Scouting Fox Valley area girls track sectionals
Class 3A Bartlett Sectional
When: Friday
Where: Millennium Field, Streamwood HS
What to look for: The five U-46 schools make up part of the field here. Bartlett's Julie Cronin (400) and Alyssa Schneider (1,600) are coming off conference title wins and have run under state-qualifying time already, as has the Bartlett conference-champion 3,200 relay team of sophomore Taylor Crawford, Cronin, senior Sam Maiorana and Schneider. "We know they are capable," said Bartlett coach Beth Emody. "It all depends on what the conditions are like. It doesn't matter if they have previously hit the state-qualifying marks. Nothing else matters, but Friday night's performances." Freshman Megan Seidl was second in the 400 at conference. South Elgin is coming off a best-ever seventh-place finish at the Upstate Eight Conference meet. Sophomore Jordan Tuin took second in the 800 at conference, while senior Francesca Remy was fourth in the 400. "I'm extremely proud of our team this year," said South Elgin coach Kari Turcan. "We are so close to qualifying by time in the 400 and 800. I just hope we can pull it off. We would really like to go Downstate this year." Remy (in the 800), Jasmine Chapman (200), Jen Gonia (200), Kristall Westbrook (triple jump) and the team's underclass-dominated 1,600 relay (Tuin, freshman Schoenborn, sophomore Amanda Westerlund and Remy) have also performed well for the Storm. Streamwood's Megan McGlone was second in the triple jump at conference and fifth in the 300 hurdles, while Lindsay Anderson was second in the shot put. Maria Luna, usually the anchor of the 3,200 relay, will only run the mile and will try to better her 5:27 personal record. Gina Savatski, also normally part of the 3,200 relay, will only run the 400. Jordan LeSavage will return to the 3,200 for the first time since the first outdoor meet of the season. "I would be most proud of them if everyone could come to me after they compete and say, 'That's everything I had in me,'" said Streamwood coach Ryan Korn. "Hopefully we'll get the performances we expect and maybe even a few surprises as well." Elgin is led by Neissa Diabate (triple jump) and Abbey Hould (100 hurdles). Larkin is paced by senior Meaghan Gard in the 800 (2nd-place UEC finish in 2:25.00).
Class 3A Hononegah Sectional
When: Today
Where: Hononegah High School, Rockton
What to look for: All of the local Fox Valley Conference teams will head north. Cary-Grove just won the FVC championship for a second-straight year and fifth time in the last 10 years thanks to a roster that features plenty of balance. Sophomores Sarah Ryan (100) and Anne McGarrigle (200) won conference titles, as did junior Carly Loeffel in the 400. The 800 relay team of sophomores McGarrigle, Kathie Wollney, Jenni Maki and Ryan also won a title. "We're a very well-balanced team," said Cary-Grove coach Mark Anderson. "I have been very happy with our competitive depth in each and every event this season. The girls have consistently been ready to compete and have done their best when it has counted the most. We'll focus on ourselves and let everything else fall into place." The Trojans also had eight second-place finishes at conference. All eyes will be on Huntley senior standout Amy Fanella who won a total of four FVC crowns at the recent conference meet (1st in the triple jump, both hurdles and part of the winning 1,600 relay team with Marilyn McDougall, Abbey Shaw and Anthonia Moore). "It will be nice to see Amy do well for her senior year," said Huntley coach Shawn Nordeen. Also keep an eye on Haley Loprieno in the 3,200. "The girls continue to give their best efforts and outperform their seeds so I am looking for another great night out of this team," said Nordeen. Dundee-Crown's 3,200 relay team of freshman Fabiola Ortiz, juniors Lauren Mosher and Claira Himmel and freshman Jade Franz recently won a conference title. Junior Katie Gross, the anchor of that team, was recently sidelined with a hamstring injury. Gross also runs the 400. Coach Matt Michalski said she may be able to run at Hononegah. Senior Katie Cutinello, a state-qualifier in the triple jump last year, has been sidelined at times with a herniated disc, but has posted strong times in the 100 hurdles and the long jump. Sophomore Diamond Williams has gone 48.89 in the 300 hurdles. Jacobs junior Bethany Muscat has already cleared 5'4" in the high jump and is looking for her second state appearance. The Jacobs 800 relay team of sophomore Lauren Wallace, junior Brittany Hall, sophomore Haley Hofman and junior Nikki Millard has its sights set on the school record of 1:49.6. Junior Olivia Mayer has jumped well in big meets this season. "The 4 X 2 relay team will be in a dogfight for second place behind Cary-Grove," said Jacobs coach Matthew Campbell. "If the relay team breaks our school record, I believe we should also secure a top two finish and make it." Crystal Lake South's Marianne Collard is coming off a conference championship in the 800 (2:18.17 - her closest competition was 2:24.07).
