SJ-O girls’ track and field captures Class 1A Sectional Championship
By FRED KRONER
Senior Atleigh Hamilton qualified for state in four individual events and all four St. Joseph-Ogden relays won sectional titles on Wednesday (June 2) in a Class 1A girls’ sectional track and field meet hosted by the Spartans.
With a victory in the meet-ending 1,600-meter relay, SJ-O accrued enough points to win its ninth successive sectional team title and 12th in the past 13 meets held. The Spartans ended with 139 points. Runner-up Salt Fork totaled 134 points.
Hamilton was triumphant in the three sprint races, outkicking the competitors in the 100 meters (12.97 seconds), the 200 meters (26.50 seconds) and the 400 meters (58.83 seconds).
She also advanced in the long jump, an event where she has won state twice. Hamilton was second at the sectional in the long jump at 17 feet, 2 inches.
The SJ-O 400- and 800-meter relays featured the same foursomes: Payton Carter, Raegan Crippen, Grace Schmitz and Hope Rajlich.
Their 400-meter time was 52.13 seconds. In the 800 relay, they stopped the clock in 1:51.47.
Rajlich also ran the anchor leg on the meet-clinching 1,600 relay. She was joined by Ashlyn Lannert, Kailyn Ingram and Helene Jones. Their cumulative time was 4:15.17.
The SJ-O 3,200-meter relay advanced to state with a time of 10:27.70. The runners were Ingram, Jones, Malorie Sarnecki and Lannert. They finished in 10:27.70.
Other state-qualifiers for SJ-O were Ava Knap (second in the 1,600 meters in 5:35.84), Abby Behrens (first in high jump at 4 feet, 9 inches), Schmitz (second in pole vault at 10 feet, 4 inches) and Carter (third in pole vault at 9 feet).
Spartans Macy Reed-Thompson, Kaytlyn Baker and Ashley Eldridge were top-10 placers in two individual events.
Reed-Thompson took third in the high jump (4 feet, 8 inches) and ran eighth in the 200 meters (29.91 seconds).
Baker was fourth in the 300-meter hurdles (52.52 seconds) and seventh in the 100 hurdles (18.35 seconds).
Eldridge was fifth in both the shot put (29 feet, 7 inches) and the discus (97 feet, 3 inches).
Other field-event placers for SJ-O were Crippen (third in triple jump at 32 feet, 4 inches) and Alyssa Hamilton (eighth in discus at 86 feet, 8 inches).
Six other Spartan runners were top-10 placers.
Taryn Sexton was fourth in the 3,200 meters (13:33.36), Maya Chahine was fifth in the 3,200 meters (14:50.37), Haleigh Maddock was fifth in the 100 meters (14.01 seconds), Addie Allen was sixth in the 800 meters (2:42.02), Sarnecki was seventh in the 400 meters (1:07.69) and Chloe Burkhalter was eighth in the 1,600 meters (5:57.93).
The sectional team title was the 21st in history for SJ-O in girls’ track.
The entire state meet for Class 1A competitors (prelims and finals) will be on Thursday (June 10) at Eastern Illinois University, in Charleston.
At the last four state meets contested, the Spartans haven’t finished lower than third as a team at state in Class 1A under coach Kelly Steffen.
