Girls track and field: A record-setting day for Grayslake Central's Schroeder
BLOOMINGTON — All she could do was smile and for those that know Grayslake Central senior Katherine Schroeder, that wouldn't seem unusual at all.
But for the last month and a half — which seems even longer than that to the Pennsylvania-bound Schroeder, she hasn't had many reasons to smile.
Recently Schroeder donated blood at a local blood drive at the high school. Shortly thereafter, she began to lose control of her legs. Sometimes for 30 seconds, sometimes longer. This would repeat as frequently as every 5 minutes in some cases.
“I went up to the Mayo Clinic and was diagnosed with non-epileptic seizures,” Schroeder said. “I've been working on various relaxation techniques and other types of mind control and for the last eight days It's been working.”
On Saturday at the Illinois Prep Top Times Indoor Classic at Illinois Wesleyan's Shirk Center, everything seemed to fall right into place for Schroeder. She successfully cleared 12 feet, 6 inches to win the Class 3A pole vault. Then, for good measure, she broke her own indoor school record by clearing 12-9. Those two efforts earned Schroeder an unusually hard indoor state championship. The 12-9 clearance also broke the meet record of 12-8 set in 2011.
“Pole vaulting was my escape during all of this,” Schroeder said. “When I was moving I wouldn't have any seizures so I was just so happy to pole vault.”
Schroeder's performance was one of many personal bests and record-setting performances on the final indoor date of the 2016 track and field season.
Kaneland came into the Class 2A session as one of the teams to beat in the 3,200 and 1,600-relays and the Knights didn't disappoint.
In the 3,200 relay, the team of Carly Barthomelow, Noelle Espino, Sara Daley and Becca Richtman held off a hard charge from downstate Rochester to win in 9:42.55 just .03 off the Class 2A meet record. The time was more than 13 seconds faster than their previous indoor best.
The Knights were far from done as they closed the morning session by running away with the 1,600 relay. Nicole Sreeman, Allie Heinzer, Jamie Martens and Richtman ran 4:01.37 shattering the previous meet record set by Rich South in 2012.
Neuqua Valley and senior Samara Miller know a little about finding the finish line. Miller breezed to the title in the 400-meter dash running 57.45 to win by nearly a second. Teammate Tashee Hargrave finished fourth overall (58.37).
The two later combined with Mikenna Robinson and Elizabeth McCadd to win the 1,600 relay. The Wildcats' foursome ran away from the field winning comfortably in 3:59.16 — just off the meet record.
Karina Liz of Aurora Central Catholic is no stranger to finding the finish line at the Top Times meet and she did so again winning the 800-meter run for the second straight year. Liz and teammate Anny Fioresi ran 1-2 in the race with Fioresi running two full seconds under her season best. Liz won in 2:14.32 and Fioresi was just a shade behind her teammate in 2:14.35.
Metea Valley junior Courtney Morgan left no doubt in the Class 3A shot put. Her top mark of 46-6 was better than 3 feet farther than second place Ellie Weltha of Bloomington. Morgan competed in her second Top Times, but this was her first individual title.
Additional Top Times champions included Lindsey Payne of Glenbard West in the 3,200 meter run (10:34.35), Michaela Hackbarth of Downers Grove South in the 800 (2:12.26) and DG South senior Shaliyah Dixon-Tucker, who took the 60-meter dash and 60-meter hurdles in back-to-back races.
Tucker broke the meet record in the 60-meter dash in the prelims running 7.50 to better the mark set by Brittny Ellis of Warren last year.
Other top performances came in the high jump where Prospect senior Jes Skudlarek and Grayslake Central senior Alexa Schmitt both cleared 5-7 to finish third and second, respectively. Schmitt finished higher due to fewer misses.