Sterling takes third at Western Big 6 Conference meet

GALESBURG — Sterling junior Anessa Johnson is determined to get the school record in the 300-meter hurdles.

While Thursday’s race at the Western Big 6 Conference meet did not go her way, she still ran on two third-place relays, took third in the 100 hurdles and helped the Golden Warriors take third as a team.

Sterling tallied 97.5 points, a solid improvement from last year’s 77 to take sixth.

“I think the team is doing really good. We’ve put in so much work,” Johnson said. “I’ve heard so many people talk about how we’re doing so much better overall.

“I think everybody has competed and tried their hardest.”

Rock Island won the meet with 173.5 points and JaMarrie Lee was named MVP for the Rocks after winning the 100, 200 and 400.

Quincy (102) took second after passing Sterling in the final race of the evening.

Galesburg (94) was fourth, followed by Geneseo (79), Moline (75), United Township (72) and Alleman (3).

Johnson joined Alivia Gibson, Nia Harris and Taah Liberty to finish third in the 4x100 (50.96) by 1.15 seconds. Liberty, Gibson, Harris and Presley Winters also took third in the 4x200 (1:50.01).

Johnson was sixth in the 300 hurdles (51.07) on Thursday, but she’s clocked a 46.93 this season and said she’s close to the record.

Johnson hopes to be at her best at Wednesday’s Class 2A Sterling Sectional on the home track.

“I’ve just got to keep pushing,” she said. “My goal is to run a 45.”

Addison Robbins was just behind Johnson for fourth in the 100 hurdles with a personal record of 17 seconds.

Liberty also took fourth in the 100 with a PR of 12.75.

Sterling’s 4x800 of Jaz’Mya Castaneda, Lillian Hauck, Connie Ibarra and Laney Zuithoff was third in the 4x800.

In the field events, Eleanor Aitken was third in the shot put with a PR of 10.07 meters.

Kaelee Varden and Abby Ryan tied for second in the high jump with leaps of 1.52 meters.

Finley Ryan tied for second with Geneseo’s Jocelyn Cechowicz in the pole vault at 2.88 meters. Geneseo freshman Meghan Scheider won the event with a PR of 3.03 meters.

Hauck, a freshman, was third in the 800.

Sterling coach Tyler Gaumer was pleased overall with the team’s performances. Sterling won a sectional title last season after taking sixth at the Big 6 meet.

Sterling has not gone back-to-back at the sectional since 2001-02.

“We know that if you can run the gauntlet at the Western Big 6, you can get yourself ready for big-time track and field,” he said. “And that’s what’s in front of us still and we’re really excited about it.”

Sterling scored its most points at the Big 6 meet since posting 123.5 in 2023.

“In general our kids did a fantastic job tonight,” Gaumer said. “We scored in a lot of different events and in a lot of places where we weren’t thinking we were going to get points.”