Tigers get to work at Batavia Invitational
Track and field is a deceptive sport.
The Batavia girls squad was seemingly invulnerable at its Carlson-Anderson Classic Friday night, but Wheaton Warrenville South won the seven-team title with its persistence and depth.
"We're not a flashy team," WW South coach Rob Harvey. "We're a bunch of hard-workers who know their job and what to do. It's a special group of kids."
The Tigers had a lone winner on the track and in the field -- Elise Anderson and Allie Winberg, respectively -- but they dominated the relays with three championship efforts and a runner-up to edge the Bulldogs 154.5-148.5 in Batavia.
Bartlett was a distant third with 75, followed by St. Francis' half a point over Minooka for fourth; Aurora Central Catholic was sixth, and DeKalb finished seventh.
The Tigers' team triumph overshadowed a brilliant collective performance by the Bulldogs' triumvirate of Natalie Tarter, Kathryn Warner and Melissa Norville.
For the second consecutive year, Tarter swept four events: the 100 dash and 100 hurdles as well as the 200 sprint and 300 hurdles.
Warner, meanwhile, won the pole vault by clearing 10 feet, 6 inches and later displayed her versatility by edging Bartlett senior Kim Kowalczyk for top honors in the 400 meters.
The sophomore was also second to Tarter in the 100 hurdles and 200 dash. Norville broke her own meet record in the triple jump with a winning distance of 36-3 while also cruising to the title in the long jump. But the Tigers' relays proved to be the difference.
Abby Mitchell was another mainstay for the Tigers' relays, and the senior augmented her evening with a second behind Batavia sophomore Alexis Sampson in the 800 meters.
The only person to best Tarter in the 100 hurdles since the beginning of the last outdoor season was future collegiate teammate Egle Staisiunaite.
The defending Class AA state runner-up, committed to Wisconsin, was untouchable all evening, obliterating the field in her four events. Tarter blazed to her four titles in respective times of 11.96, 14.34, 25.43 and 44.58 seconds in the 100, 100 hurdles, 200 and 300 hurdles.
"Once it's over I'm glad," Tarter said of her demanding event schedule. "The 100 and 100 hurdles is always my favorite (sequence)."
Had Tarter skipped either the 100 hurdles or open 200 meters, it would have been Warner who would have enjoyed a personal 40-point night.
"I didn't feel it was my best meet," Warner said. "I was hoping for 11 (feet) in the pole vault but didn't get it."
"The team is kind of centered around (Tarter, Warner, Norville and Sampson)," Batavia coach Chad Hillman said. "Obviously, they're doing a great job for us. The great thing is the rest of the girls are starting to close the gap on them. You're not going to win conference with four kids."
Ashley Patterson led Aurora Central with a second-place result in the discus, while Sonya Steder was third in the long jump. Natalie Perry, defying a stress fracture in her left foot, was third in the open 200.