Girls track and field: Fillies fly to sectional title behind scintillating Sirois
The cold felt borrowed from soccer season. October cold. Hoodie-under-the-team-jacket cold.
Didn’t matter.
The Barrington Fillies turned Wednesday’s Class 3A Vernon Hills girls track and field sectional at Rust-Oleum Field into a celebration of speed, depth and something coach Debbie Revolta treasures even more.
Connection.
Led by Notre Dame-bound junior distance ace Mia Sirois and a lineup packed with standouts, Barrington piled up 147 points to win the 17-team sectional ahead of runner-up Lake Zurich (112). Stevenson and Lakes tied for third with 56 points, followed by Grayslake Central (55.5), Warren (55), Antioch (51), Zion-Benton (48), Palatine (32) and Mundelein (21).
Businesslike. Balanced. Loud when it mattered.
“I saw our throwers run up to congratulate our hurdlers,” Revolta said. “That’s something you don’t see often. We’re lucky, having such a positive team culture.”
Barrington captured 6 events and advanced a large contingent to next weekend’s state meet at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. Lake Zurich claimed 5 event titles and reminded everybody why the Bears finished sixth in Class 3A last spring, one spot ahead of Barrington.
Sirois, the 2-time defending state champion in the 3200-meter run, sparkled again.
The humble superstar won the 3,200 in a brisk 10:02.96 and later captured the 1600 in a school-record 4:46.86, shaving nearly 4 seconds off her personal best and eclipsing Rebecca Tracy’s former mark of 4:49.35.
“It’s not just Mia’s talent that stands out; it’s also the way she is around her teammates,” Revolta said. “She’s such a gift, as an athlete and as a teammate.
“We’re blessed.”
Sirois insisted the cheers mattered as much as the clock.
“I’m not really running alone at any point in a race, because there’s always a teammate or a coach cheering me on every 50 or so meters,” she said. “I usually lock eyes with my parents or teammates at the end of races. They motivate me; so does the clock.”
Lake Zurich senior Polina Krupsky delivered one of the meet’s strongest all-around performances. The Colorado commit won the 800 in 2:13.77, later broke her own school record while taking the 400 in 56.57, then anchored the victorious 1,600 relay.
“I’m happy with how my season is going,” Krupsky said. “And my team — we all look out for each other. There’s so much care going on here.”
Buffalo Grove freshman Tiffany Jansen supplied one of the night’s breakout moments, winning the 300 low hurdles in 45.79 after entering as the No. 2 seed. Dozens of elated Bison teammates swarmed her afterward.
“I counted my steps the whole time while racing,” Jansen said. “But there is something I need to work on — my block starts.”
Barrington also won the 3,200 relay (9:19.81) behind Abby Lewis, Ashleigh Forbes, Angelica Hil and Madison Miles; got victories from Lana McKendree in the 100 high hurdles (14.98), Mia Wiatr in the long jump (5.32 meters) and Yane Jansen Van Rensburg in the pole vault (3.71 meters).
Other sectional champions included Antioch’s 400 relay team (49.1, anchored by Kennedi Copeland) and Abbigail Fuesting in the 200 (24.98); Mundelein’s Victoria Osei in the 100 (12.13); Stevenson’s Vera Jagasia in the high jump; Warren’s Anna Iwuagwu in the triple jump (11.81); and Lake Zurich thrower Arisa Bisofa, who swept the shot put (13.26 meters) and discus (40.35).
Chilly night.
Warm buses home.