Warren doesn’t waver in winning effort

Warren’s track girls were done running, ready to celebrate their county-meet title, when Savanah Shrake came sprinting from the pole-vault mat.

The junior was wearing a Salmon-colored warm-up jacket, which was in contrast to her mood, which was anything but bright.

A shaken Shrake, a first-year pole vaulter, informed Blue Devils coach Ryan Dunn that the team’s pole-vault poles were missing.

Dunn had already been handed the championship plaque of Thursday’s Lake County meet at Grayslake Central, even though the results had not been announced.

Shrake wasn’t ready to celebrate ... until a teammate told her the poles were on the bus.

Whew. Shrake was so relieved she looked like she was ready to collapse. She opted for a picture with her teammates and their new hardware.

What a meet. What a night.

“It was really good,” Shrake said with an ear-to-ear smile.

Another exceptional night by freshman sensation Brittny Ellis helped Warren accumulate 85 points, 14 more than runner-up Lake Forest. Libertyville (61 points) edged Waukegan (60) for third, while two-time defending champ Lake Zurich (58) was fifth.

Warren’s highlights included Ellis’ runaway wins in the 400- and 200-meter dashes and its runner-up finishes in the 1,600 relay and 400 relay, which Ellis anchored. Shrake was second in the 400, while Alyssa Phillips (long jump) and Amber Cook (triple jump) also turned in runner-up performances for the Blue Devils.

“We got a solid team and we saw some great performances,” Dunn said. “We saw a lot of girls step up today in a lot of different events. We’re in a good spot as a team going into conference next (Thursday at Round Lake). All you can bring is all you can bring.”

Given the cold and damp conditions, Carmel Catholic coach Jim Halford decided not to run star sprinter Megan Paul. The senior had clocked a 55.8 in the 400, “running by herself,” Halford said, at Marian Catholic in warm weather Wednesday.

So Ellis ran the 400 “by herself” Thursday. Despite that, she sped to a season-best 56.27.

“I prefer to be close to somebody because I have a tendency to run with the competition,” Ellis said. “But I think I did a really good job today.”

Ellis and the Arkansas-bound Paul won’t get the chance to race each other again in their high school careers, since Warren and Carmel don’t compete in the same conference and the teams will compete in different classes in the postseason.

“I was looking forward to racing Megan since this would be the last time that we could,” Ellis said.

Way back in second place in the 400 was Shrake, who PR’ed herself, going 1:01.54 to edge Stevenson’s Nia Johnson (1:01.61) and Lake Zurich’s Lindsey Moritz (1:01.92).

“I’m always so grateful that my hardest competition is on my own team,” said Shrake, still smiling. “I know that Megan Paul is a phenomenal runner. But when she can’t come out and run the open (400), it’s nice to have Brittny there to compete with me.”

Ellis blew away everyone in the 200, as well, clocking a 24.95 — nearly two full seconds ahead of runner-up Jen Angster (26.38) of Libertyville.

Vernon Hills clocked a season-best 4:06.43 in winning the 1,600 relay by a four-second margin over Warren, despite running without the injured Taylor Krue. As she did on the winning 800 relay, Alli Tran anchored. Taylor Pearson, Ali Peacock and Abbie Letts ran the first three legs. The Cougars’ lead grew with each girl who grabbed the baton.

“We’re getting it down for sectionals,” Tran said. “It was fun because I think this is the time we got at county last year. So it was special to come in and repeat.”

Letts filled in for Krue.

“She did amazing,” Tran said. “It was a team effort, and I just carried it home. They got me an awesome lead.”

Vernon Hills’ victorious 800 relay (1:47.94) also included Jenn Parker, Taylor Pearson and Ali Peacock.

Lakes opened the finals by capturing the 3,200 relay in 9:41.74 with seniors Grace Dean and Hannah Wittman and freshman twins Brittani and Danielle Griesbaum. Danielle Griesbaum anchored.

“Our goal was 9:35, but we’re happy with whatever,” Eagles coach Matt Rife said. “They’re very excited right now. Questioning some things (before the season) because we were working them so hard, but they’re really coming around. It’s fun.”

Grayslake Central’s duo of Kia Gomez (2:24.00) and Elsie Rehberg (2:24.66) went 1-2 in the 800 run. Libertyville got first-place performances from Katie Sackett in the 300 hurdles (47.64) and Haley Becker in the high jump (5-2).

Besides Ellis, double-winners were Lake Forest’s Carolina Carmichael (100 hurdles, 15.06; pole vault, 12-0) and Grant’s Melissa Dunham (discus, 145-7; shot put, 41-8.5).

Waukegan’s Ebony Smith won three events: 100 dash (12.39), long jump (18-1.75) and triple jump (38-0.5).

Other winners included Lake Forest’s Helen Schlachtenhaufen (1,600 run, 5:17.94) and Anke Schoettle (3,200 run, 11:52.63).