Hamilton remains unbeaten in long jump, places first in sprints
By Fred Kroner
Senior Atleigh Hamilton remained unbeaten in the long jump on Friday (May 21), recording a season-best (18 feet, 4 ½ inches) to win her specialty in the Unity girls’ track and field invitational.
She was a top placer in the sprint races. Hamilton was first in the 400 meters (59.30 seconds), second in the 200 meters (season-best 25.75 seconds) and second in the 100 meters (12.63 seconds).
Tolono Unity captured team honors in the 13-school field with 108 points. Salt Fork (98 points) was the runner-up, followed by SJ-O (94 points) and Monticello (86 points).
Two of the Spartans’ relays – featuring the same four runners – secured runner-up finishes.
The 400- and 800-meter units of Payton Carter, Raegan Crippen, Grace Schmitz and Hope Rajlich placed second with times of 52.28 seconds and 1:52.07, respectively.
Rajlich also ran the leadoff leg on the 1,600-meter relay which finished third. She was joined by Macy Reed-Thompson, Malorie Sarnecki and Kailyn Ingram. Their combined time was 4:26.74.
SJ-O’s 3,200-meter relay ended in fourth place. Sharing the baton were Ashlyn Lannert, Chloe Burkhalter, Addie Allen and Kaytlyn Baker. They teamed up for a 11:06.55 clocking.
The Spartans scored points in 17 of 18 events (missing only in the 100-meter hurdles).
In five events, SJ-O had two top-10 placers.
Sarnecki (third in 2:35.14) and Ingram (fourth in 2:35.61) were among the leaders in the 800 meters.
Carter (10 feet, 9 inches) and Schmitz (10 feet) placed third and fourth, respectively, in the pole vault.
In the high jump, Reed-Thompson and Abby Behrens each cleared 4 feet, 7 ½ inches. Based on misses, Reed-Thomspon was sixth and Behrens was eighth.
Ava Knap (fourth in 5:35.64) and Helene Jones (eighth in 5:56.54) were among the top runners in the 1,600 meters.
In the triple jump, Crippen took sixth (31 feet, 4 inches) and Yamilka Casanova placed ninth (27 feet).
Ashley Eldridge was a double top-10 finisher, ending eighth in the shot put (30 feet, 3 ¾ inches) and 10th in the discus (83 feet, 9 inches).
Lannert ran fifth in the 300-meter hurdles (54.06 seconds) and Taryn Sexton scored fourth-place points in the 3,200 meters (14:07.35).
SJ-O returns to action Tuesday (May 25) in the Illini Prairie Conference meet, which will be at Tolono Unity.
