Grant's Wagner battles for shot, discus titles
Grant senior Bailey Wagner has already won 4 state medals -- including the past two shot put titles.
But in Friday's IHSA Class AA preliminaries at O'Brien Stadium at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Wagner put her name in the record book.
First the senior hit 48-11½ on her second throw in the shot put to pass Mahomet Seymour's Danielle Bunch -- who hit 48-5.75 on her first throw to set the record.
The IHSA record was set in 1979 by Greenville's Lisa Ferry at 48-0½
Wagner's record didn't last long because Bunch hit 49-1½ on her final throw to go into today's finals with the lead.
But Wagner came back to hit 157-08 in the discus to break Rosary's Dore DeBartolo's record of 155-5 set in 1997. The Grant senior heads into today's finals first in discus and second in the shot put.
"I've been very inconsistent in the discus every year I've come down to state," said Wagner who took third and second, respectively, in the discus the past two years. "It depends on the day -- and I wanted to get it done today with the nice weather."
The senior set her record mark in the discus on her final throw after hitting 148 on her first two throws.
Her battle with Bunch will continue right through the finals -- and Wagner is looking forward to the challenge.
"I like going back and forth and I'm sure it's going to come down to inches," said Wagner of the shot put battle. "Obviously it's a crowd-pleaser and there is a lot more pressure."
Keep your erasers handy if Friday's prelims are any indication, because the records could continue to fall today.
Grant's Tori Zigler also had a solid day, qualifying for finals in both the shot put (43-04) and discus (143-06).
Warren's Heather Olson also knows a bit about medals after winning 2 in the 1,600-meter run the previous two years.
Olson looks to be in fine shape to take home medal No. 3 today after winning her heat in the 1,600 with a time of 4:58.6.
Olson pulled away in the final lap to post the first sub-5:00 of her career.
"My goal was to run a sub-5:00," Olson said. "I knew I had more, and once got the final lap came I just let it go. My legs were tightening up a little bit, but I just had to fight through it.
"It's a totally different race for finals so I don't know how it's going to play out."
Lisa Branding, Alyssa Corrigan, Sarah Farish and Anne Strychalski combined to lead Libertyville to today's final of the 3,200 relay, finishing in a time of 9:25.72.
Lakes' Ariel Butzine finished fourth in her heat of the 800 (2:16.82), qualifying for today's finals.
Lake Zurich junior Olivia Allen took second in her heat of the 200 (25.03), and will run in today's finals.