Girls track and field: Aurora Central Catholic, Kaneland finish 2-3 at Genoa sectional
Peyton Heywood hadn’t competed regularly in the high jump in two years.
The Kaneland senior didn’t even compete in it last week in the Interstate 8 meet, missing the conference tournament to earn her Certified Nursing Assistant credential.
But she came back with a vengeance this week, clearing a personal-best 1.54 meters to win the event at the Class 2A Genoa-Kingston sectional on Friday and earn her first trip to the state meet, which begins next Thursday in Charleston.
“I’m really still in disbelief,” said Heywood, who was the I-8 junior varsity high jump champ as a sophomore and was seeded third entering Friday. “I had a positive mindset but I couldn’t be like I was guaranteed a state spot because I wasn’t. I just got down to it and was very focused on what I was doing.”
That focus helped Kaneland take third as a team with 72.5 points, just behind Aurora Central Catholic’s 74 in second.
Sycamore won the meet with 117.5 points and made history in the process. Not only was it their first sectional title since 2009, it’s the first time in program history the Spartans have won a conference title and sectional title in the same year.
“I kind of threw the carrot out there for them that this could be part of their legacy,” said Sycamore coach Joe McCormick, who coached the 2009 sectional champs. “They rose to the challenge and made history.”
Freshman Chloe Shere qualified for the Spartans, winning in 1 minute, 0.15 seconds. Senior Layla Janisch took second in the 800 in 2:23.53 to earn a trip to state as well, her third trip to Charleston.
Janisch led Shere and two other freshmen, Anna Anderson and Alana Fix, to a 4x800 win in 9:50.21 and a trip to state.
Krista Cobb won the discus with a toss of 41.16, and Taya Johnson made it a Sycamore sweep with a personal-best 32.97 to take second.
Sycamore will also send two pole vaulters in a crowded field in which five will make it. Molly Russelburg set a PR to win with a leap of 3.72. Sycamore’s Sydney Fabrizius was second (3.57, PR), Kaneland’s Delainey Baran was third (3.42) and Sycamore’s Jordan Lisafeld and Kaneland’s Grace Moreno each went 2.97 to take fourth and fifth, respectively.
For ACC, Gina Dutkanych was second in a personal-best 1:01.95 in the 400. Cecilia Hilby won the 800 (2:17.63) and was second in the 1,600 (5:16.43). Kaelyn DeMars was second in the 300 hurdles (49.23, PR). Annalyse McCarty won the long jump with a PR (5.69).
The pole vault was one of four events in which more than two athletes qualified. Not only did the North Chicago duo of Breyonna Small (25.53) and Rege Cooper Smith (25.54) earn their trip, but Rochelle sophomore Gwendolyn O’Dell hit a qualifying mark (26.28).
Carmel benefited from the extra qualifying spot in the other two events, the 4x100 and 4x400. Elayna Cauwels, Madison Harris, Natalie Ferguson and Tabitha Gamalski were third in the 4x1 (50.35) and Sadie Chebny, Brailyn Albanese, Ferguson and Ashlyn Beattie were third in the 4x4 in 4:12.22.
The 4x400 proved exciting between Aurora rivals Central Catholic and Rosary. In a photo finish in the last race of the night, ACC’s Hilby, Gina Dutkanych, Kassie Kuttner and McCarty (4:11.24) edged out Rosary’s Eva Rowe, Campbell Caruso, Peyton Saltijeral and Madeline Ehrenberg (4:11.25).
Faith Johnson, Haley Oranger, Presley Meyer and Jessie Fredrickson were second in the 4x100 (49.76) behind North Chicago. Reagan Creadon took second in the shot put with a 10.65, a personal-best.
“We knew she had it in her and she really got it done here today,” Genoa-Kingston coach Barry Schmidt said of Creadon. “She’s scratched [on] some really far ones here and there and she’s shown potential in practice. So we told her you just have to do it here.”
Those were the only two qualifiers with the Cogs, who were loaded up with third and fourth-place finishes on the evening. They took fourth as a team with 68 points.
Carmel was sixth with 51.5. Cauwels, Harris, Ferguson and Gamalski took second in 1:46.44 in the 4x200 and will run that along with the 4x1.
Sandwich was eighth with 43. Alayla Harris took second in the 100 hurdles (16.35). Senior Sunny Weber, who has medaled every year in the 1,600 and 3,200, is the two-time champ in the 3,200 and won both races for the first time last year, won both Friday. She finished the 1,600 in 4:57.54 and the 3,200 in 10:30.64.
“I’m just really happy to be happy and be able to do this again,” Weber said. “It makes this more special being my last time.”
Dixon and Rochelle tied for ninth with 39 points. Daniela Lovett just missed a state in the 1,600 for the Duchesses, but set a PR with an 11:49.35 in the 3,200 to take second behind Weber.
In addition to O’Dell, Elysen Manning and Zoey Shabacker went first and second in the triple jump to qualify for the Hubs. Manning cleared 10.3 and Shabacker went 10.27, a PR.
Crystal Lake South was 11th with 37. Lilt Brooks, Caroline Lucas, Laynie Ripley and Emme Reall were second in the 4x800 (10:07.52) and freshman Makayla Westermann cleared 1.49 meters to take second in the high jump.
“Our 4x8, they’ve been training really hard the last couple months to gear up and go for this,” said Crystal Lake South assistant coach Zane Boettcher in the absence of head coach Samuel Babick. “They’re looking to push a little bit quicker and make the finals.”
Rosary was 12th with 31 points, Plano was 13th with 21 and St. Viator was 14th with three. Rosary’s Madeline Ehrenberg won the 300 hurdles in a season-best 47.89.