Girls track and field: Lake Zurich takes home sectional championship

It'll be a loss for the Midwest, but a big gain for the East Coast.

Vernon Hills senior Anna Todd will depart Illinois and enroll at the University of Massachusetts this fall, where she'll compete as a runner and major in elementary education.

For right now, though, she's still got some unfinished business on the track.

Todd is a multiyear state qualifier in cross country, and Thursday she posted a win in the 3,200 meters at the Palatine Class 3A girls sectional.

The victory, in the time of 11:19.41 (a personal record) enables her to advance to her first track and field state meet next weekend at Eastern Illinois University.

"Looking at the seedings," said Todd, "I knew I had a good chance to win today, but I didn't want to count out whoever was behind me. I just wanted to go out a little harder and try to keep the lead and it worked."

"She ran her PR, and she did it without anybody pacing her, which was amazing," said Cougars coach Jared Gustafson. "She kept the lead the entire race. She knew she was in first place but she wanted her best time. You could tell by the way she was running, and this being her senior year, that she wanted to do more."

And as far as her move to U-Mass, the senior said that, despite not having family there, she always wanted to go out east.

"I visited a few schools," she said, "and I really liked the (Massachusetts) coach and loved the campus as well."

"It's honestly just crazy to think about this being one of my last races, because I kind of feel like I'm a freshman again. I just wanted to give it everything I could."

Gustafson added that the senior will be just fine with her collegiate move.

"It's going to be super exciting," he said. "She might be a little shellshocked at first, but she's a tremendous kid. She's going to make friends fast and impress people."

The Lake Zurich team was first in points at 123, with Barrington next at 99. Palatine finished third with 57.

Pirates sophomore Aisha Kazeem won the 100 meter hurdles in the time of 14.99, and the 300 meter low hurdles (44.61).

Kazeem also qualified for state as a freshman.

"Last year was my first year," she said, "so going into it I didn't know what to expect. This year I've have an idea of what I'm going up against to I'll be mentally and physically prepared."

The sophomore added that she had some extra incentive Thursday at the sectionals.

"I was a little nervous because my parents were here and this was their first time coming to my meets, so I wanted to make them proud."

Catherine Guckenberger of Grayslake Central won the 100 meters with a 12.32, with Martyna Ostrega of Buffalo Grove and Riley Betz from Lake Zurich close behind at 12.34.

"I felt good out here today despite going up against some great competition," said Ostrega. "I'm a junior, and it's a little stressful knowing I've just got the rest of this season and one more.

"I'm just excited to see what I can do the rest of this year and over the summer."

Praise Oyebanji of Mundelein won the 800 meters; Madison Hecker of Warren took the 400; while Grayslake Central's Guckenberger was a victor again in the 200.

Some field event winners were Barrington's Sofia Rosenzweig in the triple jump, Ally Humbert of Libertyville in the long jump, AJ Burk from Lake Zurich in the pole vault, Bears teammate Allie DiCanio in discus, and Sofiabella Amirante of the Fillies in the shot put.

Barrington triumphed in the 4x800 relay; Palatine won the 4x100; and Grayslake Central finished first in the 4x100.

Scout Storms of Barrington was fastest of all in the 1,600, while numerous other athletes qualified for state by finishing in runner-up position or by meeting or exceeding the state qualifying standards.

The Lake Zurich team of Betz, Baelyn Zitzmann, Sydney Lappin and Kendall Flournoy won the 4x200, and coach Jeremy Kauffman was extremely impressed with all of his relay teams at Palatine.

"They're just coming on," Kauffman said. "This is the time of the year when speed comes out."

Bears junior Zitzmann also won the high jump.

"She's arguably the best athlete on our team," said Kauffman. "She can jump, she can sprint, she'd probably even run an 800 if I asked her to."