Cary-Grove breezes to 2nd straight sectional title
ROCKTON - Cary-Grove won just one event at the Class 3A Hononegah girls track and field sectional here Thursday, but several second-place finishes helped the Trojans finish atop the sectional heap for the second straight season.
Senior Lindsay Young was the lone individual sectional titlist for Cary-Grove, winning the 800 in 2:25.98 by a lean over Kelsey Laska of Hononegah. However, the Trojans demonstrated team depth with second-place showings in six events and third-place finishes in three others, which helped them complete a sweep of the McHenry County, Fox Valley Conference and sectional titles.
Cary-Grove finished with 97 team points, followed by Harlem (84) and Huntley (67). Crystal Lake South took seventh with 41 points.
"After last year, we all really wanted to repeat it," said Trojans senior Kelly McCoy, who was second in the long jump (17 feet, 2 inches) and the 100 hurdles (15.19). "It's my senior year and I didn't think we'd be able to top last year, so I'm really excited that we did it again. We all have our places and our events and we all really worked hard. We just really, really wanted it again."
McCoy, a future heptathlete at Iowa State University, had only competed in the long jump "at four or five meets," but was able to take second place by eclipsing 17 feet for the first time.
Junior Carly Loeffel qualified for the state meet in the 400 for the second straight year by finishing second in 1:00.1. She also gained the automatic bid in the high jump (5-3) and anchored the Trojans' qualifying 1,600 meter team, which included Kathie Wollney, Lizzy Klicker and Young.
"This is the first year I haven't been injured," Loeffel said. "The last two years I've had stress fractures. It was so awesome not to be dealing with an injury at sectionals. Now I can go out and actually compete like I want to at state."
Also headed to Charleston on what will be a crowded team bus is the Cary-Grove 800-meter relay team of Anne McGarrigle, Wollney, Jeni Maki and Sarah Ryan. They placed second in 1:46.37.
The only sad moment of the meet for the Trojans came during the 300-meter hurdles race, when senior Jessica Warnecke fell after catching the final hurdle. Coach Mark Anderson said she was on pace to finish third in state-qualifying time.
"You hate it, you hate it, you hate it," Anderson said sympathetically of Warnecke's fall. "It's going to bug me for years. I'm very proud of what these girls did. It's probably the best team Cary-Grove's ever put out there. It's hard to top last year's team, but we did. I just wish we could have gotten one more kid down to state."
Huntley's Amy Fanella qualified for the state meet in three events. The four-year qualifier, committed to Indiana State, won the triple jump (36-21/2), finished second in the 300 hurdles (45.91) and anchored the winning 1,600 relay (4:05.29) after getting the baton with a lead, courtesy of teammates Marilyn McDougall, Abbey Shaw and freshman Anthonia Moore.
"Our four-by-four team has worked so hard and we're undefeated," Fanella said. "We wanted this and I wanted it for my team. We have a freshman on our team, and I wanted her to have a taste of state."
Crystal Lake South swept the titles in the distance events in windy conditions. Senior Kristina Aubert, a four-year state qualifier, won the 3,200 run in 11:33.10. Three-time qualifier, junior Marianne Collard, breezed to victory in the mile by more than seven seconds (5:15.63).
Aubert's triumph held special personal meaning. She missed the entire indoor season and the start of the outdoor season after being sidelined with shin splints for six weeks, the longest layoff of her decorated high school career.
"I had no base work, so I had to work my butt off this season," Aubert said. "It feels great because the two-mile is my favorite event. It's so strategic and it's hard to pace yourself."
Aubert and Collard teamed with juniors Emily Lenzini and Heather Newberry to win the 3,200 relay in 9:42.56, and sophomore Lexi Dahl qualified for state with a second-place finish in the pole vault by clearing 9 feet even.
Dundee-Crown will send its 3,200-meter relay team to O'Brien Stadium next week. Junior Katie Gross returned from a sore hamstring to join juniors Lauren Mosher and Claira Himmel and freshman Fabiola Ortiz for a second-place finish in 9:47.99.