Girls AA Capsule Preview

2008 Illinois Prep Top Times Indoor Classic

Sprints/Sprint Relays-

55M-

The top contenders: Toni Graham (Hoffman Estates Conant), Olivia Allen (Lake Zurich), Libby O’Brien (Glen Ellyn Glenbard West), Nevada Morrison (Maywood Proviso East), Natalie Tartar (Batavia).

The buzz: a tight field with a slight favorite emerging with Olivia Allen. She posted an F.A.T. best 7.15 last weekend at Lewis University. 100m state runner-up Toni Graham is just rounding into form and may not be in the best of shape. Morrison has done well this season, sharpening her speed for the longer stuff. O’Brien is very fast in the short dash.

Record threat: none. No one is touching Shakedia Jones’ mark of 6.97.

The medalists: Allen, Graham, Tartar.

55HH-

The top contenders: Shakeia Pinnick (Aurora Waubonsie Valley-pictured left), Natalie Tartar (Batavia), Valencia Anderson (Plainfield North), Megan Gregory (Plainfield North), Ayanna Scott (Springfield Lanphier).

The buzz: the field is absolutely loaded and perhaps the best in the history of the times. Pinnick and Tartar are headliners of course but the supporting cast is amazing. Anderson is a fine hurdler who has put up some great times since transferring from Downers Grove South two years ago. Scott has come out of nowhere to produce some of the fastest marks in the state. She is also a freshman.

Record threat: one of the favorites will run a super time but not the 7.96 by the great Shalina Clarke.

The medalists: Pinnick, Tartar, Anderson.

200m-

The top contenders: Shakeia Pinnick, Toni Graham, Ayanna Scott, Olivia Allen, Nevada Morrison, Libby O’Brien.

The buzz: a good field and the potential of all six championship finalists under 26.00. If a favorite is to be emerged it would Scott and Allen. Both are relative unknowns before this meet. Graham could win it out of another heat. O’Brien may be too spent to contend for top spot after completing a heavy load.

Record threat: Shakedia Jones’ is safe another year as 24.57 appears a little too tough for this field.

The medalists: Graham, Pinnick, Morrison.

400m-

The top contenders: Shakeia Pinnick, Libby O’Brien (pictured right), Nevada Morrison, Raena Rhone (Chicago Whitney Young), Brittney Robbins (Maywood Proviso East).

The buzz: Pinnick is the top choice in this field. It won’t be easy with a host of speedy girls chasing after her. Pinnick has opted out of the 800 and should be real fresh. Morrison is real good but watch for O’Brien to go after Pinnick.

Record threat: it’s possible that the 55.09 could be touched and maybe threatened.

The medalists: Pinnick, O’Brien, Morrison.

4x200m Relay-

The top contenders: Maywood Proviso East, Hoffman Estates Conant, Harvey Thornton, Bolingbrook.

The buzz: Proviso East is the team everyone is chasing after they blazed the state’s best competition earlier in the season at the Downers South Relays. The 1:43.5 they put up has yet to be touched… Not so fast! Conant was one of the teams to feel PE’s thumping will look to get untracked now that they had some seasoning. There is some talk of PE downsizing for this race to focus on individual events.

Record threat: none. Evanston’s 1:40.83 is worldly.

The medalists: Conant, Bolingbrook, Thornton.

4x400m Relay-

The top contenders: Proviso East, Bloomington, Hinsdale Central, Aurora Waubonsie Valley.

The buzz: this is Proviso East’s event. The lady Pirates have the best mark of 3:59.84 and could run much faster. Evanston opted out so there are a few other teams that could run well for second place, including Bloomington. B-town has Ashley Verplank for short measure. They ran 4:04 without her and she happens to have the best open 400 time. Waubonsie Valley is entering a team in a major event for the first time. If the stick gets to Pinnick anywhere near the leaders, it’s going to be a great race.

Record threat: it is very possible that Chicago Morgan Park’s 3:53.68 could vanish. For that to happen is going to take a huge effort and many great quartets have failed in recent time.

The medalists: Proviso East, Bloomington, Waubonsie Valley.

Distance/Distance Relays-

800m-

The top contenders: Nicole Thate (Downers Grove South), Geena Loesch (Tinley Park Andrew), Toni Ogundare (Aurora Waubonsie Valley), Morgan Monroe (Chicago Lane Tech), Elaine Kuckertz (Hinsdale Central), McKinzie Schulz (Lisle Benet Academy).

The buzz: this once promising event is without Verplank and Pinnick. However, it is still a quality affair with the potential to produce some great performances. Although there is no clear-cut favorite, Thate appears to move to the top of the list. Schulz is a super talent but was set back with a foot injury but returned to action last week. She could very well win it if the race is tactical. Monroe is a name that the fans might remember if she runs to her potential. Ogundare is probably the best, purist half-miler in the field.

The medalists: Ogundare, Thate, Monroe.

1600m-

The top contenders: Ashley Verplank (Bloomington), Lizzy Hynes (St. Charles East), Lindsay Flanagan (Roselle Lake Park), Kailyn Kuzmuk (Tinley Park Andrew), Kirsten Sutherland (Orland Park Sandburg), Elaine Kuckertz (Hinsdale Central), Stephanie Strasser (St. Charles North).

