Sterling goes back-to-back on home track

STERLING – There were bounce-back performances, personal records and contributions from nearly everyone.

And yet Sterling did not win one event at Wednesday’s Class 2A Sterling Sectional on its home field.

But it didn’t matter.

The Golden Warriors topped the team standings to win back-to-back sectional titles for the first time since winning five straight from 1991-95.

“Two years in a row we didn’t win a single event, at all,” Sterling coach Tyler Gaumer said. “We got more state qualifiers this year, and I think the points kind of reflect that. It’s absolutely a great team effort.

“The results speak for themselves what our kids did tonight.”

Sterling scored 97.5 points for first place, as Freeport and Sycamore tied for second with 74. Dixon took 15th with 24 points.

Junior Anessa Johnson took second in the 300 hurdles and hit a PR of 16 seconds flat to race below state qualifying time in a fourth-place finish.

“I definitely was a little scared, but I knew I could go out there and do it,” she said of PR. “It feels great. I’m just a junior, and I’ve went [to state] three years so far. I’m just excited.”

Sterling‘s Presley Winters and Abby Ryan both were able to come through after falling short last year.

Ryan had a PR of 1.59 meters to hit the state qualifying mark in a third-place finish in the high jump. Sophomore Kaelee Varden also qualified as one of eight girls to jump at least 1.54 meters.

Winters hit 2.97 meters to qualify for state as she tied for third.

Ryan said she was motivated after “hiccups” at the Western Big 6 Conference meet and last year’s sectional.

“It felt amazing,” she said, “and to have a [high jump] teammate go there with me is everything to me honestly.”

Ryan said she and Winters have leaned on each other after down performances, making Wednesday’s performances even more satisfying.

“As soon as I was done with high jump I ran over to Presley,” Ryan said. “She was the first person I ran to. I was like, ‘oh my God, we did it.’ It felt amazing.”

Winters said it was nerve wracking after last year didn’t go her way, and the Big 6 meet was ‘rough’. But things worked out for the senior and Augustana College recruit.

“The outcome was so worth it,” she said. “You just have to be in a good mindset. ... My jumps were so much better because I kept telling myself I could do this.

“The redemption feels amazing. I’ve never felt more relief than when I got over that crossbar.”

Sandwich sophomore Molly Russelburg won the event with a PR of 3.67 meters, just over 12 feet for one of the top leaps in the state this season and the best in 2A.

Sterling‘s Johnson, Nia Harris, Alivia Gibson and Taah Liberty took second in the 4x100 to qualify for state.

Liberty anchored the win as she qualified for state in the event for the second straight year.

“It’s always amazing to qualify for state,” she said. “It’s a good experience there, good exposure and always fun to see other people run really fast.”

Liberty, a senior, was joined by two juniors and a sophomore, Harris.

“I’m always happy to be a leader on and off the track,” Liberty said. “I love to get my teammates where they need to be at the end of the day.”

Sterling freshman Emma Pham was third in the 3,200, which was won by Sandwich’s defending state champion Sunny Weber in 10:47.13, more than 100 seconds ahead of the field.

Another Sterling freshman, Kendall Barajas, contributed with a state-qualifying throw in the discus of 34.56 meters as she took third place. She was the only freshman in the top 18.

“I kind of knew I had to PR,” she said. “It was really exciting when I qualified [with] the first throw.”

She said the team is diverse in its strengths. That showed in the team victory.

“We have a lot of people in different sports,” she said. “And that helps with this win.”

Sterling senior Addison Robbins took third in the long jump with a PR of 5.00 meters, nearly qualifying.

“We scored in I think every event but one,” Gaumer said. “We talk with our kids all the time about just keep competing. Just keep showing up, keep working hard and keep giving everything you’ve got and then good things happen.”

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Sterling’s Abby Ryan clears the bar in the high jump to qualify for state Wednesday, May 14, 2025, during Sectionals at Sterling High School. (Alex T. Paschal)