St. Charles E. wins sectional
Conventional wisdom suggests the team title of a girls track and field sectional is largely symbolic.
Try telling that to Britney Williams and her St. Charles East partners on the Saints’ 1,600-meter relay.
With a staggering lead after three legs Williams’ drive to the title in both the final event of the Class 3A Bartlett sectional, staged at Streamwood High School on Friday night, and the team championship only intensified.
St. Charles East turned back upstart Metea Valley, 104-102.125, as the top two teams each advanced eight individuals and two relays to the state finals at Eastern Illinois University next weekend in Charleston.
Among the four other Tri-Cities participants, Geneva crowned a pair of champions — its only state qualifiers — to place fourth, while seventh-place St. Charles North and ninth-place Batavia had a titlist each.
Rosary, in its maiden appearance in Class 3A, advanced its runner-up 800 relay.
“I am really proud of the whole team,” said St. Charles East senior leader Kelsey Gentry, a member of both the Saints’ victorious 400 and 1,600 relays as well as a two-time qualifier in the 100 dash. “I’m really excited about (the state potential) of all the relays. We were working really hard to get our handoffs flawless (at 400 meters).”
Four-hundred meters is viewed by many as a fulcrum for athletic development in the sport, and St. Charles East could not have won the team title without the pivotal one-lap distance.
Williams is the Saints’ returning all-state performer in the open variety, but Jordan Shead, a key figure in both relays, defeated her junior teammate in overcoming Glenbard North sophomore Simone Carr for the overall title in 56.77 seconds.
Williams, the anchor for both relays, was third in her repeat state-qualifying performance.
“We really support each other,” Shead said of Williams. “(In the open 400 against Carr) the last 50 meters I thought how great it would be to be sectional champion.”
Annie Martines is yet another St. Charles East athlete making a return reservation to Charleston after denying terrific Schaumburg sophomore Darneisha Spann a third title in the 300 hurdles.
The Saxons’ sprinter hurdler had already won the 100 variety and would later add the 200 dash, but Martines’ first sectional title was a hard-fought affair decided by three one-hundredths of a second.
“I wanted it; it’s my senior year,” Martines said of her victory in 45.21. “My goal for next week is to run on Saturday (in the state championship race).”
The Saints’ seasoned state cross-country trophy winners from last fall also made their presence felt.
Freshman Toree Scull raced to the open 800 title with a devastating second-lap kick in 2:16.59, with teammate Kristin Sheehan not only finishing third but also advancing as an at-large qualifier.
Junior Laney Deckrow captured the Saints’ final victory with a criteria win for a second straight appearance in the high jump.
Mallory Abel also made the state cut in a rugged 3,200 field.
Kailie Briza earned a return trip to the state meet for Geneva with a last-gasp win in the long jump at 17 feet, 4 inches, and freshman Hannah Davison added another chapter to her ongoing rivalry with St. Charles North triple jumper Kaylee Raucci.
“We’ve got to know each pretty well these past couple of meets,” Raucci said.
Trailing the North Stars’ senior by two inches, Davison unleashed a triumphant effort of 37-4.25 to win comfortably.
“I got my two extra feet I needed,” said Davison, who elected to skip the finals. “I was pretty safe.”
The North Stars’ 3,200 relay foursome of Sydney Stuenkel, Megan Young, Natalia Gawlik and Jessica Scheets overcame a significant Schaumburg led in shattering its school record by 10 seconds in winning in 9:26.06.
Scheets evaporated the Saxons’ 18-meter lead on the anchor after Stuenkel, who snared the North Stars’ final state berth with a third-place 1,600 run, ran the fastest individual split.
“I want to be a part of that team,” Stuenkel said of whether she would concentrate on the open mile at state. “We have a good chance to medal.”
Haleigh Theuerkauf became a four-time state qualifier after the Batavia senior won the discus on her final throw and advanced as an at-large competitor in the shot put.
Skylar Schoen was runner-up in the pole vault for the Bulldogs’ third state berth.
The Rosary quartet of Sydney Zaragoza, Molly Stefanski, Grace Petry and Megan Conlin enabled the Royals’ first foray into Class 3A in the 800 relay turn out successfully.
“At the beginning (of the season) I didn’t think state would be a possibility,” said Petry, who will make her third straight downstate appearance in the event after back-to-back qualifications at 2A.