The buzz: the buzz here is that this might actually be as good as the outdoor championship race. This is the best field in the history of the event- even without list leader Nicole Benson of Bartonville Limestone. Verplank is a super talent and she is not going to hold anything back. Her front running style was put on notice last week in the 800m as she ran a blistering 2:09. Other two girls in Illinois annals have ever run under 2:10 indoors. Hynes, according to sources, is ready to run a blistering time and chop off chunks of the fast 5:05 she ran way back on March 13.

Record threat: the meet record of 4:54.0 by Tera Moody is in serious jeopardy. Where it will topple is another issue onto itself.

The medalists: Verplank, Hynes, Kuckertz.

3200m-

The contenders: Lindsay Flanagan, Nicole Benson, Caitlin Comfort (Peoria Notre Dame), Kirsten Sutherland, Annette White (Mt. Prospect Prospect).

The buzz: this field is extremely top heavy and should be one of the fastest in the history of the meet. Flanagan has set the 2mile world on fire by running well under 11:00 several times this season. She has supplanted herself as a serious contender for outdoors after running 10:39 for the full two-mile at Nike Outdoor. Her mark was nearly 12 seconds faster than the outdoor state champ of 2007.

Record threat: as good as this field is, it would be a stretch to include any girl alongside the sickly 10:17.85 by Maria Cicero (York) ran in 2001.

The medalists: Flanagan, Benson, Sutherland.

4x800m Relay-

The contenders: Mt. Prospect Prospect H.S., Naperville Neuqua Valley, Hoffman Estates, Evanston, Lockport.

The buzz: a good field here. Actually, the performances may turn out to be better than expected because several top open runners will forgo running their specialties for the relay. Evanston, normally a sprint power, has joined in the middle distance party. The Wildkits have a very good anchor in Amber Jackson. Also, there is Lockport lurking. The Porters have Liz Phillips to give the quartet an added boost. But the favorites appear to be Prospect now that Lyons Twp has opted out.

Record threat: Wheaton-Warrenville South has had the record since 1996. There is a chance one of these teams can run near 9:26, but it will be a challenge.

The medalists: Prospect, Neuqua Valley, Evanston.

DMR-

The contenders: Prospect, Frankfort Lincoln-Way East, Hoffman Estates, St. Charles East, Chicago Whitney Young.

The buzz: still an enfant event in its third year. Prospect appears to have the best unit based on the fact it’s almost the same personnel from the 4x8. LWE and Hoffman Estates are strong distance units as is St. Charles East if Hynes join in on the fun.

Record threat: the record is quite soft and it will be smashed.

The medalists: Prospect, St. Charles East, Hoffman Estates.

Field Events-

Long Jump-

The contenders: Malaikah Love (Carbondale), Kelsey Ontko (Lisle Benet Academy), Brittany Tolar (Evanston), Diane Lindsay (Harvey Thornton).

The buzz: Love is the best here and should win easy. She has jumped 18+ consistently. Ontko has been building a strong resume by competing in big meets throughout the winter. Tolar appears to be getting untracked after a bad 2007 campaign. She tied Ontko at Bolingbrook last chance meet last week and the confidence from that affair has to be sky high. Lindsay has been quiet for good chunk of the indoor, but has the ability to pop a super jump at any time.

Record threat: nope. Jasmine Jackson (Proviso West) was an all-time leaper and leaped 19-3.75.

The medalists: Love, Ontko, Tolar.

Triple Jump-

The contenders: Malaikah Love, Alexandria Smith (Harvey Thornton), Krista Stillson (Naperville Neuqua Valley), Victoria Forte (Chicago Whitney Young).

The buzz: it was mentioned in the pre-season preview that the TJ was going to be a weak event on the event catalog. Well, that fact isn’t going to change. Only one jumper has top 38 feet and that’s Love.

Record threat: not this year.

The medalists: Love, Smith, Stillson.

Pole Vault-

The contenders: Pia Goodman (Chatham-Glenwood), Jenna Wexler (Lincoln Way Central), Emily Clay (Normal U-High), Sara Ross (Algonquin Jacobs).

The buzz: it’s going to be a good one. Clay has leaped over 12-0 this season and several others are at 11-6. State runner up Wexler will compete for the win as is improved Ross.

Record threat: the record is 12-6 by Brittany Bernardoni (Batavia). There is a possibility it could go.

The medalists: Clay, Ross, Wexler

High Jump-

The contenders: Monica Jakutyke (Naperville Neuqua Valley), Elaine Patten, Carley Loeffel (Cary-Grove), Ellen Chapman (Glenview Glenbrook South).

The buzz: the field is set for a strong showing as there are a ton of 5-5 to 5-7 leapers. Chapman and Loeffel will look to avoid freshman nerves and continue their winning ways.

Record threat: Nora Weber’s (Canton) 5-10 is too tall.

The medalists: Jakutyke, Patten, Chapman.

Shot Put-

The contenders: Daniella Bunch (Mahomet-Seymour), Khadija Abdullah (Harvey Thornton), Dana LaRue (South Holland Thornwood), Jordan Harris (Champaign Centennial), Ashley Chervinko (Hoffman Estates).

The buzz: despite several no-shows but a great field. Bunch has the top effort and one of the nation’s best efforts this season heaving 46-10. Rivals Abdullah and LaRue will re-up their battle. Bunch is the storyline here and she has a chance to break the all-time record indoors or out.

Record threat: Gone. Bunch should smash her existing record.

The medalists: Bunch, Abdullah, LaRue.

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