Benet makes it six straight in ESCC
There are twice as many running events as field events at a track meet, but the importance of the latter can never be discounted.
Wednesday night at Benedictine University in Lisle, Benet captured its sixth consecutive East Suburban Catholic Conference girls track and field championship by scoring 56 of its 116 points in the field.
“We knew were going to have to rely on our big guns,” Benet coach Scott Brooks said after his squad turned back runner-up Marian Catholic by 19 points. “Our big guns are our field events. Our superstars came through, which is what we needed to win.”
The Redwings were also fortunate that a limit of four events is the most sacred rule in the sport as there was no telling what Carmel sprinter Megan Paul was capable of accomplishing. The senior pulled off the rarest of triple wins, setting new conference benchmarks in the 100- through 400-meter sprints after beginning her assault on the record books by anchoring the Corsairs’ 400 relay to first.
Carmel and Fenwick tied for third place with 84 points, while St. Viator was ninth with 18.
Anne Yahiro anchored the Redwings’ field events; the senior returning all-state triple jumper won her specialty event by almost 6 feet and led a 1-2 Benet sweep in the long jump with another superlative effort. Jenna Martin was runner-up to the 17-2 effort Yahiro posted in the long jump.
“I’m really excited about my triple jump (heading into the state series),” Yahiro said. “All of my marks were really consistent. I was like just an inch away from 37 (feet).”
Darcy Cadmen not only tied the conference record in soaring 5-5 in the high jump but also settled a family argument once and for all. The Redwings’ senior gently nudged the bar as she set a new school record in the process.
“One of my cousins (Bryanne Hemming) was one of the (four) previous record holders,” Cadmen said. “It’s kind of like a little family rivalry. I have been working for it since freshman year.”
Benet also claimed 16 of the 18 possible points in the discus when Olivia Bugno and Claire Erlenborn finished first and third, respectively.
On the track the Redwings had to make up for the absence of distance ace Audrey Blazek. In the finals-opening 3,200 relay, Kathleen Vogel gave the Redwings’ quartet the lead for good on the third leg. Liz Johnson held off a furious charge by brilliant Fenwick freshman Olivia Ryan, who went on to post impressive wins in one the most demanding doubles in the sport: the 800 and 1,600 runs. Ryan bested the Redwings’ Nini Marchese at 800 meters as the Redwings’ senior ran the opening leg on the 3,200 relay. Allison Carroll was the fourth member of the team.
The Benet seniors never tasted defeat at a league championship.
“We always lose good people (to graduation),” Marchese said. “But we always pull together and make it happen.”
The Fenwick foursome of Megan Cahill, Megan Lawlor, Sarah Pezza and Erin McCoy, all of whom live in Elmhurst, captured the 1,600 relay.
Paul, meanwhile, was in another stratosphere in making serious claims to three potential state championships, especially with the Corsairs being reclassified to the middle tier of the three-class state series. In breaking the 100 and 200 records of former Carmel great Keli Coleman, the Lake Zurich resident made it 3-for-3 by topping herself at 400 meters. With blistering times of 12.07, 24.63 and 56.08 seconds in the three sprints, Paul won the events by a combined 40 meters.
“I’m in shock right now,” the Arkansas-bound Paul said after initially believing her time in the 200 bested her previous low of 24.4. “I actually got a real 24.4. All the other times it was hand-held (readings). It was just perfect conditions. I want to have good times not only for tonight but at the sectional and state meets.”
The Corsairs’ sprinters carried the day as Paul teamed with Paige Gauthier, Brigitte Lyman, and Dana Wege to win the 400 relay.
“They all ran great legs,” Paul said. “It wasn’t just me.”
“The key was definitely the smooth handoffs,” said Lyman, who also collaborated with Wege (second in the long jump) and Gauthier in the Corsairs’ 800 runner-up relay. “The transitions pushed us over the edge today.”
“We knew if we could keep it close (Paul) would be able pass anyone she had to,” Carmel coach Jim Halford said. “(Paul) is the best athlete we’ve ever had (at Carmel), boys or girls.”
Shannon Baucus was second to Cadmen in the high jump with a quality effort of 5-2. Jiana Toben shaved more than two seconds off her seed time to post the finest individual showing for St. Viator with her fourth-place effort in the 300 hurdles.
The junior was anxious to put up a better showing after failing to make the finals in the 100-meter variety.
“I’m normally better in the 300 hurdles because I don’t have the speed (necessary) at 100 meters,” Toben said. “I got all-conference last year in the 300 hurdles and I wanted to do that again.”
Hanna Winter and Meghan Carroll were the unquestioned workhorses for the Lions Wednesday night. The two collaborated with Katie Malek and Shannon Cooney to place third in the 3,200 relay before both committed to the ever-grueling 800-1,600 double.
Winter had a late dash in the longer race to deny her teammate for fifth place after earlier finishing sixth at 800 meters. Cooney was also one spot behind her in the two-lap event.
“You are so physically tired (doing the double) you have to be in the right mental state to push it,” Winter said. “I was trying to get under 5:30 and did,” Cooney said of her placing in the 1,600.