Girls track and field: Miles, West Aurora go 1-2 with Robinson, Neuqua Valley
It figures that Neuqua Valley sprinter MiKenna Robinson would credit West Aurora's Dajour Miles for Robinson's personal-best time in the 400-meter dash Thursday.
"We go way from summer track together in our middle school days. We're good friends, but on the track we're still competitors so we like to push each other. And she really helped me today. I took it out fast, and I came in with a PR. It's really fun running against her," said Robinson, still catching her breath after the 200 meters.
"It's fun because you know that people who are faster than you are going to pull you. I was excited coming in. It was a tough race, but PR."
It was fun for Robinson and her Wildcats teammates even though they placed second to Miles and her Blackhawks teammates at Thursday's Class 3A Metea Valley girls track sectional. Miles won both the 200 and the 400, with Robinson second, and West Aurora won the team title with 100.3 points and Neuqua Valley second at 89.
Batavia placed third with 68 points.
"I'm pretty happy with my performance today. The goal was to help get our 4x1 down to state and then qualify as individuals. So I'm pretty happy. I PR'd," Robinson said.
With Robinson hot on her heels, Miles had to give everything she had in both races. That took a toll on Miles, who had hoped to run the 400 and the meet-ending 1,600 relay back-to-back. But stomach cramps kept Miles out of the relay and kept West Aurora for qualifying for next week's state meet in Charleston despite a third-place finish. The Blackhawks missed the state cut by six seconds.
"It's a setback," West Aurora coach Teresa Towles said. "It is a setback. This was one of the ones I was counting on, that's for sure. But it happens, and we just have to make it up on the other end."
Miles also helped West Aurora win the 400 relay along with Nia Wood, Rashida Naylor and Savanna Ming. Robinson helped Neuqua Valley to second in the 400 relay also.
"She ran really well," Towles said. "She's not run this much in a long time. This was a gamble. I thought she would be strong enough to be able to run the (1,600 relay), but I know she runs the 400. She cramps up really bad."
As expected, Victoria Spagnola also racked up points for West Aurora. Spagnola won the 100 hurdles in 14.94 seconds and the 300 hurdles in 46.15.
"Tori will not stop for anything," Towles said. "She cries if I tell her she can't practice. She will not stop. That's her. She's a very determined young lady."
Waubonsie Valley won the 800 relay, one race in which West Aurora placed second.
Batavia got another strong performance from Katrina Schlenker. In the 1,600 run Schlenker ran the first three laps with DeKalb's Katherine Olsen in close pursuit. Schlenker widened the gap in the fourth lap to win in 5:04.25.
Schlenker also helped Batavia win the 1,600 and 3,200 relays.
Geneva's Sophia McDonnell won the 3,200 run in 10:46.34 to earn a trip to Charleston.
St. Charles East's Katie Kempff took the high jump title by clearing 5-3.
Neuqua Valley's Riley Ammenhauser won the long jump and triple jump. The Wildcats' Sithara Gajipala took the pole vault by going 11-3.