Road ends at state

Hundreds of track and field standouts will converge on the campus of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston to compete in this weekend's girls state track and field meet.

Of the field, more than 60 competitors are from the Joliet area, with more than 40 competing in Class AA.

The standouts among the standouts are a Lockport team, which is sending four individuals and two relay teams, Lincoln-Way Central senior pole vaulter Jenna Wexter and, in Class A, sophomore long jumper Kolby Hoffman from Dwight.

Lockport tied for eighth at state two years ago but didn't score a point last year, coach Joe Kravitz noted. So this year will be sort of redemption for his crew.

The comeback trail was blazed after the Porters won the Plainfield Central Regional last weekend behind top finishes from their high jumpers, sophomore Meg Lyons and junior Mel Sluzewicz, along with senior Erika Foltys in the 800-meter run, classmate Liz Phillips in the 1600 and their two state qualifying relay teams, the 4x800 and the 4x400 units.

"I think (scoring points) is definitely a possibility," Kravtiz said. "It is in their hands. If they can control their nerves and compete at high level, they definitely will do well."

Phillips is the most likely Porter to score points. She is seeded fifth in the 1600 at 5:07.54 and is a threat to medal and earn all-state honors.

Lincoln-Way Central finished only 11 points behind Lockport in the regional, thanks in part to Wexter. At the state meet last year, she finished second with a jump of 11-6.

This year, she is the top seed in the state with her 12-0 jump, a height she said she reached at the sectional without using her biggest pole, opting to save it for this weekend's meet.

Wexter said she is looking forward to possibly winning state and the competition she must overcome to do so.

"I really would like to take state this year," she said. "I got second last year and I have been working my butt off. I love this and to end my senior year with that would be great.

"But anything can happen on any given day and there will be a lot of great jumpers out there. And I want everyone to do well and be jumping at their full potential because it makes it more fun."

Hoffman is making her second appearance at state at the Class A level. The long jumper will head into Charleston ranked second in the state, less than three-tenths of an inch from first.

Hoffman finished second last year behind this year's No. 1 seed, junior Katelyn Moore from Camp Point Central. Moore jumped 17-10 ½ in 2007, barely edging Hoffman's 17-10 ¼.

The two will square off 9 a.m. in the second event of Class A on Friday, with the pole vault starting the Class 2A meet at 11:30 a.m.