Bartlett's Schneider has eye on state

Bartlett senior Alyssa Schneider would like to see the 4s — as in running a 1,600 time under 5 minutes.

Schneider has that goal going into this Friday's Class 3A Hoffman Estates sectional. But more importantly, she's focused on getting back to the state meet and setting out to improve on her sixth-place state showing from a year ago.

“I'm more concerned about the place,” she said. “The time is more for my own benefit. I ran 5:05 at conference (in winning the 1,600). I'm still trying to get under 5 minutes. It would mean a lot to me to do that before I graduated. Hopefully I can do that at sectionals. I feel like there's really good competition there.”

And Schneider, who has run as fast as 5:01 this year, likes competition.

“I'm able to work off that and really push myself,” she said. “I like having that competition right there with me.”

Beyond getting back to state in the 1,600, Schneider would like to see the 3,200 relay team she runs on get there as well. That group, which also includes Megan Zmich, Taylor Crawford and Julie Cronin, won a conference title last week.

“Hopefully we can have a good showing and get to state in that, too,” she said.

Elgin, Larkin, South Elgin and Streamwood will join Bartlett among the 17 teams at Hoffman Estates.

At Huntley: Huntley hosts the other area Class 3A sectional Friday. The Red Raiders will be joined by Jacobs, Dundee-Crown, Cary-Grove and Crystal Lake South.

Dundee-Crown features its Fox Valley Conference-winning 3,200 relay team, which qualified for state last year and returns all four runners. That group, which includes Claire Himmel, Lauren Mosher, Jade Franz and Katie Gross set a school record at the conference meet with a time of 9:39.01.

“We all work well together,” said Gross, who is headed to Drake University and is one of three on the 3,200 team that will run in college (Franz is a junior). “Since we went to state last year, we all want to better our time and get back down there and make it to the finals. There is more of a drive to go beyond what we did last year.”

Gross noted D-C is seeded second in the sectional behind Barrington (3 seconds) and in front of Rockford Boylan.

“We're not too concerned about our time,” she said. “There are two other teams right there and it's going to be windy. We want to get to state.”

Jacobs junior Allie Virgillio has made major improvements in the triple jump and is hoping to parlay that into a state berth. Her high last year was 33-feet. She's already gone 37-2 this year and won the FVC title at 36-10 ½.

“Our coach (Ryan Lemanski) has helped a lot with technique,” said Virgillio. “He's taught me how to land differently so I can get more distance.”

Virgillio has a length goal in mind going forward.

“I would like to get to 38-feet,” she said. “I've done 37-2 and the school record is 37-6. To get to 38 would definitely be awesome.”

Having a strong mental approach to the event has helped Virgillio as well.

“You have to go out there and give it your all,” she said. “You have to be mentally prepared to go for it and put it all out there. Having that attitude definitely works. It helps you get farther.”

Cary-Grove figures to be a sectional team title contender at Huntley. The Trojans are talented in a plethora of events, including the sprints where Sarah Ryan won conference titles in the 100 and 200 last week.

“I've gotten better with my starts,” she said. “I'm coming out of the blocks faster. I'm a lot stronger than I was before. I've been practicing really hard on my starts. When I come out of the blocks feeling good, I know I'm going to have a good race. The start is the most important part.”

Ryan is no stranger to the state meet. She ran on the Trojans' 400 relay team as a freshman and was on last year's 800 state relay team.

“Our team works hard and we work well together,” she said.

Kathie Wollney (300 hurdles) and Carly Loeffel (high jump) also won conference titles last week.

Anthonia Moore won the 400 conference title for host Huntley last week. The Red Raiders also sport a conference-championship 1,600 relay team (Marilyn McDougall, Abbey Shaw, Taylor Schau and Moore), while Crystal Lake South is led by veteran runner Marianne Collard, who set the FVC record in the 800 last week at 2:17.2. Collard finished fourth in Class 3A in the 1,600 last year as a junior.

At Ottawa: On the local Class 2A front, Burlington Central and a vastly improved Hampshire team will pack a bag and head west to the Ottawa Township sectional.

Central beat Hampshire by 25 points to win the Big Northern Conference title last week. The Rockets produced conference titlists in Katie Trupp (pole vault), Allie Settanni (shot put) and Alexa Tovsen (400). Veterans such as Markelle Turk, Katie Puccio and Caille Thommes also will be factors.

“Our team has a lot of really good athletes on it,” said Central senior high-hurdler Kaylee Swearingen. “We have a strong group of seniors this year. Markelle and Katie are great distance runners and Caille has been a huge help and is probably going to get to state. She's had a strong season. Allie Settanni hopefully can get to state in the shot put. We've had a really strong year. We were fifth in the county and finished in the top 5 in a lot of meets and won the conference.”

Hampshire's conference champions included Elizabeth Pagan (long jump) and Cassie Kruse (800 and 1,600). The Whips also won the 1,600 and 3,200 relays (Paige Membrano, Autumn Chomenko, Pagan and Kruse on both teams). Chomenko is a senior, while Kruse is a junior, Membrano a sophomore and Pagan is a freshman.

“Our team as a whole has gotten stronger,” said Kruse. “We're more consistent this year.”

Kruse has added the 1,600 to her success list this season. She won the conference title in 5:16.

“I'm consistent in the 800, but I've dropped a ton of time in the mile,” she said. “I didn't really run it last year. I wanted to run another individual event along with the 800 and the relays I do. I did the mile and I liked it. It helps with the 800. I think I can do decent in it.”

Running four events, Kruse conceded, can get tiring. But her results reveal anything but a tired athlete.

“It's pretty hard to do four events,” she said. “I try and take good recovery days. It's tough, but you just stay mentally positive about everything. I'm hoping to drop some more time in my races.”

At Plano: St. Edward, Elgin Academy and Westminster Christian will run in the Class 1A Plano sectional Friday.

At the sectional level, the top two place-finishers in each event advance to the state meet as will any athletes or relay teams that equal or surpass the minimum state-qualifying standard in each event.