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Glenbard West goes the distance in winning the IHSA 3A girls team title

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Illinois IHSA Outdoor State Championships   May 21st 2017, 3:42pm
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Above: Katelynne Hart won two races to help Glenbard West win the state title (Laura Duffy photo)

 

By Michael Newman, ILXCTF.com Editor

[email protected]

 

Charleston – It is a theory by some coaches and so-called experts that a team cannot win a state championship by distance events alone. Don’t tell Glenbard West’s team that. The Hilltoppers scored 43 points alone in four distance events to take home their first state championship with 47 points. Homewood-Flossmoor, the pre-meet favorite, scored 43 points to finish second powered by Jaimie Robinson scoring 36 of her team’s points. Naperville North used a balanced attack to take home the third- place trophy with 40 points.

On this day, it took a team to take home the championship.

“We did not think it would happen. The talent in this state is crazy. Dan Iverson (Naperville North) and I were talking on how tough it is to do it. I thought we would be in the conversation for third.” Glenbard West coach Kelly Hass said. “Lindsey (Payne) is just an incredible runner. She was in the shadow all year. It took a lot to stay with her race plan. I just showed so much maturity on her part.”

Katelynne Hart in April completed a distance triple win at Glenbard West’s Sue Pariseau Invitational. After the meet, Hass did not think that it would be possible for Hart to run that much in a state meet. She did so this weekend running five races in a span of 24 hours in what is one of the best distance performances in state meet history.

“I changed my mind on what Katelynne could do,” Hass added. “I learned to listen to her more telling us what she was capable of doing. She knows herself extremely well.”

Hart took the baton for the final 800-meters of the 3200 Meter Relay in eighth place. She ran a 2:12.7 anchor split to move her team to a fourth-place finish in the event.

Hart was back on the track less than an hour later for the 3200 Meter Run. She built up a 13-second lead 2000-meters into the race. The strain of the earlier race seemed to begin to take its toll as the lead began to diminish. Hart held on to run 10:32.33 to capture the win. What made the race was the inspired running of Glenbard West’s Lindsey Payne who was the defending champion in the event. She started out in the back of the pack but moved up as the race progressed. She pulled ahead of Naperville North’s Sarah Schmitt and Minooka’s Emily Shelton in the final lap to finish second behind her teammate Hart. Those 18 points that the two athletes earned set them on their way to the state championship.

Hart completed the seasonal distance triple crown of winning the state cross country title and the 3200 Meter Run with her win in the 1600 Meter Run. Hart took the lead at the beginning like she always does and had Hersey’s Sarah Harden within two seconds of her at 800-meters. Hart pushed the pace the next lap making it look like she had the race won. In the final 200-meters, Minooka’s Mackenzie Callahan made a furious charge closing the gap. Hart sensed that the Minooka senior was coming and unleashed a final kick hat brought the capacity O’Brien Field crowd to its feet.

 

The Glenbard freshman crossed with her second win of the day (4:51.54) ahead of Callahan’s personal best second-place finish (4:54.22) and Maine South’s Olivia Nizolek (4:55.95). Payne was in last place after the first lap. She moved up to finish seventh to give her team three important points.

“Indoor season was really rough when I got sick. It did not go well the rest of the indoor season. I was just mentally out of it. My coach (Kevin Gummerson) believed in me so much. I would not be here without him,” a tearful Callahan said. “The finish was the greatest feeling of my life.”

“I am so proud of my teammates. It was warmer than we were used to. We had a really good race in the relay,” Hart said. “I could hear the crowd at the end of the 1600. Sometimes, I base myself off that. I did not know it was her (Callahan). I knew that Clare Hamilton snuck up on me at Sue P. I just gave it all I had in that last 100. I just looked at the finish line thinking I had to get there first”

What was also inspiring was he finish by Janie Nabholz in the 800 Meter Run as she passed four runners in the final 100-meters of the race to finish fourth. Freshman Ashley Samuta helped in her team’s win by finishing ninth in the Triple Jump. Glenbard West clinched the team title by finishing seventh in the 1600 Meter Relay by seven thousandths of a second ahead of O’Fallon.

It was Hart’s individual talents that got the notice during the season. It took individuals coming together as a team to win the state championship.

~~~

Jaimie Robinson’s performance was one of the greatest in the 45-year history of the IHSA Girls State meet. It started with what was viewed as a “failure” that blossomed into some wonderful things. She had the win in the Long Jump as her 19-11 preliminary mark held up in the finals. She had the top seed in the 100 Meter Dash but finished fourth in the talented field.

“After he 100, I was so upset. I did not run my PR. It messed with my mind a little bit,” said Robinson. “I got over to the Triple Jump and I was a little distraught. My mom told me before my third jump that I did 41-11 and I could do it again. Just go for it. It was my last jump and I gave I all I could.”

On her final jump in the Triple Jump after her 100 race, Robinson unleashed a wind-legal 42-8.5 to set a new IHSA State Meet record as well as the second longest jump in state history. Robinson did everything right in the 200 Meter Dash having the lead coming out of the curve and winning her third state title of the day (24.82) into a strong head wind.

