PREP GIRLS TRACK
Olson familiar with state foes in 1,600-meter run
While Heather Olson doesn't usually compete against Bloomington's Ashley Verplank and Barrington's Rebecca Tracy, the Warren High junior is quite familiar with the talented duo.
That's because Olson finished behind Verplank and Tracy at last year's IHSA Class AA State Meet in the finals of the 1,600-meter run.
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Top Class AA performers and area qualifiers to this weekend's state girls track meet in Charleston:
• Long Jump -- Diane Lindsey (Thornton) 18-6; Brittany Simmons (Zion-Benton) 17-6.
• Pole Vault -- Jenna Wexter (Lincoln-Way Central) 12-0; Kristie Topel (Deerfield) 10-0; Kate Tunnicliff (Libertyville) 9-6; Jessica Long (Antioch) 9-0
• High Jump -- Ellen Chapman (Glenbrook South) 5-6; Melissa Lewis (Lakes) 4-11.
• Shot Put -- Daniella Bunch (Mahomet-Seymour) 49-4; Bailey Wagner (Grant) 49-2; Tori Ziegler (Grant) 44-3.5; Jamie Rucks (Vernon Hills) 39-10.5.
• Triple Jump -- Alexandria Smith (Thornton) 39-7; Crimea Baker (Mundelein) 35-9.75; Brittany Simmons (Zion-Benton) 35-3.
• Discus -- Tori Ziegler (Grant) 146-1; Bailey Wagner (Grant) 145-1; Brianna Skeens (Vernon Hills) 124-8; Brittney Deem (Antioch) 117-11.
• 3,200 Relay -- Barrington 9:03.34.; Libertyville 9:42.44; Lake Forest (H.S.) 9:49.42.
• 400 Relay -- Conant 47.54; Zion-Benton 49.52; North Chicago 49.83; Warren 50.06.
• 3,200 -- Lindsay Flanagan (Lake Park) 10:41.94; Paige Zelinsky (Highland Park) 11:10.34; Kim Tarnoff (Stevenson) 11:13.34; Rachael Dean (Lakes) 11:22.48; Danielle Dickman (Vernon Hills) 11:25.12; Erin Poss (Antioch) 11:25.34; Hannah Reilly (Libertyville) 11:25.93.
• 100 Hurdles -- Natalie Tarter (Batavia) 13.74; Melissa Lewis (Lakes) 15.38; Chelsea Grant (Mundelein) 15.56.
• 100 -- Ronecia Nash (East St. Louis) 11.94; Aireonna Bailey (Zion-Benton) 12.41; JonTaye Bonds (Warren) 12.63.
• 800 -- Ashley Verplank (Bloomington) 2:10.7; Ariel Butzine (Lakes) 2:17.23; Kendra Kennedy (Grant) 2:17.76; Sarahbeth Jones (Warren) 2:19.73; Anne Strychalski (Libertyville) 2:20.30.
• 800 Relay -- Conant 1:41.24; Zion-Benton 1:45.46; North Chicago 1:47.26.
• 400 -- Nevada Morrison (Proviso East) 56.93; Ryan McMurtry (North Chicago) 59.34; Marissa Wagner (Lake Zurich) 59.98.
• 300 Hurdles -- Shakeia Pinnick (Waubonsie Valley) 42.64; Alyssa Corrigan (Libertyville) 46.26; Erin Schoenfelder (Antioch) 46.9.
• 1,600 -- Ashley Verplank (Bloomington) 5:00.16; Heather Olson (Warren) 5:03.75.
• 200 -- Ronecia Nash (East St. Louis) 23.64; Olivia Allen (Lake Zurich) 25.15; Aireonna Bailey (Zion-Benton).
• 1,600 Relay -- Batavia 3:36.24; Lakes 4:06.35; Carmel 4:07.35.
Verplank was the state champion, while Tracy finished fifth just ahead of Olson's six place finish, and all three are the top sectional seeds coming into this weekend's two-day state meet in Charleston.
Verplank owns the top sectional time at 5 minutes, 0.16 seconds, followed closely by Tracy (5:03.34) and Olson (5:03.75) heading into Friday's preliminaries.
Finals are set for Saturday at O'Brien Stadium on the campus of Eastern Illinois University.
Olson was able to post her best time of the season in winning the Grayslake North Sectional last Friday, due in part to her passing up a chance to also qualify for state earlier in the night in the 3,200 run.
She doesn't mind concentrating on just one event in Charleston.
"My goal is a sub-five minute mile, and if I do that, then I think I will be in good shape downstate," she said.
Olson isn't the only area athlete in search of medals this weekend, as Grant High senior Bailey Wagner will be vying for her third consecutive state championship in the shot put competition.
Wagner also wants that coveted state record in the shot put, but will have to top a field which includes Mahomet-Seymour junior Daniella Bunch and teammate Tori Ziegler .
Bunch owns the top sectional toss at 49 feet, 4 inches, followed by Wagner (49-2) and Ziegler (44-3.5).
The Grant duo is also 1-2 coming into the discus competition, but this time it's Ziegler (146-1) in front of Wagner (145-1) heading into Friday's prelims. Defending state champion Erin Wykoff of Troy Triad also looms with the fourth-best sectional toss at 137-10.
Other area athletes hoping to advance to the finals based on their sectional performances include Lakes' Ariel Butzine in the 800 run (9th, 2:17.23), Highland Park's Paige Zelinsky in the 3,200 run (12th, 11:10.34), Grant's Kendra Kennedy in the 800 run (12th, 2:17.76) and Lake Zurich's Olivia Allen in the 200 dash (9th, 25.15) and Zion-Benton's Aireonna Bailey in the 200 dash (13th, 25.35).
Others will have to vastly improve their sectional performances in the prelims in order to land a spot in Saturday's finals.