Girls track and field: Wheaton North surprises itself
Junior Leeya Zander and her Wheaton North 800-meter relay teammates are proving themselves all over again.
With Zander and sophomore Anna Gordon the only returnees from last year's all-state, seventh-place finisher, they joined senior Christie Macris and freshman Taliyah Sims to win the event Friday at Wheaton Warrenville South's 21-team Tiger Invitational.
"Our goal was to run the state (Class 3A qualifying standard of 1:45.04), but we ended up winning, which was so cool for all of us because we didn't expect to," Zander said after the Falcons' winning 1:45.17.
"This year we didn't really know what to expect with two newer, younger people but they've ended up pulling their weight and running really well."
Naperville North and Glenbard West were agonizingly close to winning the team title. Lincoln-Way East's 89.5 points edged Naperville North's 88 and Glenbard West's 84.
The teams' respective defending individual state champions were multiple champions.
In the 300 low hurdles, Naperville North senior Halle Bieber overcame clipping two hurdles to win in 44.99 and then came back to win the 200 in 25.16, a lifetime best by more than 0.6.
"I only get to run a couple 200s a year and I've been wanting to try and get a time like that. I'm really happy with how it turned out," Bieber said.
Competing in two events, Glenbard West junior Katelynne Hart won the 800 in an invite-record 2:10.81 and then anchored the winning 1,600 relay with senior Huda Hussaini and juniors Aaliyah Collier and Ava Powell in 4:04.49.
"I was doing the open 800 and kind of just seeing where I was at," Hart said. "It's a little windy out, but it's still a pretty good temperature. I was really happy with how it went. The competition was super strong and we all pushed each other to good times," Hart said.
The host Tigers were fifth and Wheaton North, Downers Grove South and Hinsdale Central seventh, eighth and ninth.
The Mustangs' Becky Versaskas, Rebecca Diddia, Olivia Duax and Erin Reidy won the 3,200 relay in 9:26.15. Hinsdale Central junior Dior Nicholson swept shot put and discus with her 39-5¼ and 121-1. Hinsdale Central junior Emma Watcke won the 1,600 with a lifetime-best 4:55.48 in a close race with Naperville North's Alex Morris, second in 5:00.40.
"It was good. Definitely the competition was really good," Morris said. "I definitely could have done a better job of staying focused the second half, but overall it was a really good learning experience."
Versaskas and Reidy return from last year's third-place all-state 3,200 relay. Reidy added a strong second in the 800 in 2:14.88.
"This was kind of a test to see if we still have what it takes to compete (at state)," Versaskas said. "I think each one of us did our part of just trying to stay with the top."
For WW South, sophomore Sam Poglitsch was third in the 800 in a lifetime-best 2:17.14 and Emily Whiteside was third in shot put.
On Saturday in Palatine, Poglitsch's 4:54.81 broke the school 1,600 record.
"That was an excitement. I was just hoping to get under five minutes," Poglitsch said. "That race definitely helped with my confidence."
Naperville North's Megan Driscoll and Jana Dawson were 2-3 in the 3,200.
Downers South junior Ariel Johnson's lifetime-best 17-9¼ earned second in long jump.
Collier also was third in high jump, clearing 5-1, and Glenbard West's Ashley Samuta was third in triple jump with 35-7¼.
The Falcons' 800 relay lineup also was second in the 400 relay. Glenbard West and Naperville North finished 2-3 in the 3,200 relay, Hinsdale Central and WW South finished 2-3 in the 1,600 relay and Glenbard West was third in the 800 relay.
Zander came back to finish third in the 200 in a lifetime-best 25.67. In pole vault Wheaton North's Sarah Stair and Jaime Schulz and Naperville Central's Rose Fritz were second, third and fourth, respectively, clearing 10-0.
Fritz, third at state last year, equaled a season-best 10-0 but sees a breakthrough coming as she transitions to longer poles.
"Things started off kind of rough. It took a little bit to regain my momentum," Fritz said. "I just kept going, even though it was hard, and now it's finally paying off and I'm starting to get back to where I used to be."
Hinsdale South's Ugonna Nwakudu was fourth in triple jump and York's 1,600 relay of Lauren Keith, Sydney Malaga, Marissa Chavez and Lydia Hickey was fifth.