WW South edges Glenbard West
If DuPage County had a girls track and field invitational, there is little doubt Wheaton Warrenville South and Glenbard West would vie for top team honors.
Thursday night at the Class 3A Glenbard North sectional in Carol Stream, the teams went toe to toe over the 18 events. WW South emerged with the victory, 86-84, but it was the schools’ powerhouse relay performances that were the real story.
The programs qualified a combined eight relays, with the Tigers’ 3,200 variety and the Hilltoppers’ three sprint relays producing elite times.
“We have trained so hard for this moment,” Glenbard West junior Kinn Badger said after anchoring the Hilltoppers’ 1,600 quartet in 3 minutes, 53.49 seconds to conclude the 17-team meet. “(Qualifying in four events) was definitely my goal coming into the season.”
Badger, runner-up in the 100 dash to Willowbrook star Cherise Porter, also teamed in various formulas with Emma Reifel, Kathryn Pickett, Caroline Maloney and Bridget Flanagan to advance with championship efforts at 400 and 800 meters.
“Everything we could have hoped for (in the three relays) just happened,” said Flanagan, who held off a fast-charging Porter to anchor the 400 team.
Pickett, meanwhile, advanced to state in four events: leading off the 400 relay, before meeting the mark in long jump and sweeping the two hurdles races in impressive fashion.
“The ones (in hurdles) felt really good,” Pickett said. “The (300 hurdles) didn’t feel as good. My body was loose, but I felt tired.”
The WW South quartet of 800 runners — Amy Yong, Mikayla Kightlinger, McKenna Kiple and Hope Schmelzle — have designs on threatening the state record after turning in an eye-popping 9:13.65 performance in dominating the field.
“We were trying to isolate this particular team for the sectional,” said Schmelzle, who also qualified, along with Kiple, in the open 800. “The teams (at the state meet) are all so good.”
“We don’t set the lineup to win a sectional,” WW South coach Rob Harvey said. “We set lineups to get kids to the state championship. The (3,200 relay) is really hard to run unless you’re in a championship environment. They’re a special group.”
Porter and Glenbard East junior Lindsay Rakosnik were equally brilliant for their respective teams. Porter was in a league of her own in dominating the two short sprints, and the junior nearly caught Flanagan in the 400 relay after a huge deficit at the start of her anchor leg.
“I’m going to catch them next time,” Porter said of the second-ranked Hilltoppers 400 team.
Porter has lost only once at 200 meters the last two years: in the state final last year.
“(That loss) has motivated me for the whole season,” Porter said. “Tonight has been amazingly great.”
“She makes me look like a pretty good coach,” Willowbrook coach Scott McKinney said.
In the individual race of the night, Rakosnik was one of nine qualifiers at 800 meters. The Rams’ standout emerged from a tight pack at 175 meters and exploded to win in a state-best time of 2:12.07.
“My goal was to get a school record (which she did),” Rakosnik said. “I wanted to take charge and stay there.”
Host Glenbard North received championship efforts from Kailey James (high jump), Amanda Hilliard (shot put) and freshman 400 runner Simone Carr. Senior leader Christini Rini qualified in three events for the Panthers.
Kaylee Flanagan and Shayna Clark led an inspired third-place showing by Lake Park with respective wins at 3,200 meters and discus.
Benet qualified five individuals; Shenelle Burnett qualified in both hurdles events for Wheaton North, and Lali Valdiva snared the lone berth for West Chicago.