Girls track and field: Wheeling leads MSL's pack to state

Wheeling girls track and field coach Tim Nowicki likens this season to a roller-coaster ride for his team.

The Wildcats won a team indoor championship at North Central College against the other 11 Mid-Suburban League schools.

"We really struggled to find consistency during the outdoor season," he said. "At the MSL East meet we threw everything we had at Prospect, but still came up short. That followed with a disappointing third-place finish at the MSL meet, finishing behind Barrington and Prospect for the second straight year."

The roller coaster went into high mode after that with Wheeling winning a sectional title for a second time in three years last week.

The Wildcats qualified individuals or relays in 10 events for today's Class 3A state finals meet at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

Headlining that long list is decorated senior Nicole Nguyen, who qualified in four events, including the long jump, 100-meter dash, 300 low hurdles and she's part of the 400 relay state-qualifier along with teammates Nosa Igiehon, Alexis Knight and sophomore Johana Veloso. Nowicki noted Nguyen, Igiehon and Knight may opt out of the relay to focus on their individual events at state. Igiehon won the triple jump sectional title and also qualified in the 100 hurdles and high jump, while Knight won the 400 (seeded 10th at state) and 200 sectional titles and also qualified in the long jump. Christina Pierini qualified in the 3,200 run for the Wildcats.

"We enjoy the challenge," said Nguyen, a four-time state qualifier who will continue her track and field career at Illinois next season. "We had a lot riding on sectionals. This team does well under pressure. We came together and we got the job done."

Nguyen, seeded third in the long jump, said her biggest improvement this season has come in the 100, where she is seeded 10th at state. "Considering I haven't run it in a long time," she said. "I've been able to drop time every time I've run it."

Nguyen also is more focused on getting height in the long jump, she said. "The technique aspect," she noted. Her sectional long jump was a personal best and a half-foot short of the Wheeling school record.

Nguyen added she has mixed feelings about her final time on the blue track as a Wildcat. "It's pretty exciting and it's sad," she said. "I'm hoping to give it everything I have. It's my last time and I would like to do big things there."

Nowicki said his group wants to compete on championship Saturday in Charleston. "This is a program that isn't satisfied with simply being present at the state meet," he said. "Our athletes are there to qualify to Saturday and bring home all-state medals. A couple of our athletes are there to win individual state championships. Even the events that it may be a stretch to take home a medal are expected to give a championship effort. After all, we have a saying here that if you got a lane, you got a chance."

Barrington qualified three of its four relays for Charleston. The 3,200 quartet features Molly FitzPatrick, Anne Berquist, Kathleen Baker and Alyssa Norris, while the 800 has Olivia Helmer, Gabby Cossio, Reagan Pokorny and Baker. The 1,600 features Helmer, Baker, Breanne Dunn and Cossio.

The Fillies are seeded sixth in both the 3,200 and 1,600 relays and 22nd in the 800. Coach Jody Gitelis said the 800 team can run under 1:44 if passes are "great." "There are seven teams under 1:44 so we will need to race like no tomorrow literally."

Cossio is seeded seventh in the 300 hurdles, while FitzPatrick, a sophomore, and Norris are seeded third and sixth, respectively, in the 1,600.

"This group of athletes is competitive and ready to go," Gitelis said. "I am so excited to see how they compete at the state meet."

Cossio, who will run track at Miami (Ohio) next season, is making her third appearance in the state meet and will compete in four total events with her three relay appearances in addition to the 300 hurdles, where she is seeded seventh.

"I like running with my teammates," she said of her fondness for the relay events. "At sectionals we wanted to get as many people down to state as we could. Track is a team sport. With our 4-by-8 we have a freshman, a sophomore, a junior and a senior, so it's like I get to run with every girl on the team. Our relays also have a really strong mix of distance runners and sprinters."

Speaking of relays, Prospect will have all four of its quartets on the blue track. The 3,200 (seeded first in Class 3A), 400 and 800 relays won sectional titles. The 3,200 includes Marissa Valentini, Julia O'Grady, Audrey Ginsberg and Lia Skoufos, while the 400 has Natalie Kowalczuk, Samantha Berman, Grace LaCamera and Daria Tersina. The 800 features Tersina, Berman, Eileen Deines and Ellen Sherwood. The 1,600 has Valentini, Berman, Skoufos and Sherwood. This is the second year in a row Prospect has run four relays at state.

Sherwood also will compete in the long jump, while Valentini will run the 400 and O'Grady the 1,600.

"Our team is loaded with amazing individuals who have bought into the team philosophy," coach Pete Wintermute said. "Our athletes are willing to sacrifice personal glory for the betterment of the team. The athletes' focus is on personal growth and allowing that to best fit with the team dynamics. When you are lucky enough to have four-plus athletes working toward a common goals, it creates a powerful bond. These girls are special."

Hoffman Estates also will be well-represented in Charleston. The Hawks qualified their 3,200 relay team for an eighth year in a row. The quartet, seeded second behind Prospect, of Janae Dean, Mikkaela Palmer, Nikki Rong and Anna Miller set the school 3,200 relay record at sectionals. Dean also ran a school-record 2:13.9 leadoff 800 split. Hoffman has qualified for state in the 1,600 relay three years in a row now. This year's 1,600 team is seeded fourth.

This is Miller's fourth state appearance. She holds more than 10 class and school records. Miller will run at Embry-Riddle in Florida next season and wants to be a pilot. Palmer is headed to Northern Illinois University for track and field, while Rong's next stop is North Central College. Hawks coach Kirk Macnider said Dean, a junior, is starting to garner plenty of college attention.

Hoffman senior Makiyha Blackwell will compete in the shot put (seeded fourth) and discus at state. Dean will run the 800 (seeded eighth), Palmer the 400, sophomore Aaniyah McCalister the 200 and Bisola Bello the 100 in Charleston.

Palatine has Erin Oleksak (high jump and 100 hurdles), Jess Streepy (pole vault, tied for No. 4 seed), Kayla Miotk (shot put) and Kylee Stammer (discus) competing in Charleston, while Schaumburg's Megan Gale (pole vault), Hersey's Natalie Jackowski (high jump, tied for No. 5 seed), Alessia Olhava (high jump), Cate Gudaitis (discus) and Janine Boyan (discus), Conant's Chikere Oduocha (discus and shot put; seeded fourth in shot) and Jessica Malecki (triple jump), Fremd's Julia Finegan (800) and Rolling Meadows' Lauren Schiele (400) also are on the state prelim docket Friday.

In the Class 2A meet, St. Viator's Kate Castelli, a sophomore, will compete in the 1,600 and 3,200 runs, while Isabella Pierce will run the 100 and 300 hurdles, and Serafina DeMunno will compete in the 200. Castelli is seeded 14th in the 3,200.