Girls track and field: Kaneland ties Cahokia for Class 2A state crown
CHARLESTON - The mission was do-or-die for Nicole Sreenan, Carley Bartholomew, Allie Heinzer and Jamie Martens in quest for a state championship.
The Kaneland girls more than met the challenge.
In the final event of the Class 2A girls state track and field meet Saturday afternoon at Eastern Illinois' O'Brien Stadium, an event championship had been ever-elusive for the Knights.
Sreenan, runner-up at both 100 and 400 meters, staked the team to an early lead.
But Springfield Southeast had the cushion at the second exchange.
Heinzer did the rest.
One event after a fourth-place result at 200 meters, the Knights' senior ran a dazzling third leg to give Kaneland a commanding advantage on the anchor.
"That's why we put (Heinzer) there," Kaneland coach Doug Ecker said.
Martens coasted to victory in 3 minutes and 56.15 seconds as the 10 points garnered enabled the Knights to share the state title with two-time defending champion Cahokia with 53 points each.
It was the first state championship for a girls sport at the Maple Park high school since the track team won back-to-back Class A titles in 1987-88.
"I am on Cloud Nine right now," said Heinzer, who was a key figure on the Knights' other two state-placing relays at 400 and 800 meters. "We all put forth our best effort. (On the third leg of the 1,600 relay) I just mentally decided that I was going to stick with (the first-place girl) and at the last curve give it all I had."
"(The team title) hasn't hit me yet," said Sreenan, who earned a third runner-up finish with Shayna Hurston, Heinzer and Carly Elliott in the 400 relay.
"I knew we had the deciding factor (Cahokia did not qualify for the 1,600 relay finals) if we were going to win (the state championship). I knew we had to do well."
The Knights' 3,200 relay team of Sarah Daley, Noelle Espino, Brianna Bower and Becca Richtman scored the first points for Kaneland with their fifth-place finish in the opening race.
Lexie Guerra was the only athlete to score for Kaneland in the field, but the 2 points the junior won in the pole vault were invaluable.
The Kaneland state championship was inconceivable without several athletes passing runners in the closing meters of races.
None was as important as Sreenan gliding past Cahokia two-time defending champion Mariyah Hudson in the open 400.
"I was shocked," Sreenan said. "It was crazy."
Aurora Central Catholic senior Karina Liz had her bid for a third straight Class 2A state at 800 meters title evaporate due to painful hip-pointer injury.
The Missouri-bound Liz settled for eighth.
"It was hurting bad," Liz said. "There was nothing I could do. There is going to be a new champion from time to time."
The Chargers' Abby Fioresi sped past defending state runner-up Madison Ronzone of Rosary to place third at 1,600 meters.
But the Notre Dame-bound Ronzone ran a brilliant anchor leg in the 3,200 relay to secure third for the Royals.
The two Aurora Catholic schools tied for 13th place overall.
"I don't know what place I was in (when I received the baton), but it was exciting to pass all those girls," Ronzone said.
Megan Safranski, the lone state qualifier for Burlington Central, was ninth in the 3,200 run.
Bella Uscila was clocked in 12.51 seconds to win the only Class 1A medal from the area; the St. Edward sophomore was fifth.