Only one athlete ran a faster time in the Class 2A 800-meter run than Prairie Ridge sophomore Anneke Dam in the preliminaries of the IHSA State Girls Track and Field Meet on Friday at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Field in Charleston.

Dam clocked a personal-best 2:15.79, which was bettered only by Aurora Central Catholic senior Cecilia Hilby, who ran 2:13.95.

The championships are Saturday.

Jacobs freshman Lennox Szymonik ran the third-fastest time (personal-best 4:56.51) in the 1,600 run.

Other Northwest Herald athletes advancing to Saturday included Johnsburg senior Hope Klosowicz in the 400 and Prairie Ridge junior Jessie Merritt in the high jump. Klosowicz’s time of 58.09 seconds was the fourth fastest of the day. She earned the seventh-place medal last year. Merritt, who cleared a personal-best 1.55 meters, was one of 13 girls to clear the bar at that height.

Richmond-Burton’s 4x800 relay team of Madelyn Peterie, London Oudshoorn, Khloe Lundy and Emerson Wold placed 13th (10:03.92) but did not qualify for finals. R-B’s Emily Wisniewski was 14th in the 300 hurdles and did not advance, despite clocking a personal-best 47.25.

Johnsburg (4:07.18), Prairie Ridge (4:07.85) and Marian Central (4:08.78) were 13th, 14th and 15th in the 4x400 relay and did not advance. Johnsburg’s relay featured Summer Toussaint, Kailey Delulio, Abby Lane and Klosowicz. Maddie O’Reilly, Anna Baade, Genevieve Torgerson and Dam comprised Prairie Ridge’s foursome, and Marian Central’s relay had Lainey Remke, Jenna Remke, Gabriella Lee and Addie Leitzen.

In Class 3A, Crystal Lake Central junior Ryleigh Mazzacano was one of the 14 girls to clear 1.61 meters in the high jump to advance to the finals, while Huntley senior Emma Garofalo was one of 15 athletes to reach the finals in the pole vault by clearing 3.45 meters.

Hampshire’s 4x800 relay team of Alyssa Garcia, Miya Moraga, Annabelle Haskins and Reese Long advanced to the finals by finishing 12th (season-best 9:22.97). Garcia was 15th in the 400 (57.87). The Whip-Purs’ 4x400 relay just missed advancing, finishing 13th (3:58.35) with Ava Garcia, Milaya Ligon, Hailey Wilson and Alyssa Garcia.

Cary-Grove senior Olivia Parker advanced in the 300 low hurdles (seventh, season-best 44.46) for the second year in a row. The three-time state qualifier placed seventh in the finals last year.

Huntley was 13th (season-best 1:41.72) in the 4x200 relay with Kalia Parris, Reagan Ellis, Rachel Hogan and Ava Acevedo. The Red Raiders finished 14th (3:58.87) in the 4x400 relay with Acevedo, Parris, Haley Rahman and Myla Wade. Neither relay advanced to the finals.