Girls Track: Streator senior hurdler Abby Pierce is heading back to state

KANKAKEE – Streator senior hurdler Abby Pierce shook her head with a bit of a frown when asked if she had advanced to state last season.

“Last year not making was really hard,” said Pierce, who did advance as a sophomore. “I trained much harder this season with a different method of training and that helped a lot. My coaches had me ready for what I needed to do.”

Pierce did indeed do what she needed to do in Wednesday’s 14-team Class 2A Kankakee Girls Track and Field Sectional at Kankakee’s Spurs Stadium, finishing third in the 300-meter hurdles with a state-qualifying time of 47.77 seconds. She’ll run next weekend at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Stadium in Charleston.

“I felt I ran my butt off, ran a good aggressive race and my time should be good enough, but that wait to hear the announcement if you made it or not is scary.”

—  Abby Pierce, Streator senior

“In sectionals, it’s just a different level of competition,” said Pierce, who didn’t qualify, but finished fourth in the 100 hurdles (:16.48) and 10th in the 200 (:28.07). “Everyone knows what they are doing, and you have to be ready to go or they are going to leave you behind very quickly. You have to trust your training when the gun goes off.

“I was evaluating how the (300 hurdles) race went in my head. I felt I ran my butt off, ran a good aggressive race and my time should be good enough, but that wait to hear the announcement if you made it or not is scary.”

Bulldogs sophomore Sonia Proksa just missed a trip to state in the long jump, posting a best leap of 5.11 meters, just 0.04 short of the qualifying standard.

Morris senior Joy Dudley will be making her third trip to state in the 3,200 after finishing second in a time of 11:22.8.

“Halfway through the race I knew [Normal U-High’s] Zoe [Carter] was pulling away from me, but I also knew there wasn’t really anyone close behind me,” said Dudley, who also placed third in the 1,600 in 5:26.85, just a half a second from the qualifying time. “I wanted to get close to 11 [minutes], but I was also just hoping to keep her in my sights and not let the gap get any wider. This was the warmest I’ve ran in this year, but I just did the best I could.

“Hopefully I’m in the fast heat (this year) because I want my last high school race to be in a race with the best. My first two times I finished right where I was seeded, this year I’m hoping to do a little better.”

Morris also had just-miss efforts from Makensi Martin (8th, :52.11) in the 300 hurdles, the 4x100 relay team (Gisselle Reyes, Ava Conley, Katie Eisenbeis, Ella McDonnell, 4th, :51.61) and 4x200 relay team (Reyes, Conley, Mackenzie Enger, McDonnell, 4th, 1:50.66).

La Salle-Peru sophomore Elli Sines will be making her first trip to state after placing second in the 100 hurdles in a personal-best time of 16.29. She also just missed qualifying for the 200, finishing fifth in 27.35.

“Holy cow I made it!” said Sines when asked about her first thoughts when hearing she’d be heading to state. “This was the second time in a month that I have run as I’m still recovering from a calf injury. I was a scared, but everything, from start to finish, went better than I even expected. This means a lot to me.

“Before every race start, I just say to myself, ‘Do your best. It’s only one race. Do it for yourself.’ Today was no different. I’m still in a little bit of a shock.”

The Cavaliers also had juniors Miah Eugenia Buckley (400, 7th, 1:04.00) and Bailey Elizabeth Pode (800, 7th, 2:27.89) just fall short of qualifying times.

Ottawa sophomore Shaylen Quinn missed by a total of four seconds of going to state in both the 200 (5th, 27.92) and 400 (4th, 1:02.26).

“Last year ran 300 hurdles but switched things up this season running the 200 and 400,” Quinn said. “I feel like every meet this season I’ve gotten better even if my time may not have shown it.

“I’m excited with how I did today. I ran personal records, which was really my goal today, and I was right there of making it to state. Not making it is a little disappointing. I maybe could have started my kick a little earlier, but I did the best I could. I think today will help motivate me even more in the offseason. This was a great experience.”

The Pirates also had close calls from seniors Michaela Froisland (discus, 4th, 31.55 meters), Eva Heimsoth (1,600, 4th, 5:43.94), Jenna Smithmeyer (100 hurdles, 9th, 18.68), and junior Krisee Clark (discus, 6th, 31.20).

Coal City freshman Evelyn Wills had her team’s best finish, tying for fourth in the high jump with a 1.45, just .09 from the qualifying height.

Defending 2A champ and host Kankakee won the team title with 140 points, with Normal U-High runner-up with 110. Morris (24) finished eighth, Streator (14) and L-P (14) ninth, Ottawa (13) 10th, and Coal City (3) 13th.