Karina Liz pulls “Juantorena double”; Billingsley, Beattie control distances; Murray over 13 for first time in Pole Vault

By Michael Newman

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Bloomington, Ill --- It was apparent at the start of the 2013 season that Lincoln-Way East’s Aaliyah Brown would be the dominant sprinter in the state. A year later, there were questions of who would step up into the spotlight in Illinois. Ebony McClendon (Brooks College Prep) answered some of those questions during the season recording top ten times nationally. She answered one more when she entered the Shirk Center Saturday morning.

Ryan Preacely (Noble Street / Johnson, Chicago), an accomplished speedster herself, was in the finals of the 60 Meter Dash. The prelims established that McClendon meant business on this day. She stormed to a 7.56, almost two tenths of a second ahead of Preacely. It was the same story in the finals. Even though Preacely got off to a great start, McClendon was one step better as she had already established a three meter lead 15 meters into the race. Her finals time was even faster – 7.45. It is the fastest time in the state in this event. It is 6^th nationally.

The 200 Meter Dash was a repeat of what had happened earlier. McClendon made up the stagger on Preacely, then rolled to almost a second margin for the win over her Chicago Public League rival (24.58 – 25.51). It was the fastest time in the state for this indoor season.

You would think that McClendon was confident with everything that she accomplished this season heading into the blocks? Try again.

“I was terrified,” McClendon said describing how she felt entering the blocks for the 60. “I do not. I get nervous every time that I enter the blocks”

McClendon was not the only double winner in the 2A Girls Meet. Karina Liz (Aurora Central Catholic HS) was out to make a statement as well. She opened up a big lead early in the 800 Meter Run winning (2:17.48) by five seconds ahead of Zoe Mead (Princeton HS) and Allie Sprague (Marengo HS).

She had little time to rest as she would run in the 400 Meter Dash. Running the 800 looked like it took its toll in the first 200 of the race. NeaPearl Minor-Clark (DeLaSalle Institute, Chicago) jumped out to a two second lead. Coming down the back stretch, it looked like Minor-Clark was cruse to an easy win going down the last 150 meters. Liz kept on pushing closing the gap. In the last 50 meters, Liz made one more surge as Minor-Clark started to feel the first 200 meters in her legs. Liz caught her in the last 5 meters to win by seven hundredth of a second (58.87-58.84).

Maura Beattie (Woodstock HS) set a personal best in winning the 3200 Meter Run. Beattie opened up a nine second lead going past the 1600 in 5:23 some ten seconds ahead of Maryjeanne Gilbert (Notre Dame HS, Peoria) and Allison Zobrist (Highland HS). Beatties’s plan was to churn out 80 second quarters. That is just what she did. She finished in 10:49.44 winning by twenty three seconds.

The 1600 was a resurgence for Sydney Billingsley (University HS, Normal). She struggled with injuries last track season that lingered on through cross country. The senior started to get healthy at the beginning of the year. She is returning to the dominating runner that she was over a year ago. Billingsley let Megan Carroll (St. Viator HS, Arlington Heights) do the brunt of the lead work. With a little more than 400 meters to go, Billingsley took off. She covered the last 400 in 69 seconds to run her best time in more than a year (5:06.59). Megan Shaffer (Mattoon HS) finished six seconds back in second.

In the field events, Lena Giger did not have a record breaking performance. She was pushed by Gabi Jacobs (University HS, Normal). Giger had a winning put of 47-4 winning by three feet over Jacobs. The U-High senior had a great day Saturday establishing a new indoor personal best with the second place performance (44-3 ¾).

Claire Buck (Triad HS, Troy) has been stuck in between 11-6 to 11-9 most of the season in the Pole Vault. She broke out of that in a big way establishing a new PR (12-6). Lindsay Murray (Harrisburg HS) has been near 12 feet most of the indoor season but must have felt the same vibe that Buck was feeling about the Shirk Center Runway. Murray cleared 13-0 for the first time establishing a state best in winning this event.

Jamari Drake (Southeast HS, Springfield) put her name on the map in the High Jump. She won with a clearance of 5-5 which was a personal best. Two time defending 2A champion Haleigh Knapp (Morris HS) finished fourth.

Lexi Duncan (Dixon HS) won the Long Jump with an IL #8 18-3 ¼. Jaimie Robinson (DeLaSalle Institute, Chicago), who finished second in the Long Jump, won the Triple Jump by more than a foot with a 37-6 ½ jump.

Chante Stonewall (University HS, Normal) gave her school the third individual win of the meet holding off Katelyn Hill (Glenbard South HS, Glen Ellyn) to win the 60 Meter Hurdles (9.21 – 9.26).

All three relays were exciting. Mattoon broke away on the final leg to win by seven seconds (9:45.61) over Mahomet-Seymour and Rochester. A great anchor leg by Domminique Lewis gave Champaign Centennial a close to a second win over Kankakee (1:45.78 – 1:46.68). Springfield won the final event in the 2A meet schedule running 4:07.51 to win by a second over Kaneland in the 4 x 400 Meter Relay.