Hoffman Estates nails down a sectional title

Busloads of state qualifiers advanced to next week's state meet in Charleston after running, jumping and throwing in ideal conditions at the Bartlett Class 3A girls track and field sectional held at Millennium Field in Streamwood Friday.

For instance, nine girls beat the state qualifying standard in the mile and six competitors advanced in three other events: the 3,200, 800 and pole vault.

Hoffman Estates found the conditions to its liking the most. The Hawks, who had never won a sectional girls track and field team title until last season, earned their second straight championship plaque by finishing with 109 team points to outdistance second-place Geneva (83).

Conant was third (75), followed by St. Charles East (74), Schaumburg (64), Batavia (45), Bartlett (35) and West Chicago (29).

"Our kids really wanted to win it," Hoffman Estates coach Dan Andersen said. "We're deep all around. We scored in a lot of different places, which is what we wanted to do. We've put it together with throwers and runners and the kids worked really, really hard. They're a really close group."

The Hawks qualified athletes for the state meet in multiple events: junior Precious Ogunleye won both the shot put (44-8) and the discus (136-4); senior Kriste Hisey took second in the high jump (5-1); sophomore Emily D'Amico was second in the 200 (27.35) and fourth in the 100 high hurdles (12.367); the 800-meter relay team of Sharron Jones, Cindy Allen, Cindy Johnson and D'Amico took second place (1:46.48).

Hoffman senior Melissa Schmidt blew away the field to win the 3,200 in 10:41.39, a victory by more than 33 seconds. She also qualified in the mile after taking third in a qualifying run of 5:03.07. Teammate Haley Goers, a sophomore, took fourth (5:05.84).

"I just had to follow my pace," Schmidt said of her easy win in the 3,200, a personal record by 11 seconds. "There was nobody to really race, so I had to push myself. I just had to hold my pace, and that got the job done."

Hoffman Estates also qualified its relay teams in the 3,200 (9:28.21) and 400 (49.51).

Geneva pole vaulter Allie Pace, the 2009 state runner up, won the event by eclipsing her previous best by six inches (12 feet, 6 inches).

"I've been knocking on the door for awhile," Pace said of eclipsing the 12-foot barrier. "I'm glad I could get it done in this sectional meet so I feel prepared for state. I got on some bigger poles, there was a nice tail wind and everything seemed to click."

Geneva senior Erica Miller will head to state for the fourth straight year after finishing second in the 400 (58.54)

Running the anchor leg of the 1,600-meter relay, Miller passed a Schaumburg runner in the final 50 meters to lift the Vikings to a sectional title in the event along with teammates Pace, Taylor Wickware and Allison Dappas in a time of 3:59.82.

"This really means a lot to us," Miller said. "Last year we were fourth at state. One of our girls decided to play soccer this year, and we found our missing link in Allie Pace. We knew what we had to do tonight and our hearts were in it."

Several other Vikings will make the trip to Charleston. junior pole vaulter Erin Kluck (10-9); junior two-miler Liza Tauscher (11:26.09); Dappas, who won the 300-meter low hurdles (44.78) and took second in the 100 high hurdles (15.01); 300 hurdler sophomore Diana Ramanauskas (15.44); Wickware finished third in the 800 (2:15.63) and Tess Ehrhardt sixth (2:19.79); senior Claire Anderson's fourth-place time in the 300 low hurdles (46.45) was fast enough to qualify; Kelly Shogren and Megan Brady finished eighth and ninth, respectively, in the mile, both under the state qualifying standard of 5:17.24.

Conant qualifiers included: Josie Hutch in the long jump (16-8); senior pole vaulter Caitlin Reid (10-0); junior Jessica Przyby in the discus (113 feet); the 400 relay team (48.95); junior Sarah Gorden won the 100-meter high hurdles in 14.97 and took second in the 300 low hurdles (45.84); junior Allison Gallo was fifth in the 800 (2:18.98).

