Girls track and field: Scouting Fox Valley area athletes at state
Hannah Schilb is in rare company.
The St. Charles North senior joined LaJarvia Brown, Jaimie Robinson and future Iowa teammate Allison Wahrman in the exclusive 40-foot territory in the triple jump.
"The triple jump is insane," Geneva girls track and field coach Peter Raak said after his team captured the Class 3A Hoffman Estates sectional last Friday.
Brown, an Alton senior, and Robinson, a junior transfer at Homewood-Flossmoor, are the respective defending state champions in the two largest classes.
But Schilb earned the No. 1 seed for the state preliminaries Friday at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston on the basis of her sectional-championship distance of 40 feet, 6 inches.
"I am really excited about being seeded first," said Schilb, seventh last year in the event. "In the prelims I get to go last. If one of the other girls has a big jump, I will know what I have to do."
St. Charles North has never crowned a girls state track and field champion since welcoming its first students at the turn of the century.
"I think (the triple jump) is going to be a very exciting event to watch," St. Charles North coach John Osmanski said. "Hannah's form is great. We really like our chances."
Schilb is also a leading contender in the long jump after approaching 19 feet with a second sectional championship last week.
Wahrman, a Glenbard North senior, and Schilb went toe-to-toe at the Batavia Invitational; the latter edged the career double-digit-state-qualifying Wahrman by inches on her final attempt.
"It's always fun to compete against Allison," Schilb said.
Schilb has a prediction for Saturday afternoon.
"I think whoever wins will set a new state record," Schilb said. "My ultimate goal is to get 42 feet."
Between cross country and track, seniors McKenzie Altmayer and Dakota Roman have been competing against each since their middle-school days.
The Geneva and Batavia distances aces are among the top seeds at both 1,600 and 3,200 meters.
"I told Raak, 'I'm medaling this year,' " said Altmayer, the Syracuse-bound Geneva standout who is seeded second in each event. "All-state would be great in both; that's what I'm aiming for."
"I don't really see (Altmayer) as a rival," Roman said. "It's like friendly competition. I just know I can make it to finals (in the metric mile) and place."
There is no preliminary in the 3,200 run.
Defending champion Judy Pendergast, the Naperville North senior who had the fastest time in the nation in the 3,200, is unlikely to compete.
"We haven't closed the door yet, but it does not look good," Naperville North distance coach Dan Iverson said via text.
St. Charles North junior Audrey Ernst is also in the mix for all-state distinction in the two longest individual races.
The two throwing events will be equally dramatic this weekend.
Cary-Grove senior Nikki Freeman and Courtney Morgan, a former shot put state champion from Metea Valley, are among the headliners in both the shot put and discus.
"Nikki has been a really tough competitor throughout her career," C-G coach Mark Anderson said. "She has great personal respect for Courtney Morgan."
Freeman, fourth in the discus last year, reversed the results of her specialty event to deny the Mustangs' junior another sectional title.
South Elgin coach Jorie Bartholomew welcomed twins during the season.
The births almost proved allegorical as the Storm achieved a program first last week at Hoffman Estates: two girls qualifying in the same event.
West Aurora junior Tamia Rayford advanced to her third straight 400 state preliminary with the victory, but Storm juniors Lauren Toussaint and Kennedy Wells made the state cut with their sub-60-second times.
"It was amazing," Bartholomew said. "We were super excited with that."
South Elgin will seek another program milestone.
"We haven't had anyone make it to finals on Saturday," Bartholomew said.
St. Charles East pole vaulters Kennedy Gift and Emily Gier swept the event for the Saints at Hoffman last week.
Gift is the second seed after claiming first at 11-7.
"They have been going back and forth all year," St. Charles East coach Tim Wolf said. "We're excited for this weekend."
Aurora Central Catholic senior Karina Liz was defeated in an outdoor 800-meter race for the first time since finishing runner-up at the Class 2A state finals as a freshman.
The Missouri-bound Liz is the two-time defending state champion at the distance.
Liz is the third seed after LaSalle-Peru sophomore Rachel Hickey sprung the upset last Friday.
"We feel pretty good about where things are," said ACC coach Troy Kerber, who has another contender in junior Abby Fioresi.
Rosary dominated the LaSalle-Peru sectional to defend its team title; the Royals are led by Notre Dame-bound senior Madison Ronzone, the reigning state runner-up at 1,600 meters.
For the second straight year Rosary advanced all four relays.
But Kaneland is the local team to watch this weekend in Class 2A.
The Knights were a mere point out of the trophy hunt last year as the squad was missing its four-event all-state star in Nicole Sreenan.
But the Knights' junior is back with a bullet this year; Sreenan is the top seed in the 100 dash and No. 3 at 400 meters.
Kaneland is especially potent in the sprint relays behind Sreenan and 200 Rochelle sectional champion Allie Heinzer.
"I think they're going to be one of the front-runners this weekend, without a doubt," Kerber said of Kaneland.