~~~

What was overshadowed in this meet was a state record setting performance in the High Jump by Bloom Township’s Jelena Rowe. The defending national champion was looking for higher than her 6-1 personal best. What she did receive was the state title that eluded her last year when she finished second. What she earned was a new IHSA State Meet Record when she cleared 6-0 on her second attempt.

“I was just flat on my first attempt. I did not have a curve. I ran straight in,” Rowe said. “I just added a little more speed with my curve. It felt good. I had higher goals today but I am happy with myself. It has been a good season.”

 

3A Meet Highlights

 

Courtney Morgan of Metea Valley also made history winning her third 3A title in four years in the Shot Put. She was slowed during the season with back problems that sidelined Morgan her entire sophomore season. The senior went out on a high note with a 46-3 throw to win the event. Jasmine Mitchell of Thornwood finished second (43-7.75).

Morgan had the lead in the Discus in the preliminary round. She improved it in the finals with a seasonal best of 140-7. She was inched out by East St. Louis-Senior’s Jazzmine Poole who threw 140-11 in the finals to win the event. Only four inches separated Poole and Morgan.

~~~

Belvidere North’s Jenna Lutzow covered her mouth in shock as she crossed the line first in the 3200 Meter Relay. The senior, who was considered one of the favorites in the 800 Meter Run at the beginning of the year, gave up individual glory for pursuit of a tile with teammates. By the time Lutzow got the baton, Sabrina Elder, Kayla McGuire, and Madison Diercks had given Belvidere North the lead. Lutzow just sealed the deal as the Blue Thunder ran 9:12.21 for the win.

“The line was coming closer and closer,” Lutzow said. “I was thinking that we did it as I crossed. I am happy I could do it with my teammates.”

Hinsdale Central finished second (9:16.75) behind a strong anchor leg by Reilly Revord. Naperville North (9:18.92), Glenbard West (9:20.41) and Hoffman Estates followed (9:20.84). In the 800 Meter Run, Elk Grove’s Emily Stegmeier pulled away from the pack just before the end of the first lap and went on for the state championship (2:14.78) holding off Downers Grove North’s Emma Moravec (2:15.08). The finish was close as less than a second separated third through ninth place.

~~~

O’Fallon showed their sprint supremacy by winning both the 400 and 800 Meter Relays. The quartet of Kersten Douglas, Tamya Houston, Chloe Lambert, and Mya Watson-Blake had the top seed heading to the finals of the 400 Meter Relay. Their exchanges in the finals were spot on as he Panthers ran 47.55 to win the state title holding off Romeoville (47.67) and Kenwood Academy (47.88).

Their 800 Meter Relay performance was even more impressive. Douglas, Houston, and Watson-Blake were joined by Dartrenetta Holmon to run a seasonal best of 1:38.58 for the win again holding off Romeoville (1:39.42). Homewood-Flossmoor edged East St. Louis-Senior for third by nine hundredths of a second (1:41.55 – 1:41.64).

Lincoln-Way East was written off during the season by some in the 1600 Meter Relay as they tried different combinations to ready themselves for the state series. That move paid off in the finals on Saturday. Taylor Wright passed East St. Louis-Senior’s Veronica Sherrod with 200-meters to go in the race to give the quartet of Ololade Ayoola, Keto Nkemah, Sam Myers, and Wright the state championship (3:51.62). Lyons Township’s Tara Schwarz passed Sherrod just before the finish to give the Lions second (3:55.49) just ahead of the Flyerettes (3:55.62).

~~~

The hurdle races opened a little more when favorite Rokelle Stanley of East St. Louis-Senior  hit a hurdle during warmups falling to the track hard. Stanley tried for an hour to see if she could go but her leg was in so much pain. The junior was unable to compete in both hurdle races as well as the 1600 Meter Relay.

Mya Robinson of Thornton had the fastest 3A time in the 100 Hurdles during the season. Hat held up in the finals as she ran 14.24 to claim the state title ahead of Bolingbrook’s Kayla Walters and West Aurora’s Raijah Andrews who were separated by only eight thousandths of a second.

The absence of Stanley in the 300 Hurdles made Naperville North’s Hallie Bieber the favorite. It showed as she won the state championship (43.16) by more than a second ahead of Robinson (45.00).

~~~

The weekend for West Aurora’s Dajour Miles was dampened by a hip injury in the 100 Meter Dash prelims on Friday afternoon. She had helped West Aurora qualifier earlier for the finals in the 400 Meter Relay. Her perseverance showed as she fought through the pain to also qualify her in the 400 Meter Dash and the 200 Meter Dash.

The pain for the sophomore prohibited her from running the short sprints. West Aurora coaches made the wise move to only run her in the 400 Meter Dash. She had the lead entering the final straight but held off defending champion Kylie Welch of Bloomington for the win (54.75 – 55.50). Miles was in so much pain after the race that she had to be carried off the track by West Aurora coach Teresa Towles.

~~~

Ali Munson of Benet Academy won her second state championship as she cleared 12-3 for the win ahead of the 12-0 clearance of Bloomington’s Brooke Misukonis. Munson won the 2A title last year.

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