Girls Track and Field: Four-hour delay can’t stop Lyons’ Kate Dickman from record-breaking 1,600 at state meet; Downers Grove North soars to sixth as team

CHARLESTON – Before the final three events of Saturday’s Class 3A state track meet, Lyons senior Kate Dickman discussed the possibility of making history.

Dickman, Oak Park-River Forest’s Josephine Welin and Normal’s Ali Ince all chatted about breaking Glenbard West graduate Katelynn Hart’s 3A 1,600-meter state record time of 4 minutes, 47.36 seconds.

There was one big factor that nearly derailed Dickman’s quest — a four-hour lightning and rain delay. Dickman’s sectional time of 4:46.40 bested her previous personal record by 12 seconds, so she was primed for a historic showing in her final state appearance.

“I just knew coming into it that Ali and Josephine and I were going to be right there running the whole way,” said Dickman, who will run collegiately at Illinois. “We talked beforehand about wanting to break the state meet record. We went out there running together and really worked together the first three laps.

“Josephine and I ran pretty fast in our sectional, and today Ali approached me before the (weather) break and was like, ‘We should go break that record today.’ I was like, ‘Okay, I’ll work with you on that one.’ I think all three of us used each other as teammates and really pushed that throughout the whole race.”

Dickman continued her torrid streak on the track, capturing a third-place medal in a time of 4:44.54 on Saturday night at O’Brien Field at Eastern Illinois University. Dickman became the fifth different individual in program history to earn a top-three state medal.

Ince, a freshman, won the 1,600 in a personal-record time of 4:40.85, beating out Welin (4:42.55) in a race in which 12 girls broke the five-minute mark following a four-hour delay. After the race, with the clock nearing 11 p.m., Dickman joked about breaking Hart’s state record but still finishing in third place.

“Last week was pretty big because I got a personal record by 12 seconds,” Dickman said. “It was insane. I was super surprised by that, but the confidence from my coach and family made me realize I was totally capable of. I just wanted to go into this state meet knowing I would have the same good competition around me and run my best.

“It was so awesome to be a part of it. I knew it was going to be a big race, just having three girls run that fast was pretty amazing. I was so happy to be a part of it.”

Downers Grove North, which won its first sectional title since 1999 last week, earned the top placing among Suburban Life area schools, finishing in sixth place with 32 points. The program set a new mark with the most points scored at state meet and the most medals won at state.

Lincoln-Way East captured its first state title since 2016 with 56 points. Downers Grove North’s 3,200 relay of Karlyn Harkness, Emma Van de Wetering, Allison Van de Westering and Melissa Jachim clocked a third-place medal time of 9:23.96. The 400 relay was ninth in 48.84.

Earlier in the meet, Downers Grove North’s Mia Bowers snared a third-place medal in the pole vault (3.55 meters) and senior Erin Beatty took home a fourth-place medal in the discus (37.48 meters). McKenna Cinotte finished third in the triple jump (11.96 meters) and sixth in the long jump (5.44).

Downers Grove South junior Sophia McNerney collected a second-place medal in the 3,200 with a personal best time of 10:44.12.

“I felt really good and think my plan went really well by staying with the group the first five or six laps and take it,” McNerney said. “I knew by that point that everybody was going to be tired. I think I just went for it and help on at the end. I’m really happy because I was seeded ninth going in. I think the key for the first five laps was to stay on my feet and have something left for a kick.”

Wheaton Warrenville South placed in the top six in two relays, highlighted by the 1,600 relay team of Grace Macabobby, Carlin Wach, Nora Fieweger and Samantha Poglitsch earning fourth place (3:59.95) in the final race of the long meet. The Tigers’ 800 relay notched sixth in a time of 1:43.88.

Glenbard East senior Lauren Huber wrapped up her stellar sports career by earning a third-place medal in the 800 (2:12.98). Huber, who will play basketball at Illinois Wesleyan, earned her first individual state medal in her career.

“I had a lot of different emotions and good competition, and it was nice to be back on the blue track for one more time,” said Huber, who competed in six sports this school year. “All this track team translated and helped my basketball game.”

Glenbard West’s Audrey Allman notched her second state medal in the 800 in her career by placing sixth in a time of 2:14.27.

“After everything we lost last year, it was really special to come out here and do well,” Allman said. “This meet was definitely a first for a lot of people.”

Glenbard West junior Kyrah Maas competed in a talented 400 final where seven of the top nine finishers established a new personal record. Maas failed to top her best time but walked away with a nice consolation prize: a sixth-place medal (58.13).

“I was really happy to do well in the 400 before all the delays, so I could use the time to get ready for the 1,600 relays,” Maas said.

Also medaling was WW South’s Carlin Wach, ninth in the 300 hurdles (46.55); Willowbrook’s Daylee Braden, ninth in the 400 (58.25); Benet’s Elisabeth Camic, eighth in the 800 (2:15.94); Hinsdale Central’s Catie McCabe, fourth in the 1,600 (4:52.23); York’s Brianna Bennis, eighth in the 3,200 (10:58.14); Glenbard West’s 1,600 relay (sixth, 4:00.98); Lyons’ 1,600 relay (eighth, 4:02.77); York in the 3,200 relay (seventh, 9:36.25);