CHARLESTON — Symone Holman is no stranger to the awards stand at O’Brien Field.

The Joliet Catholic senior came into her fourth girls track state final as the most decorated athlete in program history with five medals.

But it wasn’t till Saturday afternoon that she was able to enjoy the view from the top.

Holman became Joliet Catholic’s first state champion in girls track, winning the Class 2A long jump with a season-best leap of 5.48 meters. She also finished sixth in the 100 meters with a time of 12.42 seconds.

“I’m very proud that I finally got first,” Holman said. “I’ve been here for four years and I finally got a win. So it feels really great that I could finally come out on top.”

Especially since she’d barely jumped all spring.

“I hurt my foot early in the season, so this is (just) my third time jumping,” Holman said. “So I’m just glad I could take what I have from my knowledge of the long jump and be able to win still.”

Holman, who played basketball and softball but gave up both sports to focus on track, will continue her career at Central Michigan.

“I didn’t have a lot of options,” she said. “But out of the options that I did have, I feel like it was the best fit for me.”

The area’s other champion was Wilmington’s McKenna Van Tilburg, who took first in the 1A 100 hurdles at 14.60.

“That was really fun,” she said. “That’s my favorite race.”

She wound up winning four medals, including a fourth in the 100 (12.44), a fifth in the 300 hurdles (45.14) and a seventh in the 200 (25.67).

Running four races at state isn’t easy, but Van Tilburg was prepared.

“I just watch what I eat during the day, drink a lot of water and just rest right after my races.”

Van Tilburg has seven state medals with two more seasons left.

“Last year I definitely didn’t have as much training or strength,” she said. “Last year I did not make the 200 finals, but this year my goal was to make all four finals.”

Plainfield East sophomore Brisline Lankah won three medals in 3A, highlighted by a personal-best 42.33 for second place in the 300 hurdles. She also teamed with Camryn Cargo, Haley Anderson and Briyah Beatty to finish runner-up in the 4x100 relay at 46.55. The same quartet took eighth in the 4x200 at 1:40.83.

“Our 4x1, we felt really proud about it,” Lankah said. “Our 4x2, we definitely knew we could have done better. But at the end of the day, I’m not really mad because I know the potential of our team and mistakes happen. That’s just track for you. We’re grateful for making it to finals and for how far we’ve come this season.”

Lincoln-Way Central’s Mia Forystek won a pair of medals in 3A, finishing third in the 800 (2:09.17) and sixth in the 1,600 (4:56.42).

“It was a really exciting race,” Forystek said of the 800. “Our first-place girl (St. Charles North’s Kara Glenn) led from the gun, wire to wire, and it was really fun just to stay in there with her. ... It was a really respected field and I was really excited to compete with all of them.”

Lincoln-Way Central tied for 10th in 3A with 22 points. Adding to that total in addition to Forystek were pole vaulter Kylie Koehler (third, 3.65) and the 4x800 relay team of Katie Petrosky, Macy Gallagher, Keira Faxel and Ana Del Ponte (sixth, 9:14.82),

Also placing in 3A were Plainfield North’s Marlie Czarniewski in the 3,200 (fifth, 10:26.45) and Tessa Russo in the 800 (seventh, 2:11.29); Lincoln-Way East’s Alaina Steele in the 400 (fifth, 55.09) and the 4x400 relay of Emmy Lekki, Nora Keene, Jillian Marshall and Steele (seventh, 3:54.00); Minooka’s Natalie Nahs in the 800 (sixth, 2:11.14); Plainfield East’s Londyn Henry in the high jump (tied for eighth, 1.60); Joliet West’s Ava Offermann in the pole vault (tied for eighth, 3.50) and Lockport’s Sydney Cline in the 100 hurdles (ninth, 15.19).

Others earning medals in 2A were Coal City’s Marina Figge in the long jump (seventh, 5.38) and Morris’ Ava Conley in the 400 (ninth, 58.92).

Also placing in 1A were Dwight’s Mikayla Chambers in the 800 (fourth, 2:15.98), Seneca’s Lila Coleman in the 400 (fourth, 57.86) and Reed-Custer’s Alyssa Wollenzien in the 100 hurdles (sixth, 15.45).