Girls track and field: Prospect wins 1st state title in dramatic fashion

After pouring their hearts and souls into the sport for the past three seasons trying to reach the mountaintop, the Prospect girls track and field team got to the summit Saturday afternoon by taking home the Class 3A state championship with a stunning comeback effort over defending champion Huntley at Eastern Illinios University in Charleston.

The Red Raiders led the Knights 50-34 before a late comeback by Prospect cut the lead to 50-47 with one event left. With no athletes in the final five events, all shellshocked Huntley could do was watch as Propsect’s 4×400 relay team took fourth place in the final event to capture its first state title in school history by a score of 53-50.

Whitney Young (49 points) took third while Barrington (31 points) took seventh.

Prospect’s relay teams were fantastic as usual. The Knights’ 4×800 team of Mary Laba, Veronica Znajda, Lily Ginsberg, and Meg Peterson won in 9:00.83 for its fourth straight state crown. Ginsberg became the first girls runner in IHSA history to run on four first-place relay teams.

The Knights’ 4×200 team took third behind Samantha Skowronski, Charlotte Deines, Anna Niebrugge, and Nikki Niebrugge (1:38.95).

The Knights’ incredible depth could not be stopped as Adeline Wind took fourth in the discus, Znajda took sixth in the 1,600, their 4×100 team took seventh, and Deines took sixth in the long jump and eighth in the 200.

“It was a team effort. My hats off to these girls, this is a special, special group,“ said Prospect coach Pete Wintermute. “This is for the seniors. We’ve got a handful of seniors here that said this team is more important than prom. This is something they bought into so we’re going to celebrate with them since they have taken this program to another level.”

The area had some unbelievable performances starting with Barrington freshman phenom Mia Sirois absolutely rolling to the 3,200-meter run state crown in 10:19.29. The school record time was 15 seconds faster than her closest competitor on the EIU track.

The Fillies’ 4×800 team of Abby Lewis, Kaleigh Burns, Sydney Sukel, and Scouts Storms took third with a school record time of 9:03.33. Storms and Burns placed third and ninth in the 1,600.

“She (Sirois) did great. It was awesome to see how she was so confident and she was able to increase her lead,” said Barrington coach Kala Penev, whose team got a fourth from Sofiabella Amirante in the shot put. “It was a great day. The 4×800 broke another school record, and they (Storms and Burns) both ran great with all their heart.”

Conant super sophomore Daisha Brunson made it look easy in capturing her second straight 100-meter hurdles state crown in 13.81 seconds.

“Last year she broke our school record with a 14.16 and today she ran a 13.81 to smash her school record,” said Conant coach Aaron Essex. “She’s very talented, and one of the most gifted athletes I’ve ever seen. She has a very bright future, and we’re very proud of her.”

After placing second last year, Palatine junior Aisha Kazeem won the 300-meter hurdles in 42.91 seconds to outdistance Prospect’s Amina Hadziahmetovic (43.41) in second, Maine West’s Amelie Mach in fourth, and Brunson in sixth. Kazeem also took seventh in the 100 hurdles.

“She (Kazeem) had an awesome race. It was her best time ever, and she hit the first two hurdles just as we had practiced,” said Palatine coach Kevin Conway. “Getting the state title wasn’t easy. The last time we had a state champion was Kelly O’Brien (1,600 in 2016), and it was an incredible race on her end.”

Grayslake Central senior Bella Domier placed third in the 800 in 2:12.53 followed by Peterson (seventh), and Ginsberg (10th).

“She (Domier) PR’d yesterday by two seconds to break her own school record,” said Grayslake Central coach Colleen Wire. “It was a great season for Bella, and coming down here all four years in a row and getting another medal was a great finish to her career.”

Warren’s Carolina Martinez also brought home a third-place medal in the 400 with a time of 56.53 seconds while Lake Zurich’s Baelyn Zitzmann took third in the high jump followed by Schaumburg’s Kaylee Meyer in fourth, and Mach in seventh.

Rolling Meadows’ Roisin Grandberry took third in the shot put while Antioch’s Charlee Kempf took 10th. Lake Zurich’s Riley Betz took sixth in the 100-dash, and teammate Alice Kotelnikova took seventh in the discus. Stevenson’s Samantha Almy took ninth in the discus.

In Class 2A, Carmel Catholic’s Zubaydah Akorede placed second in the triple jump (36-11.5). Teammate Izzy Bing placed sixth in the 1,600. The Corsairs’ 4×200 relay team of Ella Dicara, Naimah Blanch, Katelin Navarre, and Kayleigh Shabazz placed seventh.