Girls 1A And 2A Sectional Track Results

By Al Zipsie

Winnebago won the girls 1A track Sectional Friday in windy and rainy conditions.

Oregon was third and Carmen DeVries with first place in all four of her events led the host fourth-place Lena-Winslow.

Winnebago advanced to state in eight events, six Individual and two relays. Betsy Currens won all four of her events. The 100 (12.61) and 200 (27.10). Currens was a member of both the winning 400 and 800-meter relay teams. Another double winner was Natalie Martino winning 1600(6:03.02) and 3200 (11:53.67). Grace Baldwin was second in the pole vault and Leigha DeRango in the discus.

Big name girls senior track athletes from the NUIC dominated the Sectional. Senior Carmen DeVries put on her home track for Lena-Winslow as she won all four events. DeVries, only needed one jump to win the triple jump (36'2), leaped to a winning 16'6 in the long jump and won the 400 in 59.74. DeVries then saved her best for last to end the meet in style. DeVries took the baton 30 meters behind in the anchor leg of the 1600 meter relay. She then had a big kick to hit the tape first in 4:25.99, 1.5 seconds ahead of Rockford Christian. Christian also was second in the 800 and 3200-meter relay.

DeVries combined with Della Crain, Eiley MacDougal, and Kali Haas. Lena-Winslow's Gwen Heimerdinger also made state in the shot put finishing second to Offenheiser. DeVries now will be looking for four state medals at the 1A state meet next weekend. She will be looking to win the triple jump and a classic clash with another NUIC standout Rebecca Waite of Milledgeville in the 400 meters. Waite also a senior had run a 58.99 in winning the 400 and three other events like DeVries at her Sectional.

Another NUIC senior Emily Offenhesier once again will be in the running for the shot put and discus title. Offenheiser, won both at the Sectional tossing the shot put 42'07.25 and the discus 148'05. Offenheiser, brought the shot put to the discus by accident and got some laughs. Offenhesier, has signed to throw shot and discus at Missouri set her own school record and a new all-time NUIC discus record earlier this season at 149'0.

Dakota's Ellie Packer is headed to state for the fourth straight year winning the pole vault.

Others from the Stateline making State in 1A was Oregon freshman Lydia Cermak who was second in the 200 and part of the runner-up 400-meter relay team. Oregon won both hurdle events with Abigail Hopkins in the 100 high hurdles and Cynthia Nyderek in the 300 low hurdles. Making state from Rockford Lutheran came in second places from Anna Wichmann in the long jump and Jolie Linhart in the 1600 meters.

Sarah Speer of Pecatonica won the high jump. Rockford Christian Life's Rachel Kleem was second in the triple jump.

The girls 2A Sectional track meet was held at Woodstock North Friday. Galena/River Ridge/East Dubuque had a solid third place team effort. Galena/RR/ED also had a Sectional champion in Paige Christopher (high hurdles in 15.26) and second in the long jump with a leap of 17'1.

Here is a list of Stateline athletes in addition Christopher who qualified for State from the 2A Sectional.

3200 meter relay. Boylan. Second.

100 High Hurdles. Tanya Vautenberg. Byron. Second. 300 low hurdles. First.

Madison Mandelke. Stillman Valley. First.

800 Meter Relay. Boylan. First. 1:54.56. Eshelman, Brown, Westlund and Horgan. Galena/RR/ED. Second. 1:55.62. Julie Finazzo. Matson Marty. Lizzy Eaton. Morgan Willis.

Riley Finn. Galena/RR/ED. Second.

300 low hurdles. Vautenburg. Byron. First.

Shot Put. Erin Bishop. Boylan. Second.

High Jump. Breya Christopher. Galena/RR/ED. Second.

Pole Vault. Samantha Bitz. Byron. Second.

Discus. Kendall Burt. Freeport. Second.

NUIC Boys Track Conference Meet.

Forreston/Polo track Coop again dominated the NUIC boys Conference track meet. They easily won the title with 175 points, well ahead of second place Lena-Winslow with 88. Forreston/Polo won eight events with AJ Christensen in the 110 high and 300 low hurdles. Brady Webb in the long jump and 100. Dom Christensen who set a school record in the pole vault. Reid Taylor won the triple jump. The 400 meter relay team took first as well.

The IHSA boys 1A, 2A and 3A Sectionals will be next Friday. Forreston/Polo has allready seen AJ Christopher set school Coop records in both hurdle events. New all time NUIC boys track records were set by Webb in the long jump 22'7 and Christensen in the low hurdles 37.62.