St. Charles North holds off Batavia

St. Charles North’s talented senior duo of Sydney Stuenkel and Jessica Scheets had a simple task in the final event of the seven-team Mike Vandeveer Invitational at Geneva Saturday: prevail against Batavia at any cost.

Stuenkel, the Loyola recruit who earlier won the open 800-meter dash with Scheets trailing in second, took the lead for good on the third lap of the 1,600 relay.

Scheets, who collaborated with Stuenkel, Megan Young and Natalia Gawlik to dominate the 3,200 relay in the opening event, maintained the cushion to hold off the Bulldogs’ anchor and preserve the North Stars’ first major team title in untold years.

St. Charles North finished with 121 points to the Bulldogs’ 117, followed by host Geneva with 105.

Niles North was fourth, with Burlington Central, McHenry and Dundee Crown rounding out the pack.

“Batavia put up a good fight,” Scheets said after crossing the finish line in the 1,600 relay in 4 minutes, 12.37 seconds. “I knew (when I got the baton) that this was going to be whether we won the meet or not.”

Stuenkel and Scheets, who teamed with Molly Soltesz and Jerica Balusek in the meet-clinching triumph, set the tone with their 9:36.28 time in the 3,200 relay.

“We didn’t expect that at all,” said anchor Scheets. “We ran state-qualifying time, so that was awesome.”

Stuenkel, the North Stars’ deadly threat in the mile, skipped her specialty event — as well as her equally strong race at 3,200 meters — to run the two relays and the 800, where she turned back Scheets in 2:21 to flavor the North Stars’ one-two sweep.

“(Coach John Osmanski) told me it was going to be kind of a speed workout today,” Stuenkel said of the rationale behind skipping her normal open events. “It will be a tough decision (determining the event sequence for the state series).”

Kaylee Raucci was within striking distance of a three-event championship afternoon, only to be deemed a bridesmaid in the long and triple jump as well as the 300 hurdles.

But the St. Charles North junior proved an invaluable weapon to the team with her 24 points scored with three runner-up performances in the events.

Raucci, who was hindered by shin splints, skipped the finals in both jumping events, ultimately falling to Batavia sophomore Jessica Hartmann in the long jump (15 feet, 10 inches-15-9) and Geneva freshman Hannah Davison in the triple (35-8.25-35-3.5).

“If I would have done finals, maybe I would have beat (Hartmann in the long jump),” said Raucci, who was tied with the Batavia sophomore after three preliminary jumps. “I’m just inches away from getting it. It’s frustrating when I can’t get on the board (for the proper launch).”

“It was an absolutely fantastic day for Kaylee,” Osmanski said.

“(The winning effort) was actually my final jump,” Hartmann said. “I was either going to scratch or do really well.”

“(Raucci) is a very good competitor,” Geneva freshman Davison said after winning the triple jump. “When she won at (the Upstate Eight indoor) Conference (Davison was second), I was ready to get her back.”

In addition to Hartmann, Batavia had two of the three double winners on the day in hurdler Hailey Clabough and thrower Haleigh Theuerkauf.

Clabough swept the 100 and 300 hurdles, and Theuerkauf did likewise in the shot put and discus with an outdoor personal-best of 40-5.5 in the former.

“It was pretty nice; it was a good feeling,” said the Iowa-bound Theuerkauf, the indoor state champion in the event. “(The discus) felt really good because I was so consistent.”

Clabough was not tested in winning easily in the two hurdles races in 15.93 and 47.82 seconds, respectively.

“I’m going to try and make it to state in both of them,” Clabough said. “It’s pretty exciting. I have been practicing a lot.”

Geneva junior Kristi Shogren denied Batavia sophomore Lia Kruse by more than five seconds to capture the 3,200 run.

Kathryn Adelman made a dramatic move at the gun lap to seize control of the 1,600 run for the Vikings’ third victory of the day.

The sophomore eased past the St. Charles North duo of Young and Kaylee Wessel with 400 meters to go and never looked back in winning in 5:18.79.

“I get to that point where I have 400 (meters) to go and I just go,” Adelman said. “I want to be in the five-teens (time-wise)—that’s my goal right now.”

The Burlington Central girls track squad could be excused after a grueling weekend schedule that included a Friday night multi-team meet in Ottawa.

“We have had a really long 24 hours,” returning all-state pole vaulter Katie Trupp said.

On the other hand, Alexa Tovsen is making strides to be a four-time individual state qualifier—albeit with a different approach.

The Rockets’ senior, who has qualified in the open 400 meters her first three years, has abandoned her specialty event to concentrate on the 300 hurdles.

Tovsen skipped the hurdles as well on Saturday but came back after a disappointing 100 performance to deny McHenry junior Laura D’Angelo a third title with her win at 200 meters.

“I didn’t do as well as I thought I could (in the 100),” Tovsen said. “I really like the two (200 dash). It’s half a lap of what I usually run (the 400). My coach (Tom Miller) told me I could have a shot (for the state finals in the 300 hurdles). I want to make it to Saturday (of the state meet).”

Central junior Kayla Wolf was runner-up to D’Angelo at 400 meters for the Rockets, while Trupp was frustrated after an indifferent day.

The good news for the Rockets’ standout junior was her winning the high jump on criteria over Geneva freshman Veronica Ramming.

But Trupp was a foot below her personal best in finishing second in the pole vault at 10-6 and settled for fifth place in the 100 hurdles.

“I wish I would have done better (meaning jumped higher) in the high jump, too,”

said Trupp, who cleared 5-0. “I was definitely (off) technique-wise.”

Dundee-Crown was led by sophomore distance runner Natalie Himmel.

“I came from the ACT (test) and was tired,” Himmel said after placing fifth in the mile. “Considering the circumstances, I did well.”