Girls track: Prospect runs past Barrington for 11th MSL title
It was going to take a Herculean effort for any team to topple No. 1-ranked host Prospect at the Mid-Suburban League girls track meet Friday night.
And the Knights were not to be denied their second straight MSL crown as they were easily able to run their way past Barrington 170-102 for their 11th MSL title in school history.
Prospect's 4x800 relay team of Kaitlin Skelton, Samantha Patterson, Sophia Anast, and Hailey Erickson (9:23.07) got the Knights a first-place finish early on in the powerful 12-team meet.
The Knights are the two-time defending state champs in the 4x800 and they did not even have their top lineup competing on Friday. Prospect super-junior Charlotte Deines won the 100-meter dash (12.09), the long jump (5.61 meters), and the 200-meter dash (24.87). Prospect also got first's from Lily Ginsberg in the 800-meter run, Sophia Zack in the high jump (1.42 meters), Erickson (59.63) in the 400-meter run, and its 4x400 relay team to close out the meet.
"Lily Ginsberg had a school record (2:11.65) in the 800 tonight and Cam (Cameron Kalaway) was right behind her in second," said Prospect coach Pete Wintermute, whose team is preparing for a state title run in two weeks. "Ultimately we've got to show up and perform every week, and we've got to get better."
Hersey's Anna Harden set a personal, MSL, and school record by rolling to first place in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 10:27.28. That winning time shattered the previous MSL record of 10:33.1 set by legendary 4-time IHSA state cross country champion Dana Miroballi of Wheeling in 1985.
"Anna Harden is one of the best distance runners I have ever seen, and you won't find a tougher kind of kid," said Hersey coach Jim Miks. "She is going to run for the Air Force Academy, and as a senior, she is an outstanding athlete, leader and person."
No. 1-ranked Conant freshman Daisha Brunson won the 100-meter hurdles in 14.59. The Cougars took second to Palatine's team of Mia Foy, Alayna Lazicki, Aisha Kazeem, and Caitlin Basco by .13 seconds in the 4x100 relay.
"She (Brunson) is super-talented, but along with that talent she works hard and puts everything forth for the team," said Conant coach Kalli Dalton. "Right now we are ranked first in our sectional (in 4x100), and they're super-excited because this is the year if they're going to do it (make state)."
Kazeem (45.57) won the 300-meter hurdles while Barrington's team of Sophia Goluba, Addie Pokorny, Khloe Slatter, and Kaley Swanson (1:44.90) won the 4x200 relay.
"I'm really happy with how the team is running and it's an awesome environment to be around," said Barrington's Scout Storms, who broke Miroballi's MSL record with a time of 4:53.88 in the 1,600.
Hoffman Estates' Amaya Hendrickson (13.11 meters) was the shot put champ while Fremd's Ava Fumarolo (38.24 meters) took first in the discus. Schaumburg's Kaylee Meyer (1.57 meters) won the high jump while Rolling Meadows' Melina Moreno (3.51 meters) won the pole vault. Barrington's Sofia Rosenzweig (10.57 meters) won triple jump.
"Our 4x100 did really well and on the track we had a great day," said Palatine coach Kevin Conway. "Julia (Zygier) has been jumping state qualifying in the high jump so that has been great, and Aisha (Kazeem) broke our fresh-soph school record in the 100 hurdles."