Downers Grove South’s Kailee Rodeck soars to school record pole vault: Suburban Life track and field notebook

Starting in 2023, Downers Grove South senior Kailee Rodeck has continued to have higher hopes for pole vault.

“I was like, ‘I want to get all four records for my school,’ so that’s been my goal since sophomore year,” Rodeck said.

At the Downers South Invitational April 12, Rodeck completed the task when she won with an all-time school-record 12 feet/3.66 meters.

Rodeck impressively cleared 12 feet on her second attempt after making 10-0, 10-6, 11-0, 11-6 and 11-9 on a combined seven attempts. The previous record was 11-3 by Megan Rossi in 2003.

“That was pretty nice I will admit,” said Rodeck about also winning her final home invite. “(But) I was exhausted for one because I started kind of low. I was completely tired but it was quite exciting.”

At the indoor West Suburban Conference Gold Division Meet March 15, Rodeck and Downers South senior Rebecca Snouffer cleared an indoor school-record 11-6 and broke the indoor Gold record along with Hinsdale South senior Anya Patel.

In 2023, Rodeck achieved the frosh-soph school records indoors (10-0/3.05m) followed by another 10-0 outdoors in winning the varsity title at the Gold Meet.

On April 25, Rodeck again cleared 12-0 in winning Lockport’s Christine Marszalek Invite. Her flight was moved inside because of weather conditions.

Only five Illinois girls have cleared 12-0 outdoors so far. That also includes Wheaton North senior Emerson Smith. At Class 3A state last year, Rodeck was 17th in prelims (10-8) and just missed the 15-vaulter finals cutoff of 11-1 3/4/3.40 m, which then earned the last top-nine, all-state medal in finals. Smith (11-1 3/4) was 11th in finals based on misses.

“I want to get all-state,” said Rodeck, who will compete at College of DuPage. “I feel if I keep getting better, moving up poles, I’m definitely going to get up higher in the 12s and I have a good shot.”

At Distance Night in Palatine Saturday, Downers South sophomore Nia Ortega’s 10:48.51 for 1,600 meters during her 1-mile section broke the 10:49.59 frosh-soph outdoor school record by Brenna Cohoon in 2018. Sophia McInerney has the all-time and varsity outdoors school record of 10:29.74 from 2022.

“One of my goals is definitely to break a school record because I want to be able to leave a mark and bring our school’s name up,” said Ortega, the top finisher for the Mustangs’ state-qualifying cross country team. “I think cross country really helped me build up my confidence. Running is more of a mental sport and I crossed the barrier. I’m getting out of my head so I think it’s really helped me.”

State’s best

Downers Grove North junior Philip Cupial has the state’s No. 1 documented time this outdoor season for the boys 800 (1:52.97) from the St. Charles Invite April 12.

Morton’s 4x800 of Orlando Sandoval, Christian Valadez, Miguel Flores and Alex Rodriguez is No. 2 (7:52.21 April 19). Glenbard West junior pole vaulter Kyle Quaid-Bowman is No. 4 (4.98m/16-4 1/4 April 19).

In girls, Glenbard West’s 4x800 relay is No. 4 (9:30.51 April 17). Wheaton North sophomore Sophia Dalrymple (300 low hurdles in 44.29 April 19) shares No. 4 and Westmont junior Kyla Babb is No. 5 in the 1,600 (4:52.77 at Distance Night).

History maker

Senior Finn Richards made Benet boys cross country history Nov. 9, winning Class 2A as its first state champion. Now the Vanderbilt recruit chases track school records from roughly 50 years ago.

At Distance Night, Richards’ 4:19.39 for 1,600 meters in his 1-mile barely missed the converted 4:19.1 from Don Imhof’s 1-mile manual time in 1976. Richards’ 9:22.43 for 3,200 at the 2024 Distance Night threatened that 1976 converted Imhof record of 9:18.6. The IHSA state meet began using meters in 1980.

“I’ve been (chasing Imhof) for the past two seasons,” said Richards, 21st in the 3,200 at the 2024 3A state meet (9:22.98). “I’ve just got a lot more confident (from state cross country). Track’s not really my thing, at least historically, but I kind of go in knowing I’m one of the big dogs now so I’ve got to represent a little more.”

So close

Willowbrook senior Amelie Ojeda again broke her all-time 3,200 school record at Glenbard West’s Sue Pariseau Invite April 26. Her 11:00.07, which won by 29 seconds, still was bittersweet.

“It’s OK. For the whole season, I was like, ‘sub-11:00, sub-11:00. I want my 10-something,’ ” said Ojeda, the Northern Illinois recruit whose previous best was 11:03.92 indoors. “I’m an ambitious kid so I’ve always tried to reach as far as I could. Roughly 10:30 is my ultimate goal within high school.”