Wild times at Grayslake N.
Not even a two-time defending state champion was immune to the rapid heart-pounding that a sectional track and field meet provides.
Grant's Bailey Wagner, like so many other athletes at Grayslake North on Friday, fed on the rush.
And like Lake Zurich's Olivia Allen, the Georgia Tech-bound senior turned a negative into a positive.
Runner-up in the discus downstate last spring, Wagner was in jeopardy of not qualifying for state in the event this year after she scratched her first two heaves in the prelims.
"My heart was beating out of my chest," said Wagner, the state champ in the shot put the last two years. "I was so nervous, because senior year I want to make it down in both (discus and shot put). It was just unexplainable how I felt. My dad and (coach Jim) Cramer were like, 'We need to have an ambulance on standby next time because you scared us.' "
Wagner ended up using a "standing" throw of 118 feet just to earn a spot in the finals, where her last fling of 145-1½ earned her second place behind teammate Tori Ziegler (146-1½).
"I should have done the 'standing' second," Wagner said.
The emotional highs and lows epitomized the meet, which wasn't decided until the triple jump was finally completed.
Despite Lakes winning a thrilling 1,600-meter relay final, one second ahead of Carmel, Zion-Benton prevailed as the sectional champion with 63 points.
Lakes and North Suburban Conference champ Libertyville tied for second with 58 points. Warren (53) and Lake Zurich (48) rounded out the top five. Two-time defending sectional champ Grant finished sixth with 45 points.
Libertyville was fifth in the 1,600 relay, running nearly two seconds slower than its time at conference, but Wildcats coach Tom Bizosky insisted it wasn't a total disappointment.
"Yeah and no," he said. "I had a couple of seniors in there and that's going to be their last race, so at least they got to run the last race of their last meet. There's some heartbreak there yes, but at the same time I told the girls to walk away cherishing the moment, not being sad about the moment."
Allen, Lake Zurich's speedy junior, ran the fastest 100 time in the prelims and was in position to successfully defend her sectional title. But she missed the final because of "stupidity," she said.
She was watching the discus when she was supposed to be checking in for the 100 final.
"I thought we had a 30-minute break, but we didn't," she explained.
Allen ran with vengeance in the 200, clipping Zion-Benton's Aireonna Bailey, 25.15 to 25.35. It was Allen's second straight sectional title in the event and third straight year she qualified for state in it.
"That was definitely anger," said Allen, who for the second straight week ran with her left thigh wrapped to protect her injured quadriceps. "I pushed a little harder at the end because I knew (Bailey) was in front of me at the beginning of the (final) 100.
"I'm relieved, yeah".
Lake Zurich also got through freshman Marissa Wagner in the 400. As she did at county and conference, she finished runner-up to North Chicago's Ryan McMurtry.
"Tonight she was second to her, too, but it was a little tighter (59.34 to 59.98)," Lake Zurich coach Lance Pacernick said.
Lakes sophomore Melissa Lewis qualified for state in three events. She repeated as champ in the 100 hurdles (15.38), placed second in the high jump (4-11) and ran the third leg on the Eagles' winning 1,600 relay.
Lewis filled in for Kecia Morway on the relay. Morway ran on Lakes' winning 1,600 relay at conference but had a soccer commitment Friday.
Ariel Butzine, who earlier qualified for state in the 800 for the third year in a row, winning it in 2:17.23, anchored the 1,600 relay (4:06.35). Shanna Hertz and Tatianna Forney ran the first two legs.
When Butzine grabbed the baton from Lewis, she enjoyed only a slim lead.
"I didn't go out as fast as I normally do because no one was ahead of me," Butzine said. "But at the 200 mark the girl from North Chicago was right on me so I really kicked it up -- like five notches. She really worked me hard at the end."
Warren's Heather Olson ran an impressive 1,600 race, winning easily in a season-best 5:03.75. The Blue Devils also qualified for state their 400 relay (state-qualifying 50.06), JonTaye Bonds in the 100 and Sarabeth Jones in the 800.
Libertyville captured the 3,200 relay (9:42.44) with the same foursome -- Lisa Branding, Alyssa Corrigan, Sarah Farish and Anne Strychalski -- that won conference. Corrigan won the 300 hurdles in 46.26, and Kate Tunnicliff took the pole vault by clearing 9-6. Strychalski also qualified for state in the 800, and Hannah Reilly did so in the 3,200.
Other state qualifiers included Antioch's Erin Schoenfelder (300 hurdles), Erin Poss (3,200), Jessica Long (pole vault) and Brittany Deem (discus); Grant's Kendra Kennedy (800); Lakes' Rachael Dean (3,200); Vernon Hills' Danielle Dickman (3,200), Jamie Rucks (shot put) and Brianna Skeens (discus); and Mundelein's Chelsea Grant (100 hurdles) and Crimea Baker (triple jump).
Wagner (49-2) and Ziegler (44-3½) placed 1-2 in the shot put.
Carmel was shut out until the 1,600 relay. Hilary Halford, Stephanie Richartz, Mary Beth Berg and Shannon Howell clocked a 4:07.35.
"It was a disappointing night so we were fortunate to almighty God that we did OK at the end there," Corsairs coach Jim Halford said. "It was great for them."