New format a challenge for qualifiers in IHSA State Girls Track and Field Meet

It’s often been said participation in the IHSA Track and Field State Meet is like no other event held throughout the year, that it has to be experienced to be appreciated for its fanfare, atmosphere and pressure-creating competition.

But this year, that meet won’t even be like itself.

It’s going to be something new.

Before this year, the Class 1A preliminaries took place Thursday, and 2A and 3A were on Friday, with advancers from all classes coming back for the finals Saturday on the campus of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

This year, when the girls convene this week and the boys the next, each class will have O’Brien Stadium all to itself for a day – 1A on Thursday for the locals from Seneca, Newark and Fieldcrest, 2A Friday for qualifiers from Streator and Sandwich, and 3A Saturday.

“You just have to try and PR. Your enemy is the clock and not necessarily the people around you, so you have to push yourself to do your best. If you can do that, you’ll be in a position to make good things happen down there.”

—  Seneca track and field coach Terry Maxwell

Such a format eliminates use of the prelims element. Instead, the competitors will be placed in heats and flights according to their sectional times and distances, and their performances on the class’ particular day will be compiled and ranked, with medals handed out accordingly.

Seneca coach Terry Maxwell, whose athletes are slated to compete in 11 different events, believes the change may be beneficial to his squad because it changes the focus from placing in a race to only their time or distance.

“It will be a different meet, for sure,” Maxwell said. “I’ve told our girls that it’s going to be about times to get into the top heats, not necessarily about place. That’s what we’ll be focused on, especially in our relays, because they’re ranked pretty high. Some of the girls [had personal records at sectionals] and put themselves in a good position to be in a good competitive heat to push them. In that regard, I think it will be beneficial to us.

“You just have to try and PR. Your enemy is the clock and not necessarily the people around you, so you have to push yourself to do your best. If you can do that, you’ll be in a position to make good things happen down there.”

Several of the best chances for the Irish to medal involve one person: Brooklyn Giertz. The Times 2020-21 Girls Basketball Player of the Year and Times All-Area first-team volleyball player, the senior is “peaking” right now, Maxwell said, going in ranked second in the pole vault at 3.76 meters. That’s essentially an inch behind Tri-Valley’s Windsor Roberts (3.79).

Giertz also is the No. 4 seed in the 300-meter hurdles (48.02), seventh in the 100 hurdles (15.92) and part of the No. 3-seeded 4x100 relay, with the :50.90 posted with Caitlyn O’Boyle, Emma Smith and Anna Bruno.

Also a threat for multiple medals are Teegan Johnson, who is eighth in the long jump (5.20m) and 10th in the pole vault (3.78m); Bruno, who is also 12th in the long jump (5.04m) and part of both the No. 6-seeded 4x200 relay with O’Boyle, Smith and Faith Deering (1.50.42) and the No. 21-seeded 4x400 relay with Audrey Jenkins, Amber Vroman and Smith (4:25.15).

Seneca also is the No. 15 seed in the 4x800 relay behind Marie Chesharek, Keeli Pumphrey, Jenkins and Delany Welsh (10:54.11). An unusual sprint/throws dual threat, Deering also is the No. 5 seed in the discus (38.38m), while distance ace Vroman is 13th in the 800 (2:27.20) and 17th the 1,600 (5:46.97).

For Newark, it may not have the number of qualifiers to compete as a team, but there’s a good chance of bringing back medals, especially for freshman Kiara Wesseh, a finalist in four events, and senior Megan Williams, a qualifier in three.

Wesseh will take the track individually as the No. 5 seed in the high jump with a leap of 1.59 meters, while also the No. 6 seed in the 100 hurdles with a time of 15.90. She will be joined in the No. 7-seeded 4x100 relay by Lindsey Hatteburg, Williams and Brooklyn Hatteberg (51.72) and in the No. 9-seeded 4x200 relay by Peyton Eike, William and Brooklyn Hatteberg (1:50.82).

Williams also has the 10th-best time in the 100 hurdles at :16.23. Norsemen teammate Kjersten Friestad is the No. 11 seed in the shot put with a peg of 11.24 meters, and Brooke Kale is the 28th seed in the 400 with a 1:04.60 clocking.

Taking the track in 1A for Fieldcrest will be Carol Megow, who enters the meet ranked 26th in the 300 hurdles with a time of 51.88.

“Carol is a phenomenal athlete,” Fieldcrest coach C.J. Hamilton said. “She’s been awesome to work with this year. Because she’s so young, the goal this year was to get her to peak at the sectional to hopefully make state. We’re looking for her to get experience and have a good time. She’s only three seconds off the school record. If she could drop down and get that, obviously we would be ecstatic. But if it doesn’t happen, she’ll have two more years, and I’m sure she’ll break it.”

There may not be as many chances for medals in 2A, but there are quality local athletes with a solid chance to bring them home.

Streator’s Lana Krohe has the fourth-best shot put toss in 2A, her throw of 12.3 meters putting her well in the hunt for hardware. Also, the Bulldogs’ Abby Pierce is ranked 11th in the 300 hurdles, thanks to her time of :49.87 at sectional.

Sandwich thrower Claire Allen is a good bet for possibly two medals, as the No. 3 seed in the shot put with a toss of 12.44 meters and the No. 5 seed in the discus at 39.98 meters.