Conant senior Becky Sulentic was fifth in the 3,200 in a qualifying time of 11:30.53, and Takshaka Patel squeezed her way to the state meet with a sixth-place finish in 11:31.17, just under the qualification standard of 11:31.24 (F.A.T.). The Cougars 800 relay team of Taylor Graham, Angela Romozzi, Christina Tortorici and Angela Herrmann raced to victory in 1:44.27, and the 1,600 relay was fifth in a qualifying time of 4:05.40.

St. Charles East was led by four-year qualifier Maya Rittmanic. The senior won the long jump (16-91/2), the high jump (5-1) and finished second in the triple jump (34-11).

"I feel so good that I did it again," Rittmanic said of a triple qualification. "It all turned out OK."

Several Saints qualified, including: the 400 relay team of Kelsey Gentry, Heather Mende, Rachel Lawson and Brittney Williams (48.89); sophomore Mallory Abel was second in the 3,200 run (11:15.18); Danielle Kuzniewski won the 200-meter dash in 26.62, and the senior was fifth in the 100 high hurdles in a qualifying time of 12.369, a mere .002 seconds shy of a tie for fourth; senior Holly Robertson qualified in the mile (5:13.44), and the 1,600-meter relay team finished fifth (4:05.40), enough to qualify for state by 1.34 seconds.

Schaumburg qualified several athletes in distance events. The 3,200-meter relay team of Karen Lesiewicz, Nora Ferguson, Kiyomi Mino and Britten Petrey ran to victory in 9:23.27; junior Colette Falsey won the 800 in 2:12.75, a new personal record by four seconds; junior Karen Lesiewicz won the mile (4:59.91) and junior Britten Petrey was sixth, qualifying with a time of 5:12.08. Petrey also qualified in the mile (5:12.08); The 1,600-meter relay team took second place in 3:59.82; junior Jordan Wagner won the 400 in 58.30.

Schaumburg's 3,200 relay team is eager to return to state after being disqualified last season. "We're really looking forward to going down to Charleston and doing some good work," Petrey said.

Batavia senior Kathryn Warner placed second in the pole vault (11 feet) and finished third in the 300 low hurdles in a qualifying time of 45.91. Senior exchange student Olivia Fischer, who had never tried the pole vault before February, also qualified in the pole vault when she cleared 10-3.

"I had no idea how pole vaulting worked, no idea what's good or what's bad," Fischer said. "I learn a lot if I can see things and can try to do them the same way. It's great for me to have Kathryn. She's a great athlete."

Batavia sophomore Haleigh Theuerkauf finished second in the shot put (39-4), senior Alexis Sampson was fourth in the 800 (2:17.49) and the 1,600 relay team qualified in 4:00.39.

Bartlett junior Alyssa Schneider was second in the mile (5:02.60).

"I've got a lot of respect for the girls in that field," said Schneider, who finished in a season-best time. "I was looking forward to it because I knew there were so many girls in this heat I'll see next week"I thought, 'Let's race them now and we'll see how we do next week."

Bartlett also qualified its 3,200-meter relay team of Taylor Crawford, Julie Cronin, Sam Maiorana and Alyssa Schneider by finishing third in a time of 9:29.31. And junior Julie Cronin qualified with a second-place finish in the 400 (58.73).

"It feels amazing," Cronin said. "One thing I didn't want to do was look at the clock."

St. Charles North junior Meridith Beird qualified in the pole vault (10-9) and senior Meghan Heuer gained an at-larger berth in the mile after finishing fifth in 5:08.92.

Streamwood's Megan McGlone won the triple jump with a leap of 36-31/2, qualifying for the second straight year despite wearing a thick brace on her left knee. "I have a cyst and cartilage degeneration in my knee and my doctor thinks my ACL is about to snap," McGlone said. "I'm getting surgery after the season ends."

Rolling Meadows freshman Morgan Keller was third in the shot put with a qualifying throw of 39-1 and junior Christina Gastfield was fourth in the 3,200 in a qualifying time of 11:29.59.

West Chicago qualified its 3,200 relay team (9:42.68) and senior Annette Eichenberger attained the third state berth of her career by taking second in the 800 (2:15.43).