Palatine High School’s girls track and field team has won seven consecutive sectional championships, but the Pirates have never won a state title.
Perhaps that will change this weekend.
Palatine, which won its sectional title by 23.5 points, qualified six athletes in eight events for the state meet, plus all four relay teams. Lauren Orris (shot put, discus) and Sarah McIntosh (3,200-meter run and 1,600 run), a sophomore specializing in long-distance running, each are finalists in two individual events. Ruth Allen, a junior who has Class 3A’s second-fastest time in the 800 (2:16.54), is also running in two relay events.
For the first time, the Illinois girls’ meet has been split into three classes. All three classes are being run through Saturday at O’Brien Stadium in Charleston. Preliminary action began Thursday.
The boys’ meet, also at Charleston, will be held May 28-30.
With strong showings in the sectionals, Palatine is no stranger to the state meet. The Pirates finished runner-up to Evanston Township in the Class AA finals in 2006. Last year they tied for ninth place.
Among other favorites in the Class 3A meet are Oak Park River Forest, which had seven athletes qualify, plus two relay teams. Two River Forest athletes, Kaniece Pitts (long jump) and Brittany Smith (discus), are tops in the state.
East St. Louis, the defending Class AA champion now competing in 3A, has three relay teams qualified. East St. Louis has won or finished runner-up in each of the last two years.
The Class 2A meet features Kankakee sprinter Dominique Kimpel, whose time of 11.94 seconds in the 100 is the best in the state regardless of class.
In Class 1A, Regina George of Chicago St. Gregory ranks first in the state in the 400-meter dash (57.40 seconds), and high jump (5 feet, 5 inches), and No. 2 in the 200 (:25.78). George ran the 400 in 57.10 seconds in Thursday’s preliminaries.
Best of Class 3A qualifiers
Long jump: Kaniece Pitts, Oak Park-River Forest, 18-10 ¾; Dasha Patton, Waubonsie Valley, 18 1 ¼; Ashley Conway, McHenry, 17 11 ½
Pole vault: Megan Weller, Lincoln-Way East, 11-9; Anna Etherington, Barrington, 11-6; Bizzy Mellado, Fremd, 11-6; Allie Pace, Geneva, 11-6
High jump: Ellen Chapman, Glenbrook South, 5-6; Amanda Rafidia, Lake Park, 5-5; Elaine Patten, O’Fallon, 5-4
Shot put: Martha Shepard, Palatine, 45-2; Brittany Smith, Oak Park-River Forest, 41-9; Raven Berry, Collinsville, 40-4 ½
Triple jump: Kristin Morrison, Neuqua Valley, 38-7 ¼; Amanda Caines, Evanston, 38-1 ½; Latia Jefferson, Belleville East, 37-0
Discus: Brittany Smith, Oak Park-River Forest, 147-11; Lauren Orris, Palatine, 138-10; Kirstin Thompson, Normal Community West, 138-7
3,200-meter relay: Gurnee Warren; LaGrange Lyons; Palatine
400-meter relay: Belleville West; Hinsdale Central; East St. Louis
3,200 run: Lizzy Hynes, St. Charles East, 10:56.14; Olivia Jones, Buffalo Grove, 10:57.84; Sarah McIntosh, Palatine, 11:00.54
100 high hurdles: Flo Mafany, Niles North, 14.41; Shakeia Pinnick, Waubonsie Valley, 14.64; Natalie Tarter, Batavia, 14.74
100 dash: Olivia Allen, Lake Zurich, 12.14; Chelsea Celistan, Hinsdale Central, 12.14; Mercedes Griffin, Bolingbrook, 12.24; Cessily Jones, Plainfield North, 12.24; Maddy Nelson, Sandburg, 12.24
800 run: Geena Loesch, Tinley Park Andrew, 2:16.30; Ruth Allen, Palatine, 2:16.54; Jahnell Horton, Bolingbrook, 2:16.74
800-meter relay: Belleville West; O‘Fallon; Waubonsie Valley
400 run: Yolanda Suggs, Belleville West, 55.96; Amber Jackson, Evanston, 57.39; Raena Rhone, Whitney Young, 57.54
300 low hurdles: Flo Mafany, Niles North, 43.99; Shakeia Pinnick, Waubonsie Valley, 44.04; Ciana Tabb, Morgan Park, 44.74
1,600 run: Rebecca Tracy, Barrington, 4:56.54; Heather Olson, Gurnee Warren, 4:57.84; Lizzy Hynes, St. Charles East, 5:03.14
200 dash: Yolanda Suggs, Belleville West, 25.02; Olivia Allen, Lake Zurich, 25.14; Chirese Porter, Willowbrook, 25.44; Canethia Walls, Glenbard North, 25.44
1,600-meter relay: Hinsdale Central; Alton; Edwardsville
For a complete 3A state finalists list, click here.
