High school girls track: Dominique Thomas, Marian Central blaze to third straight sectional title

MUNDELEIN – The only runners Marian Central senior Dominique Thomas ever saw in the 200 meters were in her mind.

Thomas was in the rare situation of not having run the 200 this season, therefore she was placed in the first of three heats at Wednesday’s Class 2A Carmel Girls Track and Field Sectional.

To reach next week’s state meet in Charleston, Thomas had to run without the other best competitors. In Lane 8 on the outside, with the staggered start in the 200, Thomas did not see another girl the entire race.

[ Photos: Class 2A Carmel Girls Track and Field Sectional ]

“My coach (her father, Steve Thomas) said, ‘You just have to get out strong and act like there’s someone in front of you,’ " Thomas said. “’Keep chasing, keep chasing, and you’ll do what you have to do.’ "

Thomas ran the best 200 of her career, a 25.66, well under the state-qualifying standard, and knew before the other two heats had even run that she was headed to the state meet in four events.

Thomas, who will run at NCAA Division I Milwaukee next year, helped the Hurricanes to their third consecutive team title with 107 points. Carmel (95), St. Viator (59), Woodstock (58) and Harvard (57) rounded out the top five of the 13 teams.

Thomas had run other races but held off on 200s because of some leg tightness coming out of her indoor season.

“[The 200] was fantastic,” Hurricanes coach Andrea Radcliffe said. “She had to run without anyone to push her, and she totally just killed it. And had a [personal record] and made state. It’s fantastic.”

Marian will send nine entries to state in eight events. Thomas qualified in four, while Kat Strode, Courtney Sensabaugh and Bella Zecchin made it in three each. Thomas also won the 100 and anchored Marian’s 4x100 with Molly Iden, Strode and Zecchin.

Marian’s 4x200 of Strode, Lily Bures, Mia Reiche and Thomas finished second.

Zecchin won the long jump, Strode and Sensabaugh finished 1-2 in the triple jump, and Sensabaugh won the 300 low hurdles and was second in the 100 high hurdles.

Strode knew she was headed to state on her first triple jump attempt, hitting 34-11, the qualifying standard.

“It’s only my third time ever doing triple jump,” Strode said. “I don’t really know what I’m doing. I’m still learning the ropes. It was fun. Courtney got second. We’ve been competing in gymnastics together since fifth grade [at Crystal Lake Gymnastics Training Center].”

Strode stopped with gymnastics after her freshman year. Sensabaugh continued through this year. Sensabaugh struck a gymnastics pose for Marian’s fans, raising her hands in the air as if she had finished a vault, after each triple jump.

Woodstock’s Cayla Hertzog qualified in the shot put and discus, winning the discus. The Blue Streaks also will have freshman high jumper Hallie Steponaitis (5-4 1/2) heading to state.

Hertzog won both throws last week at the Kishwaukee River Conference Meet and will throw in both next week. Hertzog’s winning discus throw was her second attempt.

“I had a lot more speed and better technique [on that throw],” she said. “I threw well in the shot. I was consistent. It’s very nice [to qualify in two events]. I’m happy about that.”

Woodstock North’s Lexi Hansen and Marengo’s Michaela Almeida both cleared 5-2 1/2 to qualify. Almeida was third and the lone athlete in the sectional to qualify by standard and not place.

Harvard qualified two pole vaulters, Abby Perkins and Grace Latterel, along with Audrey Baird (300 hurdles), Brenna Uppleger (long jump) and the 4x400 team of Lizeth Flores, Asha Billstrand, Julia Chupich and Christina Koleno.

Johnsburg’s Jillian Meyer won the 100 high hurdles in 17.79 to qualify, knocking 0.51 off of her seed time. Meyer admitted she had not really thought about qualifying for state.

“It was a good race. It was my best race ever,” she said. “I tried to build myself up to do my best. I was just really excited.”

Class 2A Carmel Girls Sectional

Team results: 1. Marian Central 107, 2. Carmel 95, 3. St. Viator 59, 4. Woodstock 58, 5. Harvard 57, 6. Boylan 50, 7. Johnsburg 39, 8. Belvidere 35, 9. Woodstock North 30, 10. Freeport 9, 11 (tie). Marengo, Richmond-Burton 6, 13. North Boone 4.

4x800 relay: 1. Carmel-* (Gibbons, Coe, Arends, Ives) 10:38.40, 2. Boylan-* 10:40.78, 3. St. Viator 11:41.43, 4. Marian Central 13:43.02.

4x100 relay: 1. Marian Central-* (Iden, Strode, Zecchin, Thomas) 50.29, 2. Carmel-* 51.06, 3. Belvidere 51.95, 4. Harvard 52.07, 5. Woodstock 53.58, 6. Johnsburg 54.21.

