Girls track and field: Lakes wins Class 2A Richmond-Burton sectional

Richmond-Burton's Angelina Gersch had a simple goal for her senior season after just missing qualifying for the state meet in the triple jump last season.

Qualify for the meet during her senior season.

But once the season started, her goal evolved. She started competing in the long jump as well, so she decided her new goal was to qualify in both of those events.

Gersch exceeded her expectations at the Class 2A Richmond-Burton Sectional on Wednesday, qualifying for the state meet in the triple jump, long jump and the 300-meter hurdles, breaking program records in each event.

"Just to have more opportunities this year to make it is crazy to me because I didn't think it was possible after sectional [last year]," Gersch said. "I'm just super excited to go down to state this year and have the opportunity to do more than one event."

Lakes won the 13-team team sectional with 132.5 points while Carmel finished second with 70 and R-B earned third at 64. Johnsburg (46.5) took fourth, Woodstock (43.5) placed sixth, St. Viator (30) earned eighth, Woodstock North (29) placed ninth, Marian Central (18) took 10th, Marengo (17) earned 11th and Harvard (16.5) finished 12th. The top-two finishers in each event automatically qualified for the Class 2A state meet that will take place May 18-20 at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston while other participants could qualify if they met the state-meet standard.

Gersch won both the triple jump (11.13 meters) and the long jump (5.32) and placed third in the 300-meter hurdles (47.07 seconds) to lead the Rockets with three qualifications. Jasmine McCaskel won the 400 in 1:00.65 while Alexia Spatz also qualified in the 3,200 in 11:37.98.

Gersch said she's been motivated all season with trying to not only qualify for the state meet but also with trying to make program history. After reaching beyond her goals Wednesday, she's excited to see what she can do in her final high school meet.

"It's crazy because I know there's just so much more to come," Gersch said. "I just started getting my head into it and putting all the work and proper training I needed to do to get here. I just know I have so much in me that I haven't shown yet."

Johnsburg's Caityln Casella didn't feel like she ran the 200 well all season but on Wednesday, she ran her personal best in order to finish first and qualify for state.

"It's really emotional," Casella said. "I was very happy."

Casella will return to state after qualifying last season. She won the 200 in 25.94 and took second in the 100, finishing at 12.79. She was also part of the 4x100 relay team of Natalie Burke, Lila Duck and Hope Klosowicz who finished second in 51.01 to qualify for state. Natalie Burke finished second in the triple jump (10.86).

Having her teammates at state will be important for Casella.

"It means so much, especially our relay," Casella said. "We knew we had some shot but to do it with my relays it's going to be amazing and put me in a good head space, have fun."

Woodstock's Hallie Steponaitis changed up her approach this year after qualifying for the state meet her first two high school seasons. She decided to have more fun and relax during her junior season and her new approach paid off when she won the high jump at 1.59 meters.

Blue Streaks teammates Amina Idris and Keira Bogott will each join Steponaitis in Charleston. Idris took second in the 300 hurdles (46.97) and Bogott finished fourth in the 800 2:24.47.

Steponaitis hopes her new approach will help her cap off a strong season.

"I think it's definitely cool," Steponaitis said. "I get to hopefully do better than last season. This season already has been so much fun and I've improved so much already. I'm excited to get down there."

Lakes showed off its depth Wednesday by winning three relays and placing in many events. Paige-Elicia Caruth won the 3,200 (11:29.28) while Lakes earned second-place finishers from Joycelyn Crum in the 100-meter hurdles (15.71), Becca Runyan in the 800 (2:22.90), Madison Twarling in the 1,600 (5:26.92,) Makayla Williams in the 200 (26.66) and Josie Gates in the pole vault (3.58).

Madison Perez took third in the 800, Jillian Ellenwood placed fourth in the triple jump while the 4x800 relay team of Twarling, Becca, Brianna Gara and Perez won at 10:00.19, the 4x200 relay team of Shelby Stall, Makayla Williams, Joycelyn Crum and Diksha Guganathan won at 1:45 and the 4x400 relay team of Stall, Guganathan, Runyan and Perez took the race at 4:10.77.

St. Viator's Emmi Scales won the 100, 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles while Carmel's Izzy Bing won the 1,600 and took second in the 3,200, Paulina Sroka won the discus and the 4x200 relay teams of Ella Dicarra, Nora Christensen, Abby Hartzer and Natalie Ferguson and 4x400 team of Ashlyn Beattie, Christensen, Angela Coe and Hartzer each placed second.

Marengo's Michaela Almeida will return to the state meet after placing second in the high jump while Woodstock North's Ashley Janeczko placed second in both the discus (30.47 meters) and the shot put (10.57).

Marian's Amelia Reiche had one number in mind: 5.15. She hadn't reached 5.15 meters all season in the long jump, but at sectionals, she finally hit the mark in order to go down to state.

"I was just so excited and so grateful because I worked so hard all summer just to get down to state this year," Reiche said. "I'm just so excited."