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CHARLESTON -- Batavia's Natalie Tarter put in a full day's work at the girls state track and field meet at O'Brien Stadium on Friday.
The junior qualified for today's finals individually in the 100 hurdles (14.49), 300 hurdles (43.92) and 100-meter dash (12.12). She concluded her day by running a leg of the 1,600-meter relay, an event in which she and teammates Brooke Bernardoni, Alexis Sampson and Kathryn Warner bettered every team in the field by more than three seconds by posting a time of 3:51.50.
"It's been a good day, a fun day, overwhelming," Tarter said after the final race of the day. "I'm glad it's over now, kinda. It was a long day."
Only Palatine, Benet and East St. Louis will compete in as many state finals today as Batavia, which also advanced Melissa Norville in the in the triple jump (36-8¾) and Kathryn Warner in the pole vault (10-9).
Kaneland's Lindsay Gierke had a busy day, too, one nearly as productive as Tarter's. The junior qualified in three individual events. She won her heat of the 200 dash (25.25), advanced to state finals in the 100-meter dash (12.18) and 300 hurdles (44.57) and just missed a fourth qualification in the 100 hurdles (14.97).
It was a much better preliminary day for her than that of a year ago, when she advanced only in the 300 hurdles.
"I feel a lot better than I did at the state finals last year because I had a hip strain," Gierke said. "That's why I didn't do so great last year. I feel much better this time. (Today) is going to be a busy day."
Geneva advanced to finals in three events. Sophomore Lexie Tomchek cleared a height of 5-3 in the high jump, sophomore Allie Pace cleared 10-9 in the pole vault and the 3,200 relay team of freshmen Kat Yelle, Kelly Whitley, Tess Erhardt and sophomore Myra Yelle advanced in a time of 9:16.47.
In the 3,200 relay, Geneva and Barrington broke away from the pack in their heat and waged a two-team battle that went down to the wire with the 5-foot-1 Erhardt holding off 5-11 Barrington senior Molly Glantz for the final 300 meters to earn the automatic qualification.
"I was scared because the Barrington girl has such long legs that I was afraid she'd be able to out-sprint me," Erhardt said. "But my teammates held on so tightly I felt I owed it to them to finish first."
St. Charles East junior Maya Rittmanic rushed straight to the triple jump from the high jump pit after she qualified with a flop of 5-3. The hustle paid dividends when Rittmanic's notched a triple jump of 17-11¼, a new personal best, and advanced to the final flight in a both field events.
"I had about three minutes, but it was fun," Rittmanic said of the quick turnaround. "It probably helped. It was a little more stress than I expected it to be, but I'm glad it worked out the way it did."
Rittmanic will be joined in today's finals by Saints teammate Lizzy Hines, who will compete in the 3,200. However, Hines failed to advance out of her preliminary in the 1,600 after finishing in 5:17.38.
"It wasn't my day," Hines said. "The way they went out, it would have been suicide pace for me. It's probably better that I just do the two-mile today and have just one race to think about."
Stephanie Strasser of St. Charles North qualified for the mile in 5:00.08, the sixth-best time turned in Friday.
"I've been preparing as best I can, now it's about your heart," Strasser said. "It's time to take everything you've learned and take it to the track and do your best."
Other local qualifiers included high jumper Amy Kus of Rosary (5-3) and West Aurora's Shanice Andrews in the triple jump (18-5¼).
Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com
Kaneland's Lindsay Gierke qualified for the finals in three events.
Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com
St. Charles East's Maya Rittmanic made the finals in both the high and long jumps.
Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com
Tess Ehrhardt throws her hands up in celebration after anchoring the Vikings to a win in their heat of the 3,200 relay.