Class 2A top qualifiers:
Long jump: Bailey Jackson, Galesburg, 18-11 ¾
Pole vault: Emily Clay, Normal, 11-0
High jump: Sarah Maxson, Springfield, 5-6
Shot put: Daniella Bunch, Mahomet-Seymour, 47-5
Triple jump: Kelly Steffen, Bloomington, 37-5
Discus: Hannah Baker, Marion, 140-8
3,200 run: Margo Richardson, Mt. Vernon, 11:08.24
100 high hurdles: Laquitsha Bejoile, Cahokia Co-op, 14.54
100 dash: Dominique Kimpel, Kankakee, 11.94
800: Amanda Duvendack, Metamora, 2:17.20
400: Genesis Johnson, Rock Island, 56.99
200: Dominque Kimpel, Kankakee, 25.44
300 low hurdles: Laquitsha Bejoile, Cahokia Co-op, 45.94
1,600: Margo Richardson, Mt. Vernon, 5:08.94
3,200 relay: Mahomet
1,600 relay: Metamora
800 relay: Cahokia
400 relay: Rock Island
For a complete 2A state finalists list, click here.
Class 1A top qualifiers:
Long jump: Lauren Winkleman, Carmi-White County, 18-3
Pole vault: Alyssa Donner, Princeton, 10-3
High jump: Regina George, Chicago St. Gregory, 5-5
Shot put: Kelsey Card, Carlinville, 44-7 ½
Triple jump: Kendall Rush, Spring Valley Hall, 37-2 ½
Discus: Kelsey Card, Carlinville, 147-9
3,200-meter run: Sarah Kortze, Rockford Lutheran, 11:36.14
100 high hurdles: Megan Stringer, Moweaqua Central A&M, 14.84
300 low hurdles: Jennifer Monk, Bloomington Central Catholic, 46.56
100 dash: Jena Hemann, Breese Central, :12.24; Lindsey Holden, Greenville, 12.24
200: Lindsey Holden, Greenville, :25.44
400: Regina George, Chicago St. Gregory, 57.40
800: Stephanie Brown, Tri-Valley, 2:11.27
1,600: Stephanie Brown, Tri-Valley, 5:07.49
3,200 relay: Chicago Christian
1,600 relay: Vandalia
800 relay: Seton Academy
400 relay: Seton Academy
For a complete 1A state finalists list, click here.
Baseball: St. Rita’s Marinier silences Rice
Brother Rice’s school-record, 27-game winning streak fell victim to the Chicago area’s best pitcher last weekend.
Scott Marinier, a Central Michigan University recruit who has won his first nine games with a 0.99 ERA, held Brother Rice to four hits in a 4-0 St. Rita victory which came just two days after Brother Rice had defeated St. Rita 10-6 to clinch its second consecutive Chicago Catholic Blue championship.
Marinier struck out 10 and silenced a Brother Rice lineup that has averaged nearly 10 runs per game this season.
“This was a big win for us because we’re trying to get on a roll for the playoffs,” Marinier told the Chicago Tribune.
Marinier has won every game he has started this year, and has five complete-game victories. He has nearly twice as many strikeouts (61) as hits (35), and has held opposing hitters to a combined .187 batting average.
Brother Rice’s offense rebounded just fine as the Crusaders scored nine runs in each of their next two games, a 9-3 win Monday over Gordon Tech and a 9-8 win Wednesday over Lincoln-Way Central.
