Warren's Ellis makes amends with top time
BLOOMINGTON - It's highly advisable to not anger Warrens senior Brittny Ellis.
The University of Miami-bound senior was in an unusual position as she started her heat of the 200-meter dash in the Illinois Prep Top Times meet at Illinois Wesleyan University's Shirk Center.
At the start of her heat of the 400 dash earlier in the day, Ellis was whistled for a false start for the first time in her track career. Stunned, and a little angered, Ellis took it out on the rest of the field in the 200 dash, winning easily in 24.75.
"It was kind of ironic because my starts were really good today," Ellis said. "I watched the tape many times and I didn't see anything on the false start, but you have to respect the official's call."
Earlier in the meet, Ellis again ran away from the field in winning the 60 dash. Her time of 7.61 broke the Class 3A meet record set in 2013.
"I was the first one out of the blocks, and that is something that doesn't usually happen," Ellis said with a smile.
While Ellis turned a negative into a positive, it was clear at the end of the 3,200 relay that Fremd and junior Nora Finegan were not going to be caught.
"I just got the baton and ran," Finegan said. "I saw the girl from Loyola and I ran as fast as I could."
Finegan, Katie Escobar, Ayako Higuchi and Lauren Ciardiello won the 3,200 relay in an indoor school record time of 9:25.09. For a group that finished eighth in the state a year ago, it was a good boost heading outdoors.
"This is really exciting for us," Finegan said. "We just want to continue to work hard and work toward getting better times outdoors."
About the same time the Lady Vikings were celebrating their win, Prospect and junior Jess Skudlarek were doing the same thing.
Skudlarek cleared a personal-best 5 feet, 7 inches to win the high jump in the 3A division.
But the story doesn't end there. Skudlarek wore a little good luck charm to help get her over the 5-7 marker. Her red flannel pajama pants with black moose all over them gave her all the extra luck she needed.
"I almost didn't do track in high school," Skudlarek said. "But when my coach last year retired, I had to find a way to honor him. When I was in Canada I got these moose pajamas because we called him "Moose." I wear them every meet now."
The luck and fortune also found its way to two of the top distance runners in the state. Junior Lindsay Graham of Glenbard West made it look easy as she ran away from the field in the 3,200 run, winning in 10:22.53.
The 1,600 run at the end of the day proved to be one of the best races of the afternoon. Jacobs' Michigan-bound senior Lauren VanVlierbergen looked like she had the race all but wrapped up. But out of nowhere in the final lap came Streamwood's Gabby Juarez. Juarez caught up with VanVlierbergen over the final 50 meters before VanVlierbergen edged her out at the finish in 4:53.83 - just off the meet record.
Even though she didn't appear in the final meet program, Cary-Grove senior Morgan Schultz made sure everyone knew just who she was on Saturday. After battling leg injuries all winter that forced her into swimming rehab instead of running, Schultz looked ready to put that part of her running behind her.
She held off a hard charge from Skyler Bollinger of Yorkville to win the 800 run in a personal-best 2:13.15.
In the Class 2A session, Madison Ronzone and Emily Martin of Rosary teamed up to finish first and third in the 1,600 run. Ronzone won the event in 5:09.1.