Girls track and field: Spagnola leads West Aurora to SCN title

Emma Spagnola is the most decorated athlete in the history of the West Aurora girls track and field program.

But the three-time Class 3A individual state champion, who was also all-state on seven other occasions, has an equally gifted little sister.

Tori Spagnola certainly evoked memories of her older sibling Saturday in St. Charles as the Blackhawks' sophomore, all-state in both hurdles events last year, was directly responsible for 40 of the 149 points West Aurora secured.

Spagnola swept both hurdles events in dominant fashion, captured the long jump and ran the opening leg on the Blackhawks' victorious 1,600 relay to lead the state power to a comfortable victory over Wheaton North at the St. Charles North Invitational.

Wheaton North (101 points), bereft of a win in any of the 18 events, still managed to eke past five-event champion Benet (98) and Oswego East (96) for runner-up status.

Glenbard East (43), St. Charles North (36) and Conant (33) rounded out the seven-team field.

Oswego East runner-up Francesca Laube had not even cleared the final hurdle when Spagnola crossed the finish line in the 100 hurdles in 15.61 seconds.

Spagnola obliterated the stagger by the first hurdle to claim the 300s over Laube in 47.1.

"It feels awesome that I can go out there and run my best for my team, getting all those points to help us win this," said Spagnola, who also soared 17 feet, 1.5 inches to win her long jump title. "I am very competitive with myself. When I don't have girls (to push me), I run against the clock."

West Aurora coach Teresa Towles rewarded Alyssa Mayhew for her yeoman efforts as the junior was tabbed as the anchor on the 1,600 relay after earlier running two 800 legs and the open 1,600 run.

"Our team is so crazy deep in the 400," said Mayhew who collaborated with Spagnola, Annabelle Chandler and Sydney Atkins to win the 1,600 relay in 4:13.88. "Whenever I get to run the 400, I take it as an honor, especially when (the coaches) let me anchor. I don't want to let the team down, obviously."

Nowhere is West Aurora deeper in the event than Dajour Miles, the two-time defending champion at the distance.

Making her lone appearance on the day, the Kentucky recruit was well behind her personal-best time in winning in 58.37.

"I haven't really been practicing (outdoors due to illness),"Miles said. "I wasn't looking for a time. I knew I wasn't going to get the time I wanted without practicing."

West Aurora junior Abby Kuhn claimed the Blackhawks' final individual championship by edging the Wheaton North duo of Sarah Stair and Jamie Schultz by six inches to win the pole vault at 10 feet.

The Blackhawks' other two sprint relays, anchored respectively by state veterans Nia Wood and Savannah Ming at 400 and 800 meters also won titles.

Wheaton North, which features all-state returnees Leeya Zander and Anna Gordon, was seemingly the easy victor in the 800 relay; however, the Falcons' quartet was disqualified.

"We're feeling pretty good because Anna and I have competed at a really high competition level," Zander said.

Kayla Mikottis is much stronger in the discus than shot put for St. Charles North.

The defending West Aurora sectional champion in the former, Mikottis won the event with a throw of 114 feet.

"I was so excited because obviously we can't throw disc inside," Mikottis said. "I placed OK, but wished I would have thrown a little bit farther."

Benet crowned three separate champions in the races between 800 and 3,200 meters.

Elisabeth Camic and Emily Spellman, both of whom began their day by teaming with Meghan Andrews and Delaney Smith for an all-sophomore victory in the 3,200 relay, came back to win the open 800 and 1,600 in 2:25.67 and 5:15.90.

"I thought it was a little challenging doing all three (events, including the 1,600 relay)," Camic said. "I wasn't as fresh as I could have been. I think we have a chance to do really well this year (in the 3,200 relay)."

Camic and Andrews were part of a Benet quartet last year that qualified for the finals in the event but failed to place.

Spellman also had to make adjustments during her workday.

"I wasn't used to coming back in the mile after doing the four-by-eight," Spellman said. "It was a good race (in the 1,600)."

The Redwings' Joy Jackson had few issues in touring the eight laps of the 3,200 run in winning in convincing fashion in 11:24.29.

"The longer the distance for me, the better," Jackson said. "If I could I would run the 5K or 10K in track. I was all by myself for a lot of the race, so that was kind of rough."

The 100 dash was as congested as could be at the finish line in the fast heat.

But the Redwings' Mia Nolan was declared the winner - over Oswego East senior Chelsea McCullum - by six one-hundredths to earn the title of fastest athlete in 13.28.

Nolan also broke the minute barrier (59.97) for only the second time in her career in placing runner-up to Miles in the 400; the senior ended her day with a fourth-place finish in the 200.

"(Coach Scott Brooks) has been throwing me in some 100s, so it is something I want to continue," Nolan said. "I broke (60 seconds in the 400) in my first outdoor meet this year."