Girls track: Scouting Northwest weekend meets
Palatine relays
When: Saturday starting at 8:30 a.m., followed by the afternoon session at approximately 12:30 p.m.
Where: Chic Anderson Stadium, Palatine High School
Teams participating: Barrington, Bloomington, Bloomington Central, Conant, Fremd, Hoffman Estates, Lane Tech, Mundelein, Palatine, Prairie Ridge, Peoria Richwoods, St. Francis, Sandburg, Schaumburg, Wheeling.
Outlook: Another chapter is ready to be added to the historic Palatine Relays. Saturday marks 78th addition of the longest running track and field meet in the state. Host Palatine will be looking to re-establish itself after finishing second to Hoffman in the Mid-Suburban West divisional meet. The relays are a perfect showcase for the Pirates' depth. Juniors Valere Guertin, Morgan Quinnett, Meghan Flanagan and sophomore Laura Schweikert pace the Pirates' sprint group, and the Pirates rely on the foursome to add points in other events. Senior Ruth Allen is gearing up for a big finish and helps pace the Pirates' powerful distance group. "It's a very competitive field," said Palatine coach Steve Currins, "I think we learned some things from Monday and now we just have to dig down a little deeper." Hoffman Estates and Schaumburg will not be at full strength, with both teams rebounding from a Friday night meet. But keep an eye on Hoffman's Precious Ogunleye in the shot put. The junior hit 45-4 on Monday. Emily D'Amico and Sharron Jones will give a lift to the Hawks sprinters. Barrington definitely has the pieces to make a run at the title. Senior Jorie Frey is threat in the 200 and 400, and will strengthen any relay; senior Anna Etherington is one of the top pole vaulters in the state, and freshman Becca Batliner made quite an impression in the 3,200 (10:53.2) at the divisional meet. Defending Class 1A state cross country champion Kelly Curran will lead Bloomington Central.
Cougar Twilight
When: Friday, field events 4:30 p.m., track finals approximately 6 p.m.
Where: Charles Feutz Field, Conant High School
Teams participating: Bartlett, Belvidere North, Bloomington, Buffalo Grove, Conant, Rockford Guilford, Hersey, Hoffman Estates, Lake Park, Minooka, Montini, Morton, Prospect, Riverside-Brookfield.
Outlook: The 19th annual Cougar Invite is looking to be very competitive. Host Conant, MSL West division champion Hoffman Estates and MSL East division champion Prospect will all be vying for the title. The Host Cougars can count on junior Sarah Gorden and senior Josie Hutch in the hurdles; Gorden finished fifth in Class 3A last season in the 300 hurdles, and the junior is looking comfortable in the 100 high hurdles this year. Conant also is strong in the 400 and 800 relays. Hoffman Estates has positioned itself well for a strong postseason run. Senior Melissa Schmidt and sophomore Haley Goers give the Hawks 1-2 punch in the distance that most teams can't match. Hoffman also has plenty of depth, which should be on display at the A-B-C formatted meet. "They're extremely competitive," said Hoffman Estates coach Dan Anderson of the fast-rising Hawks. "I'm in it to win, and they've all jumped on board." Prospect will also be dealing with a loaded distance crew. The Knights won the MSL East meet Monday and will be looking to continue their momentum on Friday. Seniors distance runners Annette White, Emily Salzman, Kasey Krum and Amy Abdnor set the pace for the Knights.