Upstate Eight shines at Top Times
The Upstate Eight Conference made an emphatic point for all-around brilliance in girls track and field last weekend in Bloomington.
Its galaxy of stars more than held its own, demonstrating to elite athletes from across the state the league is second to none in terms of individual excellence.
Waubonsie Valley is the defending outdoor conference champion, and the Warriors had three combined running titles secured by junior sensation Shakeia Pinnick and senior half-miler Toni Ogundare.
Neuqua Valley has a roster littered with all-state field-events performers, and Lake Park junior Lindsay Flanagan continued her unrivaled run in the 3,200 meters, obliterating the field in 10 minutes, 34.83 seconds.
"It's just astounding," St. Charles North coach Sarah Manwaring said of the collective showing by the Upstate Eight. "(The league schedule) really prepares us for the conference, sectional and state meet. It's really tough competition throughout the season."
For the two St. Charles girls programs, the names Lizzy Hynes and Steph Strasser are inextricably linked.
In a loaded open 1,600-meter field that reigning Class AA outdoor champion Ashley Verplank of Bloomington broke the 5-minute barrier to win, the St. Charles East junior and St. Charles North sophomore were right there.
Hynes, the Saints' two-time all-state miler, and Strasser, the North Stars' all-state 3,200 runner, were third and fourth, respectively.
Strasser also placed in the open 800 meters, and Hynes' day was completed with the final league championship effort.
In the distance medley, Dayna White ran the lead 1,200-meter leg, and Arielle Parker maintained the Saints' advantage with her 800 run.
Lauren Comstock pitched in with a quality 400 run, and Hynes was never threatened in anchoring the Saints' victory with her final 1,600 run of the indoor season.
The Saints' 12:45.45 time was 10 seconds better than second place.
"I wasn't that surprised we won," St. Charles East coach Jim Little said. "There was definitely an element of the unknown. We had no idea what anybody else might present."
It was the only event that did not require a qualifying time.
St. Charles North hosts an eight-team invitational Saturday in which the Saints are participating, but a Hynes-Strasser showdown is unlikely.
"We're still tinkering with (Hynes' race schedule), but I don't foresee a real head-to-head matchup this weekend," Little said.
The Batavia girls made their presence felt as well.
In a preview of future outdoor encounters, Pinnick edged the Bulldogs' Natalie Tarter by seven one-hundredths of a second (8.13-8.2) in the 55-meter hurdles.
"I thought it went all right," said Tarter, who was disqualified for a false start in the 55 dash. "It was too short of a race."
Tarter concluded her day when the Bulldogs' 1,600 relay that included Kathryn Warner, Alexis Sampson and Melissa Norville smashed the school-indoor mark with a 4:01.7 time.
Batavia edged Waubonsie Valley for fourth in the event.
Sampson was also fifth in the open 800.
"It was good for the kids to get that kind of competition," Batavia coach Chad Hillman said. "(Sampson) looks very confident right now. She had a great day."
Kaneland junior Lindsay Gierke was sixth in the 55 hurdles and seventh in the open 200.
Geneva boys impress
For the boys competition at Illinois Wesleyan, the Geneva 3,200 relay was the featured local story.
Entering with the No. 1 seed, the quartet of Drew Isbell, Storm Obuchowski, Drew Hickey and Andrew Nelson was the lone entry to eclipse the 8-minute barrier to claim top honors.
"It doesn't matter who wasn't there," Geneva coach Gale Gross said. "It was the second-fastest time in the meet's history. That will translate very well for outdoors. They wanted to show what they could do. To break eight minutes is outstanding. They wanted to break the school record from what they did downstate last year (in the Friday preliminaries)."
The group fell three seconds shy.
Looking ahead
The outdoor season kicks off in earnest Saturday. The Kaneland girls welcome Geneva, West Aurora and Rosary to Maple Park.
The road back for Rosary senior Stephanie Roth takes another turn.
Roth began her career in impressive fashion, anchoring the Royals' conference-winning 1,600 relay as a freshman and adding the open 800 crown in the league as a sophomore.
But her promising career hit a roadblock with a stress fracture in her right leg two years ago.
"I'm very limited in my training and what I'm able to do," Roth said. "(My coaches) tell me that I have to hold back."
An excellent all-around performer who was prominent in the 400 and 800 meters as well as the triple jump, Roth now concentrates on the quarter-mile almost exclusively.
"(The triple jump) is my event that I would call 'My fun event,'" Roth said. "This year I have made the transition from (the 800 to the 400)."