Records sail as Lake Zurich soars
Across the street, at the south end of Grayslake Central's stadium, flashed a light atop a squad car, which was summoned because heavy winds busted off a tree branch so large that it lay on two properties.
On the track, Lake Zurich's girls did some busting of their own.
Long after the Bears' Julia Rossdeutcher bettered her own school record in the pole vault by six inches, clearing a meet-best 10-feet-6, Lake Zurich's 1,600-meter relay team ended the night in fashion dramatic enough that in left several Bears crying tears of joy.
Perhaps it was understandable.
Lake Zurich's 1,600 relay broke the school record with a winning time of 4:04.13 and, better yet, the first-place effort allowed the Bears to capture the Lake County meet championship with 66.5 points, just ahead of Carmel Catholic (62). Waukegan (57), Lake Forest (51) and Libertyville (45) completed the top five. Short-handed Warren (35.5) placed eighth, behind Mundelein (44) and Zion-Benton (38).
"The girls and I have been wanting to break the school record," said Lake Zurich senior Kaitlin Leopold, who anchored the 1,600 relay and afterward was mobbed by her teammates. "We all felt really good tonight, We were all driven to break that record."
Call it sweet vindication for Lake Zurich, which had its 800 relay disqualified, a call that left coach Lance Pacernick upset with the ruling.
"I think there were two girls who were on the (1,600 relay as well as the 800 relay) who were like, 'We're going to get this and we're not going to be disqualified this time,' " a smiling Leopold said.
Freshman Lindsey Moritz, junior Kelly Doheny and senior Kelsey Iverhouse ran Lake Zurich's first three legs on the 1,600 relay. Leopold held off a surging Shannon Howell of Carmel by running what she said was "the best 400" she ever raced. Carmel's time (4:04.83) was less than a second behind Lake Zurich's.
"When I got the baton, I could see that the girls were catching up, so I just ran with everything I had," Leopold said. "I couldn't see (Howell), but I could feel her right behind me."
Lake Zurich also got a big meet from Marissa Wagner, who won the 200 (26.9) and took second in the 400 (59.36) behind Carmel sophomore Megan Paul (57.64).
The wind was a factor enough that 45-pound weights rested atop the tables under the FAT tent, which was nearly toppled by a strong gust.
The conditions definitely affected the jumpers.
"Really windy," Rossdeutcher said. "It was kind of tough to start off with, but you just had to wait for it to pass and then take your turn."
The Lake Zurich senior had been trying to bust her previous mark in the pole vault for a while.
"I've been close in other meets," said Rossdeutcher, a state qualifier last year. "But during practice this week I just felt 'on' with my step and everything. Today I took advantage of it, even though it was windy."
Mundelein won both distance races, with Lauren Anderson taking the 3,200 in a dominating run (11:44.19) and freshman Marisa Perreault also winning in convincing fashion.
Perreault poured it on down the stretch in the 1,600 to clock a winning 5:24.36. She took control of the race almost immediately.
"That was intense," a teammate told her afterward.
"That last 100 just felt amazing," Perreault said. "I didn't plan on leading right away, but then I felt like I could just go a little bit faster so I went ahead for the lead."
Warren star JonTaye Bonds went down with an apparent hamstring injury during the semifinals of the 200 dash and did not finish the race. The Blue Devils played it safe and scratched the Illinois State signee from the long jump as well as the 400 and 800 relays, which she usually anchors.
"A little pull, but it's nothing major," Bonds said. "It'll be fine."
Warren also competed without distance runner Julie Wiemerslage, who's been having a strong season.
"Her back's been bothering her a little bit this week and we just decided not to push it," Blue Devils coach Ryan Dunn said. "Hopefully she'll be good for next week (the North Suburban Conference meet at Mundelein)."
The positives for Warren included Amber Cook winning the triple jump (35-9) and leaping a personal-best 5-0 in the high jump. Alyssa Phillips high-jumped a personal-best 5-2 (tie for second), and Jessica Prince heaved the discus a winning 113-4.
Stephanie Horejs of the Blue Devils impressed, too, taking fourth in the shot put.
"Field events did great," Dunn said.
Stevenson's Rachel Redmond won the shot put (42-6).
Carmel's Howell continued to dominate in the hurdles, winning the 100 highs in 15.1 and the 300 lows in 45.9. Mundelein's Megan Geldernick finished second in both events.
Libertyville's Haley Becker cleared a winning 5-4 in the high jump.