Oakwood’s Nikita Taylor Advances to State in Long Jump, Leads Comets at St. Anne Class 1A Sectional
By Fred Kroner
Senior Nikita Taylor will be the Oakwood High School representative at the IHSA girls’ track and field state meet.
Taylor secured her advancement on Thursday (May 9) in the 17-school St. Anne Class 1A Sectional.
She placed second in the long jump (16 feet, 6 inches).
The Comets had top-10 finishers at sectional by three other individuals and two relays.
Taylor was third in the 400 meters (1:04.39), Aubri Elliott was third in the 200 meters (27.99 seconds) and Mady Nicoson was 10th in the discus (75 feet, 5 inches).
The top-placing Oakwood relay was the 400-meter unit of Taylor Smoot, Leanne Snow, Taylor and Elliott. Their combined time was 54.87 seconds.
The school’s 800-meter relay placed ninth in 2:10.60. The relay consisted of Smoot, Snow, Riley Denhalter and Elliott.
Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin won the team title with 120 points. Oakwood finished in a tie for 12th with 22 points.
Taylor will return to action on Thursday (May 16) in the state semifinals at Charleston. All finalists return to Eastern Illinois University on Saturday (May 18).