Class 2A Rochelle Sectional
When: Today
Where: Rochelle High School
What to look for: Burlington Central had no shortage of first-place efforts en route to its second-straight Big Northern Conference title recently. The Rockets have a host of athletes who have already gone under state-qualifying standards. That list includes Alli Settani (37-6 in shot put), Autumn Conn (10-4 pole vault), Paige Abbott (9-0 pole vault), Caille Thommes (5-4 high jump), Katie Trupp (5-4 high jump), Maggie Gannon (2:18 in 800 and 5:14 in 1,600) and Alexa Tovsen (1:00.20 in 400). The Rockets are also close in the 400, 800, 1,600 and 3,200 relays. Tovsen won four Big Northern Conference titles (100, 200, 400 and 400 relay), while Settani won the shot put and Conn won the pole vault. Central's 400 relay team of Kayla Wolf, Thommes, Jordan Maisto and Tovsen also won a title. "We want to qualify as many athletes as possible," said Central coach Aaron Wichman. "Our sectional is one of the toughest in Class 2A with teams such as Sycamore, Yorkville, Sterling, Rochelle, Kaneland, DeKalb, Hampshire and Marengo also competing." Gannon, who has signed with Iowa State, ran ill at last week's Kane County meet. Speaking of Hampshire, the Whip-Purs tore it up at the BNC meet, setting a new meet record in the 3,200 relay (9:50.79 from Paige Membrano, Autumn Chomenko, Tiffany Phu and Cassie Kruse) and a new school record in the 1,600 relay (4:09.91 with Membrano, Chomenko, Phu and Kruse). Holly Plichta won the 3,200 and took third in the 1,600, while Kruse won the 800 in 2:19.10. Liz Sicheri (triple jump) and Chomenko (300 hurdles) have also performed well in their events this season. "If our magical season continues, we will be having a great time at Eastern (Illinois University; site of the state finals next week)," said Hampshire coach Patti Nihells.
Class 1A Rockford Christian Sectional
When: Today
Where: Rockford Christian High School
What to look for: St. Edward senior Megan Venlos is the top seed in both the 3,200 and 1,600 races. Venlos, a straight-A student headed to the University of Idaho on a gymnastics scholarship, has run a personal-best 12:04 in the 3,200 this season. The next seeded runner in the sectional field is at 12:36. Venlos has gone 5:35 in the 1,600 and the next closest seed is at 5:50. "She would have been first in the 800, but we can only run her so much," said St. Edward coach Sean Collins. "She's worked hard all year for this." Elgin Academy senior Sarah Parker qualified for state in the long jump last season. "She's having another good season," said Elgin Academy coach David Vogt. "Her best jump so far this year is 15-6. We know she has more distance in her. She's had some nice jumps this year. If she brings it all together she can easily have a state-qualifying jump." Westminster Christian is also in the field at Rockford Christian and the Warriors' Tanya Rodgers is the top seed in the 800. Westminster's 800 relay team is seeded third.