Girls track and field: Richardson, St. Charles North relays among state qualifiers at delayed Hoffman Estates sectional
Conant junior track star Daisha Brunson is accustomed to the ups and downs of the spring season.
With three first-place state medals on her resume, Brunson didn’t let the long delays and crazy weather bother her at Thursday’s Class 3A Hoffman Estates sectional.
The meet was delayed several times because of lightning, then experienced another stoppage due to clock issues. Temperatures soared into the high 80s before dropping significantly after a heavy gust of wind came into the area following the restart at night. The meet will conclude Friday after the completion of the shot put and discus, which did not compete after the numerous delays Thursday.
But Brunson, who was also slated to run the 200-meter dash, placed first in the 100 dash (12.00 seconds) and second in the 100 hurdles (14.84) to advance to the state meet in at least two events next weekend in Charleston.
Brunson admittedly took the 100 hurdles at a slower pace due to the quick turnaround for the 100 dash.
“I was trying to save it to get a good time in the 100,” Brunson said. “In hurdles, I know what I can do, but the 100 was about getting a good lane, feeling ready and getting all the stuff right for state next week.”
Schaumburg senior Amy Carhee, who was planning to run the 300 hurdles later in the meet, celebrated her win in the 100, beating Brunson by a nose, but she was fully aware that her Mid-Suburban League counterpart held back in the race to prepare for 100 dash.
“I feel good and it was about survive and advance,” Carhee said. “I wanted to advance and I’ve raced (Daisha) too many times. That’s the first time I’ve beaten her, but I know why. But state is next for me. I had to have a good strong mindset and a good start.”
St. Charles North‘s Alexzandria Richardson had a good start in the sectionals, sneaking into state with a qualifying time of 12.43 seconds in the 100 dash. She also sparked the North Stars to a first-place medal in the 4x100 relay (48.34).
“I’m super excited to go to state and wasn’t expecting to go for the relay, especially getting first,” Richardson said. “I was happy with my 100. I thought I didn’t make it, but my teammates all came up to me. That’s what I wanted by the end of the day.”
St. Charles North captured first place in the 4x800 relay, hitting the tape in a time of 9:37.07 to nudge out Batavia (9:46) and Burlington Central (9:59). St. Charles North sophomore Gwen Hobson ran the anchor leg of the event, which occurred right before a series of lightning delays.
Hobson said she’s happy to be running freely after enduring a minor health issue in the fall.
“I think the keys to the race were that we were all mentally strong,” Hobson said. “Everybody was experiencing the same weather and just wanted to get the handoff. Almost every element out there was against us, but we were mentally strong. I’ve worked so hard for this since November. I had an iron deficiency that slowed me down in cross country, but I have it under control with my diet. Track has been going great.”
Later in the meet, Hobson doubled her pleasure with a first-place time of 2:17.44 in the 800 meters to advance to state. St. Charles East’ s Nicole Mayer snared second in a time of 2:18.21.
Batavia’s Avery Hacker claimed first in the 3,200 in a time of 10:58.