Four-Event Sweep: Atleigh Miller Leads Prairieview Ogden Junior High to Dominant Sectional Victory
By FRED KRONER
Eighth-grader Atleigh Miller qualified for the IESA girls’ Class 1A junior high state track and field meet in four events on Saturday (May 4) at the Rantoul Sectional.
Miller won three individual events: 100 meters (13.47 seconds), 100-meter hurdles (personal-best 17.96 seconds) and the long jump (15 feet).
She also ran the anchor leg on PVO’s winning 400-meter relay. She teamed up with Grace Bressner, Bella Frerichs and Kellyn Irwin for a time of 55.08 seconds.
Overall, PVO had 11 state qualifiers.
Other individual runners who advanced to state were 1,600-meter sectional champion Allie Marschke (personal-best 6:19.34) and Bressner, who placed second in the 400 meters (personal-best 1:05.67).
PVO had double qualifiers in the discus.
Greta Goldenstein was the sectional runner-up in two events, marking a 28-feet, 4-inch toss in the shot put and an 86 feet, 8-inch toss in the discus.
Also advancing was Korinne Travis, who was fourth in the discus (81 feet, 1 inch), high jumper Frerichs, who won the event with a 4-foot, 4-inch leap, and long jumper Irwin (second at 14 feet, 7 inches).
PVO had five other athletes who secured top-six finishes but did not qualify for state: Bressner (second in the 800 meters in 2:45.13), Frerichs (fourth in the 1,600 meters in 7:37.89 and fifth in the 800 meters with a personal-best 2:57.07) Travis (fifth in the shot put at 25 feet, 6 inches) and Chloe Bressner (sixth in the 100-meter hurdles in 21.34 seconds).
The Mustangs’ other top relay was the fifth-place 800-meter unit. Sharing the baton were Makayla Hesterburg, Alyssa Osterbur, Travis and Leah Pruitt. Their composite time was 2:20.73.
PVO won the 12-team sectional with 115 points. Runner-up Schlarman Academy finished with 73 points.
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PVO seventh-grader Ella Mohr won the shot put (30 feet, 10 inches) in the IESA Rantoul Sectional.
The Mustangs had state qualifiers in four events.
Besides Mohr, the other PVO individual who advanced was high jumper Kelsie Harms (second at 4 feet, 5 inches).
Two PVO relays also advanced.
The 400-meter grouping of Mohr, Alea Rash, Harms and Caylah Roberts was timed in 58.75 and finished third.
Teaming up for a second-place finish in the 800-meter relay was Chloe Bressner, Reagan Blakely, Charlie Sjuts and Lyli Vilven. Their total time was 2:05.14.
PVO had top-six performances from six other individuals who did not advance to state, including Allie Bott in two events.
Bott ran third in the 1,600 meters (6:18.72) and sixth in the 800 meters (3:04.69).
Sjuts had sixth-place finishes in both the long jump (12 feet, 9 inches) and the 100-meter hurdles (personal-best 19.49 seconds).
Bressner ended third in the 800 meters (2:57.28) and Roberts was third in the 200 meters (personal-best 30.98 seconds).
One other PVO relay fared well.
The 1,600-meter grouping of Bott, Allie Marschke, Blair Mathis and Sjuts finished fourth in 5:06.85.
Seventh-grade team champion Schlarman Academy had 105 points and runner-up Rantoul St. Malachy totaled 88 points. PVO was third with 57 points.
The state meet will be held on Friday (May 10) and Saturday (May 11) at Eastside Centre, in East Peoria.
