Northwest/Scouting Class 3A girls track sectionals
By Michael Eaken
Daily Herald Correspondent
What to know: First- and second-place finishers in each event, including individuals and relays surpassing state qualifying standards, advance to the state meet at Eastern Illinois in Charleston May 20-21.
At Buffalo Grove
When: Friday, field events at 4 p.m., running event prelims at 4:30 p.m., and track finals at 6 p.m.
Teams participating: Hersey, St. Viator, Buffalo Grove, Warren, Lake Zurich, Libertyville, Stevenson, Carmel, Deerfield, Highland Park, Lake Forest, Mundelein, Fremd, Palatine, Waukegan, Wheeling, Zion-Benton.
Outlook: Palatine is coming off an impressive Mid-Suburban League title and will be seeking its 13th sectional title. The Pirates are primed to roll, having the top seed in seven of the 18 events. Lake Zurich won the North Suburban Conference meet, and the Bears look strong in the sprints. Junior Laura Schweikert leads Palatine and is the top seed in the 400 (57.9) and second seed in the 200 (25.84). Carmel junior Megan Paul is top seed in the 200 (25.73) and second seed in the 400 (58.34). Last year Paul and Schweikert finished 3-4 in Class 3A for the 400. The power duo are also potential anchors for the meet-closing 1,600 relay. Senior Courtney Brown (3,200), sophomore Tess Wasowicz (800), and senior Sarah McIntosh (1,600) are also hold top seeds for the Pirates attack. Sophomore Meg Jump is a threat in both the jumps and senior Meghan Flanagan is second seed in the pole vault (11-9) to lead a deep Pirate attack. Hersey senior Danielle Perkins is the top seed in the 100 (12.44) and combines with Michaele Dwyer, Katie Croak and Laura Kempf to lead a potent 400 relay. Dwyer is also coming off an impressive long jump title at the MSL meet. Hersey (49.17) will have plenty of company in the 400 relay with top-seed Waukegan (48.95), Lake Zurich (49.95), and Palatine (49.54) all dipping below 50 seconds. Senior Dana Markech is top seed for Hersey in the 100 high hurdles (15.34). The 300 low hurdles features Lake Zurich senior Amy Polhemus (45.51) and Mundelein senior Megan Geldernick (45.92), the two went 1-2 at the North Suburban conference meet and will face off again on Friday. Stevenson senior Rachel Redmond is the top seed in both the shot put (39-6) and discus (123-3). Palatine has the top marks in the 3,200 relay (9:25.78) and 1,600 relay (3:59.58), with the second best mark in the 800 relay (1:44.49).
At Hoffman Estates
When: Friday, field events at 4 p.m., track finals 5:45 p.m.
Teams participating: Bartlett, Resurrection, Maine West, Elgin, Larkin, Elk Grove, Leyden, Geneva, Conant, Hoffman Estates, Prospect, Rolling Meadows, Schaumburg, South Elgin, St. Charles East, St. Charles North, Streamwood.
Outlook: Hoffman Estates will be seeking its third straight sectional title and the Hawks are loaded, coming in with six top seeds. Geneva took first in the Upstate Eight River Division and finished second at the Bartlett sectional last year. Schaumburg is also looking strong with five top seeds, and don’t overlook a deep Prospect or talented Conant squad. Senior Precious Ogunleye powers the Hawks attack as she set MSL conference records in sweeping the shot put and discus last Friday. She enters with the top seed in both the shot put (45-0) and discus (142.-6). Emily D’Amico blazed to a pair of victories at the MSL meet in the 100 and 200 and holds the top seed in both for Hoffman on Friday. Junior Haley Goers enters with the top seed in the 3,200 (10:50.34) for Hoffman. Senior Karen Lesiewicz leads Schaumburg. Lesiewicz, the defending Class 3A 1,600 champion, missed last weekend’s MSL conference meet but leads a loaded mile race this weekend. Lesiewicz (first place), Goers (fifth), and Bartlett senior Alyssa Schneider (sixth) placed in the top six in Class 3A last season — on Friday the three will be joined by St. Charles East junior Mallory Abel, Prospect junior Laura Maibuecher, Hoffman junior Haley Worman, Geneva senior Tess Ehrhardt, and Rolling Meadows senior Christina Gastfield in what is looking to be an explosive race. All eight have gone below the state qualifying mark. Senior Britten Petrey and senior Colette Falsey have both hit impressive times for Schaumburg in the 800 and last Friday Petrey hit a state-best mark (2:14.1). Let’s not forget that the Saxons are the defending Class 3A champion in the 3,200 relay and are priming not only to defend their title, but may be eyeing a state record. Schaumburg also sports impressive times in holding the top seed in the 1,600 relay (3:57.72) and 800 relay (1:44.48). Conant senior Sarah Gorden is at the top of her game and holds the top seed in the 100 high hurdles (14.74) and 300 low hurdles (44.23). The Cougars also sport a nifty top seed in the 400 relay (48.88) and will be tested by host Hoffman (48.69). Conant also has the second-best mark in the 800 relay and 1,600 relay. Hoffman freshman Andrea Miller-Bey (57.74) and St. Charles East sophomore Brittany Williams (58.31) will battle it out for the 400 title. Meadows senior Vicky Pavlou enters with the top seed in the triple jump (36-6), long jump (16-8), and tied with Prospect’s Lauren Yearian in the high jump (5-2). Streamwood’s Megan McGlone is a threat to challenge Pavlou in the triple jump. St. Charles North senior Meridith Beird enters with the top mark in the pole vault (11-6).
At Huntley
When: Friday field events at 4:30 p.m., track semifinals 5:00 p.m., and track finals 6:30 p.m.
Teams participating: Jacobs, Barrington, Dundee-Crown, Cary-Grove, Prairie Ridge, Crystal Lake South, DeKalb, Grant, Huntley, Harlem, McHenry, Rockford Auburn, Rockford Boylan, Rockford Guilford, Rockford Jefferson, Hononegah, Round Lake.
Outlook: Senior Sarah Miller, junior Caroline Carley, junior Alexa Argianas and junior Elizabeth Tracy combined to give Barrington the top seed in the 3,200 relay (9:33.48). Rachel Simon holds the second-best mark in the 3,200 (11:21.94) for the Fillies. Junior Melissa Madden tops the charts with the best mark in the 300 low hurdles (45.99) and third-best in the 100 low hurdles. Carley also holds the third-best mark in the 800 (2:22.47) and Tracy comes in with the fifth-best mark in the 1,600 (5:18.8).