Class 1A girls track: Seneca earns 13th straight sectional title

SENECA — The Seneca girls were solid throughout Thursday’s Class 1A Seneca Track and Field Sectional, scoring 109 points and claiming a 13th consecutive sectional title.

Senior Evelyn O’Connor was part of the state qualifying and first-place 4x400-meter relay (with Lila Coleman, Elsa Douglas and Julie Mueller in 4 minutes, 15.47 seconds) and 4x800 relay (with Natalie Misener, Tenley Yandell and Lily Mueller in 10:20.06), while finishing second in the 1,600 (5:26,41).

“It really hit me last week that my track time here at Seneca is coming to an end,” O’Connor said. “Tonight, I was really comfortable in all three of my races because I knew mine and our times gave us a pretty good chance of advancing.

“I’m not exactly happy with my times, but I’m happy that I’m getting a chance to go to state one last time. In the 4x400, oh my gosh, Lila was so good. She closed a big gap and all I had to do was run like I know I can.”

The Irish will also be sending to state Coleman (400, 1st, 59.86 seconds; long jump, 1st, 5.27 meters) and Avery Aldridge (pole vault, 4th, 2.76) as individuals.

Lisle placed second with 85½ points and Newark third with 63.

Norsemen senior Addison Ness won the triple jump (10.92) and was the anchor leg of the winning 4x200 (with Tess Carlson, Isabella Creps and Malia Maddox in 1:51.61) and second-place 4x400 (with Kyla Wesseh, Carlson and Creps in 4:16.81).

“I was able to qualify on my first (triple) jump, which was great, but I also wanted to finish first,” Ness said. “From there, I was really trying to make sure that I was keeping a good balance of concentrating on the triple jump but also saving any energy I could for the relays.

“To say I’ll have gone to state all four years is amazing. Last year I barely missed medaling, so this year I feel like there is a little redemption for me. I just want to put everything I can into finishing as high as I can.”

Wilmington placed fourth with 61½ points, led by freshman McKenna Van Tilburg, who won the 100 (12.70), 200 (26.78), 100 hurdles (16.10) and 300 hurdles (46.55).

“I really didn’t have any different strategies than any other meet,” Van Tilburg said. “I just wanted to run my race. I was hoping for a little faster times than I ended up with, but with the wind in your face it made things a little difficult.”

Dwight rounded out the top five with 57 points. Senior Isabella Bunting finished first in both the shot put (12.32) and discus (35.01).

“With the wind conditions today, I’m happy with both my distances,” Bunting said. “Normally in the shot put the more I throw the better I get, but today my best throw was my very first one. It was very strange that it happened that way, but it was also nice to put up a pretty good distance right from the start.

“In the discus, it was the second throw in the prelims that ended up being my best. After that throw I was trying to stay consistent and if I throw it further so be it. I just wanted to stay in a good mental state.”

Trojans’ sophomore Mikayla Chambers placed first in the 800 (2:27.90) and second in the 300 hurdles (47.47) to advance, while the 4x100 relay team of Avery Crouch, Isabella Kelleher, Chambers and Bridget Zavala also placed first (51.48).

Marquette senior Maggie Jewett finished second in the 400 (1:01.46) to advance for the second straight season, while sophomore Gwen Jimenez will head to state for the first time after placing second in the shot put (10.22).

“I’m happy I’m advancing, but I was really shooting to finish under a minute,” Jewett said. “That is going to be my main focus going into state and I know what I need to do.

“Going into the second to last turn, that’s where I can make up those couple of seconds. I feel like my start is solid, but it’s that second 200 where I need to find another gear. I think it’s there, now I just have to find it.”

“I was struggling today until my last throw,” Jimenez said. “I scratched on my first two attempts before the finals, but luckily advanced. Then in the finals I didn’t come close to what I wanted to throw and then my last one was the best of the day.

“Up until my last throw my form was terrible and I was just too impatient. I was rushing and just trying to muscle it. The last one everything just came together for me.”

Somonauk sophomore Alexis Punsalan placed second in the pole vault (3.06) and will be returning to state in the event. She also advanced in the 200 (27.49) by placing second.

“I’m dealing with some soreness in my back, so I was really just hoping to clear higher than the qualifying height (of 2.76 meters) in one try and I was able to do that,” Punsalan said. “I went to state (in the pole vault) last year, and it’s my favorite event, so I’m glad I get to go again.”

Earlville‘s Finley Jobst placed second in the 800 (2:33.22) to advance to state.

https://www.shawlocal.com/illinois-valley/2025/05/16/seneca-girls-earn-13th-straight-sectional-title/