Girls track and field: Meyer, Schaumburg jump to title at Rebeck invite

Saturday's Mike Rebeck girls track and field Invite at Schaumburg greeted all with a breezy and sunny 49 degrees for the meet's 9 a.m. start.

That mark would brush 70 degrees by the meet's mid-afternoon completion. Which, of course, made for some natural adjustments for the competitors such as Crystal Lake South senior and shot put titlist Ava Freund who won with a successful heave of 10.21 meters.

"With the weather we deal with it's so bipolar depending on how take it," Freund said. "You can either take it and run with it and do well in it or you can take it and like not do well. But, I think honestly in my opinion, I like the warmer weather because it makes me fired up more. Ready to go (and) compete more than the cold."

It was a theme seconded by high jump winner Kaylee Meyer of Schaumburg.

"Whenever it's colder to you kind of stiffen up a little more so I always try to be in sweatpants and a hoodie because it's better to jump (in) warm than cold," Meyer said.

Thanks to Meyer's early victory, it kick-started the host Saxons to the team title (111 points) as it held off a pair of strong challenges by second-place Rockton Hononegah (106 points), and bronze finisher St. Ignatius (101 points).

Dundee-Crown (83 points) and York (75 points) rounded out the top five of the 11 schools competing at Gary Scholz Stadium.

"It was a really good day for us," Schaumburg coach Robin Bingham said. "We had a lot good leadership on the track.

“(Senior) Alex Kotecki, our captain on the sprints, was a really strong leader. A lot of people (hit personal records) on their sprinting events. In the distance events (senior) Abby Killian, our captain, really led them (towards) a lot of powerful times. For the most part we had a lot of great performances. Couldn't be prouder of the girls."

Meyer, a junior, cleared 5 feet, 5.75 inches to capture the first of Schaumburg's four wins.

"Today was good weather for jumping. I've been feeling really good jumping now that my ankle is completely better. So that on my approach now I'm just trying to perfect the little things (going) over the bar to try and get me over to the next level on the heights."

Fellow Saxons junior Taline Abousamra followed up her runner-up finish to Freund in the shot put (9.78 meters) with a golden effort in the discus (30.90 meters).

In achieving both of those successes she paid homage to her field coach John Fidler for developing her winning technique.

"Coach always tells us (that) it comes down to the basics. Throw with your hips, slow down and stay back. Accelerating more right at the end."

The Saxons also got another victorious effort by junior Olivia Szpryngacz's 51.35 front-running time in 300 hurdles. Schaumburg captured the 4x200 relay with a first-place time of 1:50.74 allowing them to join both Hononegah and Ignatius with four wins apiece.