Girls track and field: Grady, Naperville North have target in sight
Senior Allison Grady is among several returnees who contributed top-nine, all-state points to the Naperville North girls track and field team's Class 3A third-place finish in 2017.
The Huskies are determined to finish even higher - in their events and collectively.
"Oh yeah, we're definitely motivated. That's definitely one of our high targets that we really want to achieve," Grady said.
"We're all looking strong and pushing to get better. I'm really excited to see what it can do."
On Friday the Huskies won Wheaton Warrenville South's Tiger Invitational for the first time since 2005 with 119.5 points.
The Tigers were second with 85 points and defending 3A team champion Glenbard West third with 78, 1 point ahead of 2017 invite champion Bolingbrook.
Many returning all-staters and state qualifiers overcame increasing cold and wind with brief showers during the first half of action. Pole vault was halted and then canceled.
"The big core of what we had (at state) is back," Naperville North coach Dan Iverson said. "Obviously the state meet's a different animal. But this group's a really nice group of kids and they're well balanced. Hopefully we can put something together and see what happens."
The Huskies received victories from: senior Sarah Wastek with 40 feet, 2 inches in shot put; senior Saffilla Allie's 17-10½ long jump and junior Halle Bieber in the 100 high and 300 low hurdles in 15.82 and 45.77.
Grady contributed second in the 200 in an outdoor-best 26.50 and anchored the second-place 800 relay with junior Annie Bieber and seniors Saffilla Allie and Gillian Delaney in 1:46.73, .09 behind Proviso West.
The 800 relay of Annie Bieber, Allie, Grady and Halle Bieber was eighth at state last year. Wastek, ninth in shot, missed her season best by 1 inch Friday.
"I'm throwing better now than at the same time last year so that's always good," Wastek said. "Last year (at state) I got 1 team point so I'm hoping I can get a little bit more for the team so we can hopefully trophy as a team - again."
Glenbard West sophomore Katelynne Hart, who ran the fastest 3,200 meters in Illinois girls high school history April 22, swept the 800 and 1,600 in 2:41.31 and 4:51.41. Sophomore Ashley Samuta, an all-state ninth in 2017, won triple jump with a season-best 36-11.
The top 1,600 heat featured 11 runners who already have run the 5:09.66 state-qualifying standard. Hart won by 8.82 seconds over Naperville North senior Sarah Schmitt, whose 5:00.23 was 7.94 seconds ahead of third place.
In the 800 Hart slightly trailed Schaumburg senior Maddie Marasco after a 1:09.4 first lap but began pulling away with 250 meters left and surged the final 100 for a 1:04.8 second lap.
"I knew (Marasco) has a superstrong kick so I was trying to start a little early," Hart said. "In the last 100 meters (Glenbard West distance coach Paul) Hass was there saying, 'She's right behind you,' so I gave it all I had."
WW South seniors Jenna Holze and Tonjalaya Yarbar went out invite winners. Yarbar won discus with 115-6. Holze, injured for last year's invite, anchored the 1,600 relay to victory with junior Chloe Haas, freshman sub Sam Poglitsch, who had just finished sixth in the 1,600, and freshman Michaela Cooper in 4:09.73.
Given a slight lead by Cooper, Holze gave the Tigers a 2.18-second victory.
"I wasn't it letting it get away from me," Holze said. "I got that baton, I just said, 'Make it count. Last invite.' "
Naperville Central senior Tikia Harris, who cleared a lifetime-best 5-5 in high jump Tuesday, won Friday with 5-1 and then left to prepare for Saturday's school prom.
York's 3,200 relay of sophomores Lydia Hickey and Abby Moriarty, senior Katherine Tomaska and junior Sarah May won in 9:31.57 their first time under the 9:35.97 state-qualifying standard this season. Hickey, Tomaska and May were part of last year's 12th-place state finalist.
"It definitely was (a breakthrough)," May said. "Compared to before it's a big jump and it's exciting to see what's next to come from this."
Downers Grove South sophomore Brenna Cohoon and junior Melissa Weidner finished 1-2 in the 3,200.