Waubonsie Valley's Akinosun just getting started
Morolake Akinosun and Cessily Jones in all likelihood did not meet for the last time Friday night in Plainfield.
The two sophomore speed-burners were front and center at the Class 3A Plainfield Central girls track and field sectional, and they ended the night looking for an ultimate rubber match.
Akinosun powered Waubonsie Valley to its third-place team showing; the sophomore began her night with an electrifying anchor leg to pass three teams in the 400-meter relay and denied Jones, the all-state Plainfield North sprinter, for supremacy at 100 meters by two one-hundredths, 11.78-11.8. Jones rebounded to reverse the results at 200 meters in an equally torrid 24.4 seconds.
"I have been working on my starts," Akinosun said. "That's where (Jones) has always got me in the past - out of the blocks. I did my best, so that's all I can ask of myself."
Waubonsie Valley, the defending champion, was third in the 17-team field. Naperville Central advanced three individuals and one relay to the state finals in Charleston next week in placing fourth; Naperville North had two individuals and two relays make the state cut, while the 3,200 relay was the lone survivor for ninth-place Neuqua Valley.
The Warriors' Da'sha Patton had a night to remember her final high school campaign. Patton became a four-event qualifier as the Illinois-bound senior exceeded 18 feet to win the long jump, was the runner-up in the triple jump and ran legs on the Warriors' blazing 400 and 800 relays.
The Warriors were in danger of missing the state cut in the 400 relay after a couple of dubious exchanges, but Akinosun ran a scintillating 10.6-second anchor to lift older sister Morikaye, Patton and Crystal Butler.
"That was very exciting for myself," Morolake Akinosun said.
Naperville Central senior Caley Faulkner became a three-time state qualifier in the pole vault with her 11-foot, 6-inch-winning effort.
"I had a couple of good looks at 12 (feet) but just didn't get it," Faulkner said. "At state I definitely want to get to 12 feet. My technique is there, my form is there."
Freshman Tina Norris' first year earned a downstate berth in the shot put for Naperville Central; sophomore Amanda Fox did likewise in the 3,200 run with her second-place feat.
Hope Turner was one of five at-large qualifier in the pole vault for Naperville North, which also received a runner-up 400 performance by Abby Witmer.
Jamie Schertz anchored the Huskies' 3,200 relay past Caitlin Summers' Neuqua Valley crew; the senior duplicated the challenge in the 1,600 relay.
"(The 3,200 relay) hadn't qualified (that is, hit the state-mandated time) before today," Schertz said. "I knew I had the kick at the end."