3,200 meters: 1. Hegberg-* (StV) 10:34.96, 2. Hartzer-* (Carmel) 12:15.17, 3. Adams (Wdk) 12:33.73, 4. Fiore (Belv) 13:04.27, 5. Hull (Carmel) 13:43.28, 6. Diaz (StV) 13:48.27.

100 high hurdles: 1. Meyer-* (Jbg) 17.79, 2. Sensabaugh-* (MC) 18.00, 3. Borta (WN) 18.51, 4. Baird (Hvd) 18.87, 5. Johnson (Free) 19.59, 6. Witt (Hvd) 19.80.

100 meters: 1. Thomas-* (MC) 12.30, 2. Scales-* (StV) 12.69, 3. Kegel (Carmel) 12.71, 4. Alberts (RB) 13.06, 5. Casella (Jbg) 13.14, 6. Cruz (Boylan) 13.20.

800 meters: 1. Arends-* (Carmel) 2:35.24, 2. Ives-* (Carmel) 2:35.44, 3. Inniss (Belv) 2:39.18, 4. Klos (Jbg) 2:41.55, 5. Drach (WN) 2:49.46, 6. Smith (Wdk) 2:56.53.

4x200 relay: 1. Carmel-* (Landry, Christenson, Puszynski, Kegel) 1:47.39, 2. Marian Central-* 1:47.70 (Strode, Bures, Reiche, Thomas) 1:47.70, 3. Harvard 1:52.82, 4. Belvidere 1:53.27, 5. Woodstock 1:53.87, 6. St. Viator 2:01.98.

400 meters: 1. Kalma-* (Boylan) 1:00.63, 2. Zecchin-* (MC) 1:01.95, 3. Sasman (Carmel) 1:03.11, 4. Proper (Belv) 1:04.01, 5. Schwabe (StV) 1;)6.73, 6. Coe (Carmel) 1:07.21.

300 low hurdles: 1. Sensabaugh-* (MC) 51.19, 2. Baird-* (Hvd) 51.31, 3. Borta (WN) 53.57, 4. Meyer (Jbg) 54.49, 5. Carey (Wdk) 56.12, 6. Gersch (RB) 56.42.

1,600 meters: 1. Hegberg-* (StV) 4:56.91, 2. Hartzer-* (Carmel) 5:48.40, 3. Adams (Wdk) 5:52.42, 4. Fiore (Belv) 5:56.41, 5. Anderson (Boylan) 6:06.62, 6. Diaz (StV) 6:22.63.

200 meters: 1. Thomas-* (MC) 25.66, 2. Scales-* (StV) 26.13, 3. Kegel (Carmel) 26.60, 4. Casella (Jbg) 27.01, 5. Alberts (RB) 27.02, 6. Cruz (Boylan) 27.64.

4x400 relay: 1. Carmel-* (Christenson, Landry, Puszynski, Sasman) 4:16.61, 2. Harvard-* (Flores, Billstrand, Chupich, Koleno) 4:19.31, 3. Boylan 4:22.57, 4. St. Viator 4:30.65, 5. Belvidere 4:35.17, 6. Marian Central 4:43.09.

Shot put: 1. Bishop-* (Boylan) 34-4.25, 2. Hertzog-* (Wdk) 31-9.5, 3. Wuebbels (Free) 30-6.5, 4. Primus (Wdk) 28-10.5, 5. Benz (Jbg) 28-7.75, 6. Elfering (Jbg) 27-8.75.

Discus: 1. Hertzog-* (Wdk) 103-4, 2. Bishop-* (Boylan) 94-0, 3. Benz (Jbg) 90-3, 4. Sanchez (Boylan) 83-11, 5. Burkholder (Belv) 75-9, 6. Primus (Wdk) 71-3.

High jump: 1. Steponaitis-* (Wdk) 5-4.5, 2. L. Hansen-* (WN) 5-2.5, Almeida-* (Mgo) 5-2.5, 4. Ford (NB) 4-10.5, 5. Bures (MC) 4-8.75, 6. Fortner (StV) 4-8.75.

Long jump: 1. Zecchin-* (MC) 16-7, 2. Uppleger-* (Hvd) 16-5, 3. Scales (StV) 15-11.5, 4. D. Hansen (WN) 15-6.75, 5. Reiche (MC) 15-6.75, 6. Kolk (Belv) 15-5.5.

Triple jump: 1. Strode-* (MC) 34-11, 2. Sensabaugh-* (MC) 34-7.5, 3. Albrecht (Wdk) 33-10, 4. D. Hansen (WN) 33-9.25, 5. Presisto (Wdk) 33-5.25, 6. Kolk (Belv) 32-1.

Pole vault: 1. Perkins-* (Hvd) 8-11.75, 2. Latterel-* (Hvd) 7-11.5, 3. Hopper (Jbg) 7-11.5, 4. Walsdorf (MC) 7-11.5, 5. Koscinski (MC) 7-5.75, 6. Watson (Belv) 6-6.

*-State qualifier.