Schoenfelder, Sequoits savor 'amazing night'
Erin Schoenfelder handed the sectional plaque to her father and sang to him an abbreviated version of "Happy Birthday."
As Antioch's athletic director, Steve Schoenfelder will indeed keep the hardware, which no doubt will proudly be displayed in one of the high school's trophy cases. His daughter and her teammates made the Sequoits' entire track and field family proud Friday night.
Antioch won the Class 2A Grayslake North sectional with 112 points, with Erin Schoenfelder leading the way by qualifying for state in each of her four races. Lakes (90), Crystal Lake Central (67), Richmond-Burton (65) and Belvidere North (63.5) rounded out the top five.
It was Antioch's first-ever sectional championship in girls track and field.
"Amazing night," Sequoits coach Dan Oslage said. "I can't even catch my breath yet. Great night for the girls. They deserve it. They worked hard all year. Good group of kids."
The night ended great for Antioch. While Ariel Butzine - who earlier won the 400-meter and 800 runs - anchored Lakes' winning 1,600 relay (4:09.55), Schoenfelder used a late kick to earn Antioch second. The Sequoits (4:10.32) edged Belvidere North (4:10.77), which also bettered the state-qualifying cut.
Erin Schoenfelder called the runner-up effort probably the highlight of the night.
"I knew we were close, but it was definitely going to be a lot harder for us to make it down," she said. "We were in third and I don't know what happened."
What happened was Schoenfelder overtaking Belvidere North and nearly catching Butzine.
Earlier, Schoenfelder won both the 100 hurdles (15.66) and 300 hurdles (46.06). She also ran on the winning 400 relay with Kailey Formella, Brittany Deem and Sherika Facey (51.4).
Antioch's 1,600 relay also included freshman Veronica Jandura, Formella and Jen Naegele.
"I think we were seeded third coming in and we made a lineup change with a girl (Formella) who hadn't run it all year," Oslage said. "We just asked other girls to try to stick with the first two and gut it out, and they all ran PRs."
Lakes' victorious 1,600 relay saw Peyton Kirkland, Kecia Morway and Shanna Hertz sprint the first three legs.
Butzine momentarily lost the lead on the final lap but regained it with about 200 meters to go and hung on.
"I was a little tired, but it was fun," said Butzine, who clocked a 2:18.45 in the 800 to nip Richmond-Burton's Lindsey Wilkins and won the 400 in 59.85.
Butzine also ran the leadoff leg on the Eagles' runner-up 3,200 relay (state-qualifying 10:06.82). A year ago, she was running just the 800 and 1,600 relay.
"I just started doing the open (400) this year," Butzine said.
"My coach (assistant Matt Rife) wanted us to qualify for state in the 4 by 8 so he put me in it this year."
A year ago, Lakes' Melissa Lewis qualified for state as a sophomore in the 100 hurdles and high jump, and also ran on the state-qualifying 1,600 relay. This year was a different story, however.
While Lewis earned a state berth in the high jump by finishing second, she finished fourth in the 100 hurdles and didn't run on the 1,600 relay. She developed shin splints while running on a treadmill and was sidelined for about a month of the season.
"It's been rough," said Lewis, wiping away tears. "I was hoping, honestly, that I would overcome this and my talent would take over."
Schoenfelder won the 100 highs in 15.66 and captured the 300 hurdles in 46.06, edging Crystal Lake Central's Taylor Cordes (46.88).
Antioch's Erin Poss qualified for state in the 3,200 (winning 11:24.31) and 1,600 (second, state-qualifying 5:24.44). Besides running on the winning 400 relay, Deem won the discus (115-1) and finished second in the shot put.
Fellow Sequoit Naegele made it in the 800 (third, state-qualifying 2:22.73), while Facey advanced in the long jump (second).
Lakes' other state qualifiers were Katie Mulloy in the shot put and Amber Larsen in the discus.
Vernon Hills advanced shot put champ Jamie Rucks, Danielle Dickman in the 3,200 and Kelley Gallagher in the 1,600.