Records fall at Top Times

BLOOMINGTON - Metea Valley senior Courtney Morgan, Glenbard West freshman Katelynne Hart and the Naperville North girls distance runners are accustomed to track and field success.

That's why their winning performances Saturday at the annual Illinois Top Times Indoor Classic at Illinois Wesleyan University were even sweeter. They came with personal bests and records.

"That's what I strive for," Morgan said after capturing the Class 3A girls shot put at 48 feet, 8 inches - an all-time meet record by 6 inches and a lifetime best by 2 inches.

"The placement doesn't really matter to me. Obviously, I help my team out by winning, but for me it's my personal records that I'm striving for."

The Central Florida-bound Morgan is the defending Class 3A champion. In November Hart won the Class 3A cross country individual title and Naperville North captured the team championship.

Hart swept the Class 3A girls 3,200 and 1,600-meter runs in 10:11.51 and 4:53.68, respectively. Her 3,200 victory broke the all-time meet record of 10:15.06 set by Woodstock's Kayla Beattie as a senior in 2011 and improved her all-time school record in an event Glenbard West has won at outdoor state three of the last four seasons.

Glenbard West junior Lindsey Payne, the defending 3,200 state champ who battled sickness throughout indoor season, was second in a season-best 10:42.66.

"For my 3,200 I felt really good, felt pretty smooth. As I was finishing, the (scoreboard) clock froze. When I heard them say 10:11, I was super excited," Hart said.

"I knew that (Beattie's record) was 10:15 so that was definitely something I was hoping to do. I'm bummed I missed her mile record, but I'll come back next year."

Naperville North's girls 3,200 relay of senior Claire Hamilton and juniors Jill Fitz, Sam Prazma and Hannah Ricci won in 9:21.69, an indoor school record by roughly five seconds. The Huskies had personal-best 2:19 splits by Fitz and Ricci in winning by 8.22 seconds over Minooka.

"We were pretty far ahead so it was cool to see that we were running our times instead of just winning," said the Indiana-bound Hamilton, who led off in 2:17 and later was second in the 1,600 in 5:01.89.

"We had a really good 4-by-800 in our conference meet. It didn't feel like it was much different, but we really broke that record by a good margin."

In Class 2A boys, Lisle senior Isaiah Hunter was second in the 400 in 51.95, .50 from first.

Naperville North sophomore Halle Bieber's 8.93 was second in the 60 hurdles by 0.01 to Thornton senior Mya Robinson. Bieber was fourth at 2016 state in the 300 low hurdles.

"Prelims was a pretty rough start (with lane changes)," Bieber said. "I really didn't care too much about my place, I just wanted to run a good race and feel good in the end and I did so I was really happy."

Downers Grove North junior Isabel Maletich edged Lake Park junior Isabelle Kennedy for second in triple jump on a tiebreaker after both had a best 37-2 with Waubonsie Valley junior Cami Robinson fifth at 36-8. Maletich also was fourth in long jump at 17-11¾.

For the Lake Park boys, Alabama recruit Chago Basso was third in shot put at 57-7¾ and senior Ethan Koval won a three-way tiebreaker for third in pole vault at 14-6.

Basso, who was sixth in discus at 2016 state, has thrown 61-1 in shot. He scratched a probable near-60 throw Saturday.

"Hopefully we'll be able to break that (personal best) soon," Basso said. "I didn't do too poorly but definitely not what I could have done. It's satisfactory."

Naperville North sophomore Alex Morris and Downers Grove South freshman Brenna Cohoon were 3-4 in the girls 3,200 in 10:45.06 and 11:02.13.

In the girls 800, Downers North senior and Marquette-bound Emma Moravec and Downers South freshman Erin Reidy went 3-4 in 2:19.14 and 2:19.17.

Taking fourth were Metea Valley senior Alonzo Taylor-Jones in the 60 at 6.92 and Lake Park junior Dan Spejcher in the 60 hurdles in 8.45.

In fifth were the Naperville North girls 800 and 1,600 relays, Waubonsie Valley junior Wes York in a tight boys 800 and Hinsdale South senior boys triple jumper D.J. Anderson. Ricci was sixth in the 1,600.

In Class 1A boys Friday, IC Catholic Prep senior Jordan Rowell was second in the 60, .03 from first, and third in the 400 and long jump at 21-4½.