PLAINFIELD -- Megan Lyons found herself in an all-or-nothing situation.
Jenna Wexter made a decision to save a little something extra for a big weekend trip to Charleston.
Leslie Allyn rose from the sting of a crash and burn to the euphoria of winning one of the last races of her high school track and field career.
And Alexia Krause showed she's no second-fiddle quarter-miler even though running for her is a second-sport endeavor that she took up only after her mom encouraged her to get involved in a school activity.
Lyons, a sophomore at Lockport High School, was sitting in third place in the high jump, the bar set at a height higher than she ever had cleared before -- 5-3 -- during competition at the Plainfield Central Sectional on Friday night. She needed a personal-record jump to vault into first place and qualify for the Class AA state meet.
Otherwise, her season was destined to end like that of the last 99 for the Cubs -- with a wait until next year thought ringing in the back of her mind.
"I was just hoping that I got it," Lyons said. "Because it was one of my big chances there. On my first two jumps, even though I missed them, I was so close. Then, before I took my third, I said, 'OK, I've got to do this right now.' And I hit it. And I was so excited.
"I knew I had the height, but sometimes I snap too early and hit the bar over with my back. But I tried keeping my back arched as much as I could and I tried to stay as high as I could for as long as I could. And it worked out well for me."
Lyons' 5-3 jump was good for first place and also helped Lockport capture the sectional championship. The Porters won four events and scored 95 points.
Erika Foltys was clocked in 2:17.30 in the 800 meters, good for first place. Liz Phillips won the 1600 in 5:07.30. The two were joined by Stephanie Houts and Erin Lakie on the Porters' first-place finishing 4x800 relay. The four posted a time of 9:28.80.
"In general, I think we did better than even some of the girls expected themselves to do," Lockport coach Joe Kravitz said. "A lot of them did better than their seeds were. So, I cannot be at all disappointed. They did a very good job. And they ran with heart. So, I'm very proud of them."
Lincoln-Way Central, led by Wexter's first-place finish in the pole vault, finished second with 84 points. District rival Lincoln-Way East followed in third with 66½. Minooka placed fourth with 39 and Crete-Monee was fifth with 33.
Wexter cleared 12-0 in the vault without pulling her heavyweight pole out of its bag. She heads back downstate with the idea in mind of jumping higher -- her goals measured both in feet and inches and on the medal scoreboard. She placed second in the Class AA meet last year with a mark of 11-6.
"It was a good day," Wexter said. "I wanted to jump a little bit higher. At conference the other day, I jumped 12-6. I knew I could do it again today. But I stayed a little back. I didn't get on my bigger pole today because we're saving it for next week. I've got some big jumps in me. And I know it's coming."
Allyn, the Plainfield Central senior, won her second straight sectional title in the 100 hurdles with a personal-best time of 15.40. She edged Lincoln-Way Central's Kacie Calabrese in a tight race that followed a week after her crash at the Southwest Prairie Conference meet. Then, Allyn was battling Plainfield North rival Megan Gregory in the 300 hurdles.
Allyn, straining to get over the last hurdle and maintain her slim lead, nicked Gregory and lost her balance. She tumbled hard to the track and had to be helped off.
"Oh, my gosh, that's the second year in a row that I won," Allyn said. "I am so happy. I got a 15.4, which is my best ever, and I'm just so ecstatic. I'm ready to do better at state this year than I did last year."
She had doubts about running after the trainer sent her home from Minooka on crutches.
"I wasn't sure that I was going to be able to run," Allyn said. "I'm pretty beat up. But there was nothing that was going to keep me off this track. This is my life. This is what I've worked for. I had a contusion to my hip, and the rest was just scrapes."
Plainfield Central's Megan Merklein finished second in the discus (111-5).
Krause, the Joliet Catholic Academy freshman, ran to a fifth-place finish in a loaded 400-meter final. Her time of 59.5 qualified her for a trip downstate, too.
"They were really fast, and I knew I had to try and keep up with them because I had the lowest seed time in the heat," Krause said.
The field she was running against included three returning state qualifiers and last year's fifth-place state-meet finisher, Eileen Moran of Providence Catholic.
Jerika Lewis of Rich South ended up pulling away to win the 400 in 57.10. Plainfield South's Cara Keifer placed second in 58.20. Then, Moran took third in 58.90 and Lincoln-Way East's Joyce Otuwa placed fourth in 59.40.
Krause was the most unlikely state qualifier of the bunch. She travels to Liberytville three days a week to play and practice with the Eclipse Select club soccer team. The 15-under team is ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 3 in the nation.
"My mom said, 'Since you can't play high school soccer, maybe you should do track, just to get involved in something at school,' " Krause said. "So, I just decided to do it."
Lewis, in a show of her blazing speed, also tacked on titles in the 100 (12.0) and 200 (25.40) dashes.
"Oh, she's adorable, and I love her," Otuwa said. "I'm actually going to be running with her this summer. She's a very strong athlete. She's not the biggest girl, but that's what it's all about, not what you look like, but the passion. She has that. The best of them do."
Minooka qualified Lizzy Jones (discus, first place, 134-3), Lindsay Kooi (long jump, second place, 16-3½) and Kylie Plese (1600, second place, 5:19.70).
Plainfield South's Charisma Johnson won the shot put (37-6). The Cougars' Kayla Worley finished second in the 300 hurdles (47.50). Lincoln-Way Central also picked up first place finishes from Brenna Marron (long jump, 17-0) and Monica Hahn (3200, 11:34.10).
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