to make a big move," Christy said.

In the field, senior Cierra Kuipers earned the first Class 3A all-state medal for Kaneland with a runner-up 11-foot, 6-inch clearance in the pole vault.

"I'm happy with my performance," Kuipers said. "I was looking to get a (career) PR, but it was a season PR."

Cary-Grove high jumper Tabor Gleason tied for ninth for a second straight medal in the event.

Brooke Delahanty completed her star-studded Rosary career with a third-place finish in the Class 2A 800.

"I don't know if it has hit me yet," Delahanty said of her second consecutive medal effort in the event.

Delahanty then anchored the Royals' fourth-place 1,600 relay to a second straight all-state finish.

"Being in a (state finals) race with these girls (Julie Bottarini, Julianne Hutchison and Annie Molenhouse) is a very humbling experience," Delahanty said. "We have different backgrounds racing-wise."

Aurora Central Catholic had two middle-tier all-state athletes in high jumper Ella Englehardt (sixth) and Lesley Viveros (eighth in the 800).

Burlington Central freshman Brooke Barkocy was seventh in the 300 hurdles.

In Class 1A, Harvest Christian senior Nygia Pollard was instrumental in propelling the Lions' 3,200 relay to a Saturday date.

Pollard skipped the relay - where Harvest Christian was sixth - to place third in the open 3,200 in 11:35.92. Harvest relay-anchor leg Carsen Forte was runner-up in the 800 in 2:15.23. The Lions' 3,200 relay team consisted of Cassidy Richter, Becca Grafick, Maddy Martin and Forte.

"I was going for the win," Pollard said. "I started too slow and got caught up in the pack. When I finally got momentum, there wasn't time to get caught up."

Aurora Christian sprinter Alyssa Busker was ninth in the 100 dash.