Kolb, Bureau Valley ready to run

Bureau Valley senior Kamryn Kolb is one of the state’s top talents, anchoring the Storm’s state champion 4x100 relay and runner-up 4x200 relay in 2018, as a sophomore, and placing sixth in the long jump and seventh in the 200.

The 2018 BCR Female Trackster of the Year led the Honor Roll in the five events in 2019 — the 100 (12.68), 200 (26.09), 400 (1:00.68), long jump (19-5) and took part in the 4x200 effort.

She qualified for state in four events (200, LJ, 4x100, 4x200) in 2019, but was ill and missed the 2019 state finals, and then the pandemic struck last year.

She is primed to make up for lost time.

“It definitely feels like it’s been a long wait, but I’m excited for tonight. I’m ready to get back out on that track and see what numbers I can put out,” Kolb said. “I was really happy to hear they released a date for state. I can’t have only my freshman year to look back on.”

Jennifer Backer was supposed to have taken over the Bureau Valley girls track program last spring, from longtime coach Dale Donner, and a year later, she’s ready to run with it. Her Storm are ready to follow.

Senior Jade Aber is a returning state medalist, placing eighth in the triple jump in 2019 and leading the BCR Honor Roll in both the triple jump (37-0) and high jump (5-0). She also qualified for state as a freshmen.

Other seniors for BV are Ellie Geldean (mid-distance) and Brooke York (throws).

Junior team members, who were freshman the last time BV competed in track, are: Ella Entas (sprints), Jennifer Etheridge (HJ, mid-distance), Allison Larkin (PV, LJ, sprints), Lexie Marquez (PV, sprints) and Ashley Nordstrom (shot, PV, hurdles).

Underclassmen competing in high school track and field for the first time are: sophomores Neveah Aber (throws), Jillian Hulsing (HJ, mid-distance, sprints) and Mckenzie Hunt (Distance); and freshmen Lynzie Cady ( LJ, sprints), Isabelle Hollis (hurdles, sprints), Kate Salisbury (LJ, mid-distance), Ella Thacker (throws, jumps, mid-distance) and Addison Wessel (HJ, sprints).

Princeton

Seventeen girls have reported to the Princeton camp, with just six seniors and juniors with a mix of 11 underclassmen. Eleven squad members were on the team last year when the season was canceled.

“Numbers aren’t quite as good as they were looking a few weeks ago, but some girls have decided to concentrate on one sport this spring,” veteran PHS coach Pat Hodge said. “We’ll be a young team with most of the girls being freshmen or sophomores. It will be tough to fill all of the events, but we should be competitive in a few areas.”

Junior Jenna Loftus returns as an all-conference performer two years ago in both the 3200 and 1600. She was also an all-conference choice and co-BCR Runner of the Year in cross country this past fall and has been a consistent high jumper as well, Hodge said.

PHS’ deepest area stands to the throws with the return of sophomore Madison Richards, who set the PHS freshmen record, and up and coming throwers, including freshmen Morgan Richards and Morgan Foes and sophomores Emma Kruse-Carter and Emma Frost.

Seniors Lauren Frost (distance) and Addilyn Glass (TJ, sprints, mid-distance) provide some experience.

Two juniors will be swapping time with softball, Grayce Funderberg (TJ, sprints) and Taylor Wetsel, who placed third at sectionals in the 100 hurdles as a freshman.

Other returners from last year’s squad are sophomore Kiana Brokaw (distance) and Gen Tirao (HJ, sprints).

Newcomers include sophomore Natalie Arteberry (sprints) and freshmen Sophia Oester (sprints, mid-distance), Miyah Fox (hurdles, sprints) and twins Georgie and Scarlet Fulton (sprints).

Hodge said PHS has a lot of unknowns in the sprints area, but “we’ll hopefully be able to put together a couple of relays at least.”

“It will be interesting to see what happens after almost two years without a full season of track. We may have to get rid of a little rust to start out,” Hodge said. “It will be a different year for sure with mainly small meets.”

St. Bede

The Bruins return a pair of experienced athletes in junior Brady Mudge (distance) and senior Teghan Tillman (jumps), a transfer from Mendota.

Mudge was NewsTribune All-Area in cross country in the fall and she placed fourth in the 3,200 meters in the sectional as a freshman in 2019.

Tillman took third in the long jump in a Class 2A sectional as a sophomore at Mendota in 2019.

First-year coach Marty Makransky said he thinks Mudge in the 3,200 and 1,600 and Tillman in the high jump and long jump have a chance to qualify for the IHSA state meet.

Sophomores Macy Zeglis (hurdles, sprints) and Anna Lopez (sprints) also are expected to contribute.

“First of all, we want to always strive for performance improvements from the first practice to the last meet,” Makransky said. “Next, we want to qualify as many athletes to the state meet as we can. Therefore, along the way, competing well against our conference in duals and in the conference meet is extremely important. Lastly, we want our athletes to have a rewarding experience in track and field.”

Rounding out the roster for the Bruins are juniors Abbie George, Jayden Hart and Miranda Mazzorana, sophomore Teagan Hewitt and freshmen Olivia Orteza, Rubi Deletori, Summer Conlin, Jeanna Ladzinski and Genesis Garcia.

Hall

The Red Devils have a young squad with only three athletes back with varsity experience in Molly Dalzot (jumps), Makenzie Galetti (hurdles) and Victoria Ullrich (mid-distance).

Sophomore Promise Giacometti is expected to make an impact in the sprints. She opened the season with second-place finishes in the 100-meter dash (13.7) and 200-meter dash (30) on Thursday, finishing behind Bureau Valley all-stater Kamryn Kolb in each event.

“We’re a young team with not a lot of experience,” Hall coach Nick Hanck said. “(Our goals are to) have fun and do our best each meet. We just want to be doing our best at the end of the season to give us a shot at sending someone to the state meet.”

Rounding out the roster for the Red Devils are Bailey Ryman, Cecilia Verucchi, Clara Jablonski, Jennifer Casford, Kali Vassos and Toni Newton.

Amboy-LaMoille

The Clippers only have two athletes back with varsity experience, but they’re athletes with an abundance of experience.

Senior Brooklyn Whelchel has run on two state medalist 1,600-meter relay teams and has qualified for state multiple times in the 400 relay and 800 relay, while junior Lauren Althaus ran on A-L’s conference-winning 3,200 relay as a freshman.

Coach Michael Robinson also expects freshman Elly Jones to make an impact in the hurdles and horizontal jumps.

“I want us to be able to compete,” Robinson said. “We aren’t going to have the numbers, but what we do have, we are going to capitalize on. We are going to fight for every performance.”

Robinson said his athletes are anxious to get back on the track after missing last season.

“It means a lot because for a while we weren’t sure what was going to happen,” Robinson said about having a season this spring. “Last year was a big letdown because we were primed for a lot of success. We lost four seniors who didn’t get one more chance. They really wanted it. I think the ones who missed out on the season last year are chomping at the big and ready to go.”