Both Brother Rice (29-1) and St. Rita (28-5) are top seeds in the upcoming Class 4A sectionals.
More Baseball: News and notes
* Batavia pitcher Brian Krolikowski hit a triple and got the win on the mound in a 6-0 victory over Glenbard South that clinched the Western Sun Conference title for Batavia.
* Mike Small hit a home run and drove in three runs as Wheaton North (24-4) defeated Wheaten Warrensville South 11-7, clinching its first DuPage Valley title in 29 years.
* A 12-4 victory Tuesday over Antioch handed Lakes its first-ever North Suburban Prairie championship. Eric Lopez had three hits, including a double.
Girls Soccer: Waubonsie Valley roars into regional final
Waubonsie Valley, two-time defending state champion, is heating up at just the right time. The Warriors (16-3) won their 11th consecutive game Tuesday, 8-0 over West Aurora in the semifinals of a Class 3A regional, and will play for a regional title Friday night at home against Wheaton Warrensville South.
Rachel Bostick scored three goals for Waubonsie in the win over West Aurora. All eight goals were scored in the first half.
Waubonsie goalkeeper Claire Hanold, a DePaul recruit, had three saves to post her state-record 73rd career shutout.
More Soccer: News and notes
* Lake Forest midfielder Rachel Quon, a Stanford recruit, found herself in goal for the Scouts for their 2-0 victory over Vernon Hills in the North Suburban Conference championship game. When Lake Forest starting goalkeeper Taylor Edwards was sent off with a red card in the 57th minute, Quon became the Scouts’ keeper because backup goalkeeper Finley Amato was out with an injury. Quon scored the game’s first goal in the 42nd minute, then had three saves in goal to preserve the shutout.
* Goals by Blake Murphy, Caroline Harris and Corinne Harris led Walter Payton High School to a 3-0 win over Lane Tech in the Public League championship game. It was the first city title in girls’ soccer for Payton (16-3-2).
Softball: Loyola wins title on walk-off homer in 13th
High drama decided the GCAC Red championship game between Loyola and Resurrection last Saturday.
A walk-off home run by Loyola’s Maggie Mullen in the 13th inning gave the Ramblers (26-2) a 1-0 win and a league championship.
“Watching that ball go over the fence will be a memory that lasts forever,” Loyola coach Marty Jennings said.
Loyola’s only losses this season have been to Sandburg and Barrington.
“It was fun to watch our girls celebrate that win,” Jennings said. “They have worked so long and so hard to try and repeat as our conference champions.”
Loyola is the top seed in a regional that begins next week at Niles West, and if the Ramblers win there, it’ll be nothing but home cooking. Loyola is hosting the sectionals and super-sectionals.
More Softball: News and notes
* Jocelyn Oppenhuis of Illinois Christian struck out 16 in a 9-0 win over Wheaton Academy, pushing her career strikeout total to 1,015.
* New Trier pitcher Kelsey Lee threw a no-hitter and struck out 18 in a 4-0 win over Maine South. The victory clinched the Central Suburban South title for New Trier (23-7, 10-0).
* Danielle Simons of Marengo threw a perfect game in a 12-0 win over Johnsburg. Simons has won all 16 decisions this season.
Boys Gymnastics: Glenbard North wins state title
Ryan Vandenack, Tyler Arl, Tyler DeAnda and Jesus Soto had strong performances on the pommel horse and still rings, leading Glenbard North to a team state championship in boys gymnastics last Saturday at Lincoln-Way East.
Glenbard North finished with 160.2 points, just ahead of Lincoln-Way East at 159.3, York at 157.6 and Wheaton North at 157.5. Glenbard North had a combined score of 26.5 on the pommel horse and 27.05 on the still rings.
It was the school’s first state title in gymnastics since 1992.
“We finished fourth when I was a freshman, and ever since then all three of us seniors have been really hungry for this,” Vandenack told the Chicago Tribune.
Doug Rybar of Downers Grove North won the all-around championship with a score of 56.45. Wheaton North’s Tim Krueger won individual state titles in the floor exercise, vault and parallel bars.
Paul Bowker covers the Chicago area for MaxPreps. He may be reached at
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