Geneva doubles up competition at own invite

The underclassmen who have propelled the Geneva running dominance at the state level in recent years have reached maturity.

With two state girls cross country titles and a burgeoning track and field program as its keepsakes, the Vikings continued their winning ways at the Mike VanDeveer Invitational on Saturday in Geneva. Even with mainstays such as Kelly Whitley and Sammi Hill not participating this spring, the Vikings' track and field team is still a formidable force to reckon with as its No. 7 Class 3A state ranking in one coaches poll attests.

With senior all-state veterans Erica Miller, Allie Pace and Allissa Dappas leading the way, Geneva swamped the competition to capture the six-team tournament with 162 points. Niles North was 59 points behind the Vikings' pace to place runner-up, with Burlington Central, St. Charles North, McHenry and Dundee-Crown rounding out the order.

Miller, the Northern Illinois-bound four-year star for Geneva, denied Pace to win the 100-meter dash in 12.82 seconds. She was the lone athlete to break the 60-second barrier at 400 meters and ran the anchor of the Vikings' reigning fourth-place state 1,600 relay in concluding her perfect afternoon.

"I have been working on my starts (in the short sprints)," Miller said. "It didn't feel like my fastest 100 ever."

Pace, the defending state runner-up in the pole vault, needed a single effort - at 10 feet, 9 inches - to win her specialty event; the Harvard-bound sprinter then soared over 11-9 on her third attempt, only to fall tantalizingly close to extending her personal-best by three inches to 12-3.

"It was a little difficult (vaulting) because the wind was gusting," said Pace, who scored a 35 on her ACT. "A tail-wind is definitely a big advantage. I think I have the hip height (to break the 12-foot barrier)."

Dappas lost the 100-meter hurdles to sophomore teammate Diana Ramanauskas by one-hundredth of a second, but the senior rebounded to win the 300 hurdles - leading a one-two-three sweep for Geneva - and turned the fortunes of the mile relay with her scintillating third leg.

"It's a big advantage (running 400 meters with a background in the 300 hurdles)," Dappas said. "To go straight from the 300 hurdles to the four-by-four, you just have to bring it. (Ramanauskas) is really pushing me (at 100 meters). I'm feeling more pressure because I placed at state (in both events) last year."

The Vikings' ever-versatile Taylor Wickware, second in the open 800 meters, gave Dappas and Miller the impetus to win the 1,600 relay going away.

"We're trying to find that missing link (to replace Hill, who elected to play soccer this spring)," Miller said.

With interchangeability one of the Vikings' hallmarks, the middle-distance and longer echelon of Kelly Shogren, Tess Ehrhardt, Liza Tauscher and Megan Brady made typical contributions between 800 and 3,200 meters for Geneva.

"It's always nice to win your own invite," Geneva coach Peter Raak said. "A lot of girls had a good breakout day, which we needed."

St. Charles North found its greatest success in the longer distances as well. Erica Bauerbach broke free from Shogren midway through the open 3,200 meters to win in style with a posting of 11:39.85.

But it was Meghan Heuer who was center stage for the North Stars. The Geneva transfer was the class of the field in winning the open 800 meters in 2:18.78, and the senior was poised for arguably the toughest double in the sport when she led for much of the open mile.

"I haven't been able to break (two minutes), 20 (seconds) this season," said Heuer. "I was finally able to do that today."

Maggie Gannon, the Burlington Central reigning Class 2A state runner-up at 1,600 meters had other designs in the showcase race of the afternoon. The Iowa State-bound Gannon shadowed Heuer for the opening three laps; Heuer held a slight lead at the gun lap - but it evaporated less than 10 meters later. The Rockets' star distance runner cruised down the stretch to win in 5:15.46.

"(Gannon) was fast," Heuer said. "It kind of reminded me of my sister Sarah (a former Geneva standout), who would do the same thing (over the final lap)."

"That was kind of my plan," Gannon said. "My plan was stay behind her for the first three (laps) and see what I could do over the last (400 meters). I really want to break the five-minute barrier. I really want to do it at the (Kane) County meet at Batavia in two weeks. I know (Bartlett star Alyssa) Schneider is going to be there."

The North Stars were also paced by efforts from Gina DeHart in the 100 hurdles, Jessica Scheets in the 1,600 and Meredith Beird in the pole vault.

The invitational provided Central sophomore Caille Thommes with a platform to shine. Thommes began her day with a 5-2 second-place effort in the high jump; the sophomore then played a key role in the Rockets' back-to-back sprint-relay championships at 400 and 800 meters.

Thommes added a third crown in the penultimate event by edging Niles North freshman Whitney Jean by three-hundredths to win the 200-meter dash.

"I would say this is the best meet so far for me," said Thommes, who teamed with Jordan Maisto (twice), Alexa Tovson, Kayla Wolf, Rachel Dossey and Kaylee Swearingen in the Rockets' triumphant relays. "I haven't run the open two all year. It felt good to run the open two without the whole (relay) team with me."

"Pure athletic ability, (Thommes) is one of the top two or three (talented members of our team)," said Central coach Aaron Wichman.

The strength of the Dundee-Crown program rests squarely with its half-milers. The quartet of Fabiola Ortiz, Jade Franz, Claira Himmel and Katie Gross opened the meet by turning back the Rockets' unit that included Gannon and Markelle Turk to win its lone championship in 9:52.81.