Kewanee and the surrounding area were well-represented over the weekend at the IHSA 1A Girls State Track and Field Championship at Eastern Illinois University.
Top local and area finishers were senior Kennady Anderson from Annawan-Wethersfield and sophomore Emily Downing from Cambridge. They each brought home three state medals.
Anderson was part of the 4×800 meter relay that placed fourth and she won sixth place medals in the 800 and 1600 meter runs.
Downing ran a leg of her team’s 4×800 relay that placed third and she was fifth in the 800 and eighth in the 1600 meter run.
Two Bureau Valley relay teams advanced to the finals and had top nine medal finishes. The 4×100 team placed seventh and the 4×200 relay finished ninth.
Stark County junior Chelsey Stotler earned a fourth-place medal in the shot put and the Stark County 4×800 relay team had a seventh place finish.
Team Standings
Glen Carbon (Father McGivney) scored 56.5 points and was the overall winner of the IHSA Girls 1A Track and Field team title.
Fulton, Cambridge and Annawan-Wethersfield were in a 3-way tie for 18th place with 14 points. Stark County was 28th with 9 points and Bureau Valley placed 57th with 4 points.
4×800 Meter Relay
The 4×800 meter relay was one of the most exciting events at area meets throughout the track season — the reason being that there is an abundance of talented local and area 800 runners.
Four Lincoln Trail Conference teams qualified for the finals in the event and all four teams received medals in the 800 meter relay. Cambridge was third, Annawan-Wethersfield was fourth, Stark County seventh and Knoxville wad ninth.
“The LTC has been strong in the distance races all year,” said Titans Coach Ann Heller. “That’s been great for all of us to get ready for the state races.”
Heller was pleased with her team’s performance in the 4×800 relay during the Saturday final. “My first runner (Paige Sierens) ran her fastest split and we were near the back of the pack. Then Lexi Wilson took off and passed some girls and they passed her back. That leg was a real back and forth,” she added.
“Camryn (Anderson) was next and ran her fastest split ever and moved us up. She hadn’t been feeling well Thursday but ran a great split on Saturday,” Heller noted.
“Then Kennady (Anderson) took over for the last leg and ran a great split and moved us up into fourth. On Saturday she had the same bug that her sister had (on Thursday) so she did great for not feeling well,” Heller added.
1.) Glen Carbon (Father McGivney) 9:30.01 2.) Shelbyville (A) 9:39.85 3.) Cambridge (Miranda Reed, Jolene Blackert, Jana VandeKemp, Emily Downing) 9:43.55 4.) A-W (Paige Sierens, Alexis Wilson, Camryn Anderson, Kennady Anderson) 9:47.94 7.) Stark County (Cheyenh Smith, Peytin Terwilliger, Keagan Hamilton, Dusti Smith) 9:50.74 9.) Knoxville (Emily King, Emmalyn Hensley, Addi McKee, Lauren King) 10:01.22.
Shot Put
Stark County junior Chelsey Stotler received a fourth-place medal in the shot put (38′ 8.75″). Lauren Orwig also participated in the event and placed 17th with a distance of 35′ 2″.
800 Meter Run
Junior Emily Downing of Cambridge and senior Kennady Anderson of Annawan-Wethersfield have become known for their photo finishes in races against one another (mostly in the 1600), but on Saturday the razor slim margin was in the 800 run. Downing clocked in at 2:18.63, good for a fifth place medal, and Anderson (2:18.69) earned a sixth place medal.
“Kennady won her heat of the 800 and broke this year’s PR in that,” noted the proud coach. “She was a couple of places ahead of Emily that day. She said it felt good because she had people to chase and push her. Most of the season Emily used the strategy of staying with Kennady and then they would see who could kick the hardest at the end of the race,” she added.
“So down there Kennady had others to chase and it really helped her times. When Emily would run with Kennady this year it made for very exciting finishes and close race times but the times didn’t come down much.”
1600 Meter Run
During Thursday’s prelims, Kennady Anderson broke her own school record with a time of 5:04. In the finals on Saturday, Anderson came in sixth place with a time of 5:12.07 and Downing was eighth in a time of 5:15.07.
“There’s just something about that blue track, everyone runs faster down there,” said Heller. “Kennady ran her best times Thursday (because she didn’t feel the greatest Saturday), but getting her PR in both the 800 and 1600 Thursday was a great send off for the end of her high school career,” she added. “The University of Illinois is getting a very hard working, talented runner in Kennady.”
Maddie Wetzel of Bureau also ran in the 1600, but she didn’t advance to the finals (5:41.35). Wetzel also competed in the 3200, but didn’t advance (12:19.13).
4×100 Relay
The Bureau Valley 4×100 relay team clocked in at 50.64, which was good for seventh place. They had the fourth fastest prelim time (50.76). Members of the team are Connie Gibson, Taylor Neuhalfen, Kate Salisbury and McKinley Canady.
4×200 Relay
The same Bureau Valley foursome that recorded a seventh place finish in the 4×100, had a ninth place finish in the 4×200 in a time of 1:49.03.
Annawan-Wethersfield also competed in the 4×200. They didn’t qualify for the finals, but they ran their best time of the season (1:50.69).
“The 4×200 did run their best time of the season down there and that’s all any coach can ask for is for the runners to do their best,” said Heller. “There was a lot of fast talent down at state this year. Some of the 1A times were faster than the 2A times.”
Members of the 4×200 team are Clara Bella VanOpdorp, Tyra Jones, Emilia Escareno and Kaylee Celus.
4×400 Relay
Stark County just missed qualifying for the finals in the 4×400 relay. They placed 11th in the prelims in a time of 4:13.02 (the top nine qualify for the finals). Members of relay team are Sarah Kraklow, Keagan Hamilton, Cheyenh Smith and Dusti Smith.
Annawan-Wethersfield fell short of making the finals in the 4×400 as well. They had a time of 4:14.40. Making up the team are Celus, VanOpdorp, Camryn Anderson and Kennady Anderson.
“We’ll also miss senior Kaylee Celus next year,” said Heller. “This year she struggled with a hip issue so we just used her running in relays, but her tenure in high school track had her doing the long jump, the 300 hurdles, sometimes running the open 400 and once she even did high jump,” added Heller.
“She’s always been a great starter or closer on our relays. She’s a very versatile athlete. Monmouth College is getting a great volleyball player and I’m going to miss her talent in the sprints and the jumps,” noted Heller.
“Overall we had a great state experience this year,” Heller said. “I will be losing 3 seniors this year: Kennady in the distance races, Kaylee in the sprints and jumps, and Elle Eastman in the throws. It may be only 3 seniors, but the holes they are leaving me to fill will be huge! Every year starts with holes to fill and the underclassman always step up for me. This next year there will be some big shoes to fill!”
Bureau Valley had a prelim time of 4:19.97. Members of the team are Emma Mussche, Kate Salisbury, Lynzie Cady and Connie Gibson.
400 Meter Dash
Dusti Smith of Stark County had a 13th place finish in the prelims in a time of 1:00.31.
100 and 300 Meter Hurdles
Addison Wessel of Bureau Valley competed in both hurdles events, but didn’t advance to the finals. She had a time of 17.50 in the 100 and 50.82 in the 300 meter hurdles.
Discus
Ellie Doubet of Cambridge was 14th in the discus with a distance of 108′ 8″.
Long Jump
Lynzie Cady of Bureau Valley had a leap of 15′ 0 in the long jump, but didn’t advance to the finals.
