SC East's Hynes shines

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ST. CHARLES -- Larkin sprinter Nadiyah Spencer made a strong statement Thursday after two years of disappointments, Elgin's 3,200-meter relay squad surprised and Waubonsie Valley dominated the Upstate Eight Conference Girls Indoor Meet with 138 points.

However, the track at Norris Center belonged to St. Charles East senior Lizzy Hynes. It always does.

Last year's third-place finisher in the Class AA state 1,600 meters turned in a sparkling 5:04.43 for the 1,600 -- less than 10 seconds off the time that won the outdoor 1,600 last year -- and defeated state 2008 3,200-meter runner-up Lindsay Flanagan of Lake Park in leading her team to a second-place finish with 99 1/3 points.

"I've just been running short races as a workout," Hynes said. "This was my first race with competition this year and it doesn't get much better than to race Lindsay Flanagan.

"So I was really excited to come and race an athlete like that. I thought the mile would be a good matchup."

It was the fourth conference title for Hynes in the event, she beat Flanagan in it for the second straight year, and she capped off the night by running on the winning 1,600 relay team (4:14.37) with Allison Manley, Rachel Rawson and Arielle Parker.

Neither impressed her as much as the team's success.

"This is the best team I've been on," she said. "We have talent in every single event. We can put up points in the distances, hurdles, field events. So I'm really excited."

Freshman Abel Mallory won the 3,200 meters (11:25.29) for St. Charles East while Maya Rittmanic piled up field event points with seconds in the triple jump (34-1½) and high jump (5-4) and third in the long jump (16-10).

Spencer led Larkin to the best finish by a School District U46 team with 25 points for sixth. She took second in the 200 meters (27.91), third in the 55 dash (7.76) and fifth in the long jump (15-7½).

"She was so good as a freshman and just missed state, but then couldn't go out her sophomore year for family reasons and then spent most of last year trying to make up what she lost by missing her sophomore year," Larkin coach Jeremy Bloomberg said. "It's great to see her running this way and I think she's capable of getting Downstate."

Bloomberg said the same of Britney Whitehead, who placed third in the 800 (2:22.15).

"After she missed state by a photo finish last year you've been able to see the determination in her eyes to get down there this year," Bloomberg said.

Elgin juniors Megan Anderson, Rachel Devine, Andrea Zabel and Alexandra Haugan turned in an 11:17.7 second-place effort in the 3,200 relay to supply most of the Maroons' 11 points in a ninth-place team finish.

"This is the first year we've been able to have a four by 800 relay team since I've been here (three years)," Elgin coach Justin Goebel said.

"It's actually nice to see the girls working nice together and having enough kids out to put a solid team together.

"Megan Anderson is a 400 runner and she stepped up to run a longer distance. That's not too easy at all."

St. Charles North finished fifth with 38, led by pole vault winner Danielle Goebbert (9-foot-6). Bartlett was seventh with 23 behind a strong third-place finish by Alyssa Schneider in the 1,600 (5:15.93).

South Elgin had 13 points for eighth as its 3,200-meter relay team took third (12:52.15). Streamwood's Mercedes Mancha had a fifth in the 3,200 (12:23.22) as the Sabres scored four points for 11th.