Mendota junior Mariyah Elam and Morris senior Ava Conley both put together strong efforts, qualifying for the state finals in three events in Wednesday’s IHSA Class 2A Mendota Girls Track and Field Sectional.

The state preliminaries begin Friday, May 22 on O’Brien Field at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

Elam earned individual titles in the high jump (1.59 meters) and triple jump (11.32) while also helping the 4x200 relay team - along with junior Aby Buettner, freshman Raegan Atherton and freshman Jeniah Francis -finish second in a time of 1 minute, 48.63 seconds.

“It’s a lot, but it’s something I’ve been doing since grade school, so I’ve got it down,” Elam said of competing in the multiple events. “I feel like for me both the high jump and triple jump it’s all about staying consistent. I felt like having a little wind at my back really helped me mentally in the long jump. Then in the high jump, I just really wanted to make sure I was refocusing with each height and not be thinking two or three heights ahead. Add in us making it in the relay, it was a great day for sure.”

Francis also qualified for state in the 100, finishing first in 12.41.

Conley won the 400 (1:00.24), finished second in the 200 (26.02) and was the anchor on the 4x100 relay team with freshman Cyncere Rucker, sophomore Dynasty Brooks and freshman Aniston Caputo that placed runner-up in 51.00.

“This year our 4x100, I mean I knew from our very first race of the season it was going to be special,” Conley said. “It was the best really, I’d ever been in. Cyncere, Dynasty, and Aniston are all just so fast, so my job as anchor is to bring it home.

“The 400 is something I’ve worked so hard on. It’s been a lot of trial and error, try this and try that. I finally broke sub one minute earlier this season which was a goal. The 200 was something new for me this year, so to qualify for state with a personal record today was icing on the cake.”

Also for Morris, sophomore Leah Martin won the 100 hurdles (15.45), Brooks placed second in the 100 (12.48) and sophomore Gracie Swartz finished fourth in the pole vault with a state-qualifying height of 2.97.

Sterling senior Anessa Johnson advanced to state by finishing second in the 100 hurdles (16.14) and 300 hurdles (48.65). She qualified for three events last year but missed state after a car accident.

“The wind was perfect for the 100 [hurdles] because it was pushing us, but 300 [hurdles] the wind in your face made it tough,” Johnson said. “You always want to lead forward over the hurdles, so my mind set was just to mentally slice through the wind. I want to run in the 15s [in the 100 hurdles] at state and I know I can do it. I’m just going down there and do everything I can to earn a medal.”

Sterling also advanced sophomores Emma Pham (3200, second, 12:44.91), Kendall Barajas (discus, second, 34.53), Mary Kirchoff (high jump, second, 1.54) and Chloe Stumpenhorst (pole vault, fifth, 2.97 qualifying height).

La Salle-Peru junior Aubrey Duttlinger advanced after winning the long jump (5.38) and placing third (10.78) but with a qualifying distance in the triple jump. Cavaliers’ freshman Aubrey Urbanski is also heading to state after a second-place finish in the 800 (2:28.92).

“My seeded jump (first at 5.65) isn’t something I’ve been at consistently, it was just a really good jump,” Duttlinger said. “It was actually competing in the triple jump first today and hitting the qualifying standard on my second jump that really helped me in the long jump. It gave me confidence and really set my mode right.

“I went into my last jump in second by .7, so I just told myself I needed to really lock it in. I had nothing to lose, so I just put it all out there and it was just enough.”

Herscher senior Kelly O’Connor placed first in the 800 (2:27.51) and second in the 1600 (5:35.47), while classmate Fabienne Houberg finished second in the pole vault (3.28).

“I knew my adrenaline was going to take out the first 200, so when I hit the wind the first time, I really didn’t feel it,” O’Connor said of the 800. “Normally my strategy is to really pick up my pace the final 300 but that second time into the wind was really tough. I just tried to power through and stride it out knowing the wind would help push me home.”

“My main goal was clearly the state qualifying height,” said Houberg. “Then after that just keep pushing myself. I just really had the adrenaline pumping when I cleared 3.28. I knew right when I started my run it was going to be a good one.”

Ottawa had two athletes place second to advance, freshman Kendall Justice in the 400 (1:03.29) and junior Gwen Jimenez in the shot put (11.02).

“For me it’s all about having a good pace and then really turning it on towards the end,” said Justice. “I ran a personal best today, but it was still three seconds off the qualifying time. I know I want to go out fast, but sometimes, like today, I get nervous and don’t go out as fast as I should. I’m really going to concentrate on sticking to my strategy at state. I’m excited to see how I do.”

Others heading to state include Streator sophomore Kinslee Sweeden (discus, first, 36.08), Coal City junior Ella Wills (triple jump, second, 10.92) and freshman Marina Figge (long jump, third, 5.26 qualifying distance), and the Rock Falls 4x800 relay team of sophomore Ashley Rodriguez, senior Brenna Burlack, sophomore Miley Bickett and senior Kat Scott (second, 10:23.62). RF’s Kayla Hackbarth also qualified in the discus.

Geneseo captured the team title with 123 points, followed by runner-up Galesburg (78), Morris (74), Sterling (68), Ottawa (59½), Mendota (54), Coal City (seventh, 41), La Salle-Peru (ninth, 36½), Princeton (10th, 36), Herscher (11th, 30), Rock Falls (12th, 29) and Streator (13th, 12).