We have the IHSA Girls Track and Field State Final at Eastern Illinois University, with many fans in attendance. All Naperville area schools are represented, as Naperville Central enters as a Sectional champion, while Neuqua Valley looks for another top-five finish here at state. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Metea Valley’s Annastasia Murhpy gets the IHSA Girls Track & Field State Finals started in the High Jump
Let’s jump right into it in the high jump with Metea Valley’s Annastasia Murphy. The DVC champ clears the bar at 1.60 meters, landing her an eighth-place finish. Zariah Burnett from Rockford Guilford is the state champion.
Over to the pole vault with Neuqua Valley’s Kamila Szczepanik. The Wildcat picks up speed and clears the bar for a twelfth-place finish of 3.40 meters. Chatham’s Reese Wolfe wins the event, clearing 3.80 meters.
Naperville Central’s Brooke Sawatzky wins the state championship in the long with Dalson in second
To the Long Jump, Naperville Central’s Brooke Sawatzky and Neuqua Valley’s Olivia Dalson have dominated this event all year. The Wildcat is on the run and jumps to a distance of 5.66 Meters and finishes in second place at state!
After second at Sectionals, Sawatzky out-jumps the Wildcat to win the State Championship at a distance of 5.69 meters!
The Redhawk is not done yet as Sawatzky runs the triple jump and lands in second place with a jump of 12.15 meters.
Later on, it’s Neuqua Valley’s Gabi Karvelis. The Wildcat makes her way over to fourth place with this triple jump of 11.80 meters. Dominique Johnson of Huntley finishes in first at 12.25 meters
Let’s go racing at the 4X800 Relay. Redhawk Elois Graft hands the baton over to Soli Karagianis to keep the event going.
However, it’s Prospect runner Meg Peterson running as the anchor who takes home the top spot along with her team of Mary Laba, Veronica Znajda, and Lily Ginsberg.
Liv Phillips gets second in the 3200 meter while a handful of Naperville area runners finish inside the top five
The next event is the 3200-meter run. Naperville Central’s Liv Philips and Ava Hendren, along with Naperville North’s Julie Piot, Benet’s Delilah Helenhouse, and Neuqua’s Elizabeth Hall are competing.
In the front is Phillips running alongside Barrington’s Mia Sioris. Other runners run by midway through the event including Neuqua Valley’s Elizabeth Hall.
At the end of the event, it’s Sioris the freshman from Barrington who takes home first place with Phillips coming in second place. The Naperville area is well represented in this one, with Helenhouse getting third, Piot securing fourth, and Hall in fourth!
The next event is the 100 meter dash, where Zawadi Brown of Neuqua Valley is in lane seven picking up speed, however, it’s Glenwood’s Katelyn Lehnen going neck and neck with Whitney Young’s Angelena Bullocks. Lehnen takes home the top spot in the 100 meters with a time of 11.69 seconds, and Brown gets fourth.
Normal Community’s Ali Ince dominates in the 800 and 1600 meter runs and finishes career as one of the best runners in IHSA Girls track history
We move on to the 800 meter run with Naperville North’s Emma Berres begging towards the front of the pack.
In the end, it’s Ali Ince of Normal Community running home to secure first place at a time of 2:05.33, and it’s a new state record! The Senior wins her fourth straight state championship in the 800 meter, while Berres the Huskie takes home fourth.
Underway is the 4X200 Meter Relay. Neuqua Valley’s Gabi Karvelis gets off to a nice start.
However, it’s Huntley’s relay team of Dominique Johnson, Emily Byers, K’Leigh Saenz, and Victoria Evtimov taking home the first-place spot. Neuqua gets fourth.
Now over to the 1600 meter run. Naperville Central’s Liv Phillips is running this event along with Huskie Julie Piot and Waubonsie’s Lily Baibak.
Midway through, here’s Ince of Normal Community once again taking the lead with Annika Swann of St. Ignatius right behind.
Much like the 800 meter, it’s Ince who takes home the first place spot and she ends her career with nine IHSA track titles. Phillips gets fifth, Piot in 10th, and Baibak in 12th.
Neuqua Valley’s Zawadi Brown wins second straight 200 Meter State Championship
The final event of the day is the 200-meter dash with Wildcat Zawadi Brown. The senior in yellow, leads towards the final strech and speeds by to win the event with a time of 23.71 seconds. She sets a state best time this year, and it helps Neuqua Valley pick up a second straight second place finish at the IHSA State Finals. Naperville Central finishes just a point back in sixth, while Prospect edges out Huntley to win the 3A IHSA Girls Track & Field State Championship!
For more prep sports highlights, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly page!
