WINNEBAGO ― While some from the Rockford area saw their seasons come to a close, plenty of the stars stepped up during Wednesday’s sectionals, soaring to next week’s IHSA girls state track and field meet.
The top two finishers at the May 13 sectionals, and those who eclipsed the state standard times or distances, kept their seasons alive and will take part in the season finale from May 21-23 in Charleston.
“I’m right there; right there,” Oregon’s Jillian Hammer said after flying to state in all four of the events she took part in during the Class 1A Winnebago Sectional. “Now I’ve just got to finish it off.”
Class 1A Winnebago Sectional
Hammer dominated both the 100- (15.01) and the 300-meter (46.33) hurdle races at the Winnebago Sectional, and she was key to Oregon’s advancement to state with second-place efforts in both the 4X200 relay (1:45.73) and in the 4X400 relay (4:09.04).
And there were plenty of other Rockford-area sprinters to make noise and keep their seasons alive during the Winnebago Sectional.
“This just felt great,” said Forreston’s Bree Schneiderman, who just returned a week ago from a quad strain. It didn’t hold her back in this one. “I’m ready for more.”
She won the 100 dash (12.21) and the 200 dash (25.61), and Rockford Christian’s Lucy Gargani took second in both (12.51 and 26.33). West Carroll freshman Cattarina Houzenga earned state bids with her times in both the 100 (12.87) and the 200 (26.52), and Rockford Christian junior Sanyu Kyobe makes it on time with her third-place mark of 12.85 in the 100, while Winnebago freshman ZaNiyah Muhammad goes to state with her fourth-place time of 26.91 in the 200.
Schneiderman also won the 400 run in 59.14, earning the impressive triple. Stockton freshman Adaleigh Pierce took second and advanced in the 400 (1:00.67), and Oregon freshman Anya Anaya advanced to state on time with a third-place effort in the 800 (2:26.94).
Winnebago’s Molly Webb (5:19.73) and Ella Carlson (5:20.23) went 1-2 in the mile run, and their teammate Svea Glidden took second in the 3,200 run (12:02.11), while Oregon sophomore Madeline Rogers won the 3,200 run in 11:51.87.
Winnebago’s Avery Brule placed second with a time of 15.95 in the 100 hurdles, and she advanced on time with a fourth-place time of 49.56 in the 300 hurdles. Le-Win’s Lila Grindey took third in the 300 hurdles in 49.19, and Stillman Valley’s Dionyesia Cantu cruised to state with a good enough time of 16.12, which got her third in 100 hurdles.
Lena-Winslow’s potent relay teams continued their torrid pace, as the Panthers won the 4X100 (50.30), 4X200 (1:43.86), and 4X400 (4:01.13) in commanding fashion. They also placed second and advanced in the 4X800 with a 10:18.24. Winnebago won that race in 10:03.65 and got second in the 4X100.
Le-Win’s Marlee McPeek won the shot put with a toss of 37-feet-7, and Oregon’s Noelle Girton took second in 32-2, and McPeek took second in the discus at 112-3. Winnebago’s Karsyn Palmer won the discus in 114-0.
Le-Win’s Brooklynn Kaiser won the high jump with a make at 5-3, as Oregon’s Skylar Bishop took second at 5-0. Winnebago’s Audra Mecum won the pole vault with a make at 8-foot, while Oregon’s Cheyanne Edlund got second at 7-6. Milledgeville freshman Lauren Schubert won the long jump at 16-8; Winnebago’s Ida Fager took second at 16-7; Oregon’s Lorelai Dannhorn won the triple jump at 33-6; and Milledgeville freshman Audrey Schoeny got second at 33-5.
Class 2A Johnsburg Sectional
Freeport twins Ta’Leiah and Ta’Niah McElroy are headed to state in four events after going 1-2 in the 100 and 200 dashes, respectively, with Ta’Leiah’s 12.41 and 25.64 setting her up for a big finish next week, and Ta’Niah’s 12.56 and 25.65 sending her to state in those two events for the first time.
They were also the catalysts to Freeport’s winning effort in the 4X100 relay (47.82) and the 4X200 relay (1:42.27), joining Kanijah Fletcher and Angela Barr-Meighan in both.
Lutheran’s Jordyn Ballard (26.05) took third in the 200 dash but advanced to state on time, as did Lutheran’s fourth-place finisher Gabby Davis (26.24). Ballard and Davis were key to Lutheran’s second-place performances in the 4X100 relay (49.71) and the 4X200 relay (1:46.25).
Lutheran senior Abagail Baumann, as expected, won both the 1,600 (5:06.16) and 3,200 (10:26.84) runs.
Boylan’s star hurdler Caroline Barker flew to state with first-place efforts in both the 100 (15.94) and 300 (46.16) hurdles, winning both in dominant fashion. She won the triple jump with a flight of 36-4 as well. And she wasn’t done there.
Boylan sophomore Nora Wedwick got down with a second-place finish in the 800 run with a time of 2:19.12, and another Boylan sophomore Elle Sosnowski made it to state on time with her third-place effort of 5:20.55 in the 1,600 run. And those two joined Barker, along with Vanessa Tekampe, to win the 4X400 relay in 4:07.15. And, Sosnowski, Wedwick, Tekampe and Gabby Kohnle won the 4X800 relay and will go to state after a scorching 9:48.82.
Boylan’s Sara Dorsey won the shot put with a toss of 36-2 to fly to state, and she took second in the discus and heads to state after her 110-3. Pecatonica freshman Mary Frank soared to state on time with her third-place mark of 1:00.60 in the 400 run.
Class 3A Belvidere North Sectional
Three Rockford area 3A girls standouts advanced to state in a pair of events: Hononegah’s Kylie Simpson, Hononegah’s Jordan Dimke, and Guilford’s Allison Stibal.
Simpson won both the 400 (58.12) and 800 (2:18.27) races, and her teammate Dimke also made it in two highly competitive events. Dimke led the way in the power-packed high jump event, where five jumpers advanced to state on height, including four from the Rockford area.
Dimke won it with a make at 5-5; Auburn’s Jaeda Benford tied for second with a make at 5-3; and Guilford’s Zariah Burnett and London Webster each advanced to state on makes at 5-2. Dimke also advanced when she tied the state-qualifying standard with a season-best 46.88 in the 300 hurdles.
Stibal, the Guilford freshman, heads to state after winning the long jump event with a flight of 18-6, and she made it in the triple jump on distance, with a third-place glide of 37-feet.
Jay Taft is a Rockford Register Star sports reporter. Email him at jtaft@rrstar.com and sign up for the Rockford High School Sports Newsletter here at rrstar.com. Jay has covered a variety of sports, from the Chicago Bears and Blackhawks to local youth sports, since the turn of the century at the Register Star.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Here are the Rockford-area girls track stars who soared to state
Reporting by Jay Taft, Rockford Register Star / Rockford Register Star
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