Girls track and field: Athletes battle through tough conditions
With temperatures hovering around 40 degrees with rain and even some snow flurries in the air, the Palatine Invitational was going to be quite a challenge for area girls track athletes Saturday.
The nonscoring seven-team meet featured some fantastic individual performances starting with the host Pirates' 4x100 relay team of Mia Foy, Alayna Lazicki, Aisha Kazeem, and Caitlin Basco (51.12 seconds) edging runner-up Downers Grove North by .46 seconds for first place.
Kazeem (16.38) won the 100-meter hurdles crown for the Pirates followed by runner-up Melissa Ketter of Grant. Ketter (50.62) outdistanced teammate Noelle Patrick to win the 300-meter hurdles event. Ketter also won the high jump with a leap of 1.52 meters.
“It was not the best because it was like snowing and everything,” said Kazeem, who qualified for the state meet in the 300-meter hurdles as a freshman. “I think I can do pretty good (at state in the 300) because right now I'm in a good position for a sophomore so we'll see how I do at state.”
Palatine coach Kevin Conway commended Kazeem and all of the athletes Saturday for being able to forge ahead and compete despite the pretty miserable weather conditions.
“She (Kazeem) is looking pretty good in the 300's and the 100's right now,” said Conway. “Last year we were getting sunburn out here, and the athletes have been great to work through it today.”
Downers Grove North's 4x200 relay team of Kloe Terharr, Marli Kowalski, Annie Carlstead, and Mary Kate Casey posted a winning time of 1:56.44 over second-place Wheeling (1:58.56) while DGN's 4x800 relay team took second to Yorkville.
Cary-Grove senior Juliana Ferrara (1:02.49) pulled away from Wheeling's Sheila Leon in second, and Grant's Amelia Szopinski in third to win the 400-meter run while Downers Grove North's McKenzie Willard (2:29.52) won the 800-meter run.
DGN also got a first-place finish from Dakota Washington (12.93) in the 100-meter dash while Wheeling freshman Julia Rakoczy (13:20.88) brought home the title in the 3,200-meter run.
“Melissa (Ketter) is a senior leader, she's a really tough kid, and she always keeps a positive mindset,” said Grant coach Greg Wodzien. “Noelle (Patrick) has really dedicated herself to track and field since January, and she is going to be a threat going forward as a sophomore.”
Wheeling's Katie Moser (4.84 meters) captured the long jump championship over Cary-Grove's Sophie Vongsiri (4.67 meters) in second place. Moser (10.31 meters) was also the champion in the triple jump.
“She (Ferrara) has been running well all season, and she's been getting her times down,” said Cary-Grove coach Mark Anderson. “I was happy with the times today obviously with the adverse conditions.”
Foy was the 200-meter champ in 27.52 seconds while Downers Grove North's Ava Geiger won the 1,600-meter run in 5:38.84. DGN got a first from McKenna Purgatorio (2.74 meters) in the pole vault, and a second from Grace Edwards (10.36 meters) in the shot put. Cary-Grove's Emma Karnoscak (29.52 meters) took second in the discus throw.