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This was the second meet of the indoor season for Glenbard West’s Katelynne Hart but her first “big meet” of the season. The week before she showed her fitness level running 63-seconds for 400-meters and 44.5 for 300-meters on a 160-meter track in flats. Those two races were indicators for what she was to do Saturday afternoon at the University of Kentucky High School Invitational.

Hart ran and won two races on the Nutter Fieldhouse 291-meter track against some top-flight competition. She started by running an indoor personal best 4:46.92 to win the 1-mile run ahead of Tori Starcher of Ripley HS (WV)who was less than a second back (4:47.90). Starcher last spring won all three distance events at the West Virginia AAA State Meet. There was not much of a challenge for Hart in the 2-Mile Run as she almost lapped the entire field in running a national best 10:14.56 to win the race 34 seconds ahead of Taylor Ewert of Beavercreek HS (OH).

“I did not know if I was going to run in this meet until this week,” Hart told Milesplit.com afterwards. Hart’s cross-country season was extended into January due to running for the United States National team at the Great Edinburgh XChallenge. “I felt pretty good through the first mile (of the 2-mile race going through in 5:04). The first race that I ran cost me in a little bit in that final mile.

Hart’s performance headlined what were some noteworthy performances by Illinois athletes at this meet. Dajour Miles of West Aurora ran the nation’s third best time in winning the 400 Meter Dash (54.14). That time was her best at that distance indoors. Miles came back to run 24.63 to finish seventh in the 200 Meter Dash. Bella Uscila of St. Edward also had a good coming out party in this meet finishing sixth in the 200 Meter Dash (24.57) and then fourth in the finals of the 60 Meter Dash (7.58). Ameia Wilson of Danville finished seventh in that race (7.64) with 3A 100-meter State Champion Amira Young of Whitney Young finishing ninth (7.67). Young had run 7.66 in the prelims.

Five Illinois athletes ran under 2:18 for the Girls 800 Meter Run. Madison Marasco of Schaumburg led the Illinois contingent finishing fourth (2:14.95). Marne Sullivan, who was on New Trier’s all-state 3200 Meter Relay team last spring, dropped her personal best by five seconds in finishing fifth right behind Marasco (2:15.69). Gillian Fiene of Illiana Christian missed all of last fall’s cross-country season due to an injury. She showed she is ready to go with this track season by running 2:16.73 to place sixth. Mikenna Robinson of Neuqua Valley placed ninth (2:17.20) while two-time 1A state champion Arielle Summitt ran 2:17.46 to finish 11^th overall. Imani Carothers of Brooks College Prep jumped 17-10.5 to finish second in the Long Jump. Carothers ran 8.72 in the prelims of the 60 Meter Hurdles but finished 11^th in the finals running 8.89.

Marcellus Moore of Plainfield North finished second in both of his races in this meet. Moore, who ran 6.97 in the prelims to qualify for the finals of the 60 Meter Dash, ran 6.83 (US #7 tied) to finish second in the finals. Easton Bianchi of Sterling Newman Catholic had a great meet running 6.88 in the prelims then coming back to run 6.84 (US #10 tied) in the finals to finish third. Moore ran 21.43 to finish second in the 200 Meter Dash.

Bret Dannis of Peru St. Bede remained in the national spotlight with a strong final in the 60 Meter Hurdles. Dannis’ time of 7.87 (US #3) was a personal best finishing a tenth of a second ahead of Myles Marshall of Lassiter GA (7.97).

It was also a good day for Connor Artman of Illini West HS. Artman jumped 23-2 to finish second in the Long Jump. Geremiah Lawson of Plainfield Central jumped 22-3.75 to finish fifth in the event. Artman also competed in the 60 Meter Dash where he ran 7.05 in the prelims and the 60 Meter Hurdles where he ran 8.27 to finish 11^th in the finals. Brandon Adams of Minooka ran 49.33 to finish fourth in the 400 Meter Dash.

Here are highlights from some of the other meets that took place across the state this weekend

Lockport Boys Quad

John Meyer of Lockport Township started his season in the ring in what you could call successful. Meyer, who should be one of the top athletes nationally in the Shot Put, had one of the three marks in the event count Thursday evening. Meyer’s put of 65-6 places him third nationally in the event. He had two narrow fouls in his other attempts. Both fouls were over 68-feet. His progression this spring should be fun to watch.

Wheaton-Warrenville South Girls Invitational #2

Naperville North Girls Distance team ran their first race of the indoor season and first since their second-place finish at last December’s Nike Cross Nationals. The Lady Huskies seemed not to miss a step in taking the first seven spots in the 1600 Meter Run. Sarah Schmitt led the way winning the race with the state’s fastest time at this distance (5:01.89). Hannah Ricci was next (5:08.32) followed by Alex Morris (5:08.95) and Claire Hill (5:12.01). Four of the top six runners in the state in the 1600 Meter Run are from Naperville North. The team had 12 runners that ran under 6-minutes in that race.

Halle Bieber, the defending 3A 300-meter hurdle champion, started her season by running 8.75 to win the 55 Meter Hurdles. The Shot Put was also good in this meet with Sarah Wastek of Naperville North winning the event with a 39-0.25 put (IL #3). Tonjalaya Yarbar of Wheaton-Warrenville South finished second (37-10, IL #7).

Homewood-Flossmoor Boys Meet #2

Neuqua Valley’s distance dominated in this meet just as Naperville North did in their Girls meet. The Wildcats took the top eight places in the 1600 Meter Run as Zach Kinne led the way running the fastest time in the state in this event (4:17.43). Ryan Kennedy finished second (4:23.73) followed by Tyler Bombacino (4:24.48). The team had 15 runners finish under five minutes.

Homewood-Flossmoor’s Joshua Bridges continued his strong early season by running 6.88 (IL #4) to win the 60 Meter Dash. His teammate Matthew Lewis-Banks ran 8.47 (IL #3) to win the 60 Meter Hurdles. Remember, spikes are not allowed on Homewood-Flossmoor’s track.

Triad Knights Invitational @ Principia College

Jermarrion Stewart of Collinsville had a great double in this meet winning both the 60 and 200 Meter Dash. It’s too bad that his performance of 21.61 in the 200 Meter Dash will not count. Officials placed the runners in that event on the wrong starting spots placing them on the lines for the 400 Meter Dash start instead of the 200 Meter Dash start. Most of the runners ran near 181 to 183 meters. Stewart’s time of 7.00 (IL #6) did count in the 60 Meter Dash as he finished ahead of teammate Malcom Burns.

Franky Romano of Edwardsville had one of the top performances in the meet as he ran 1:58.67 (IL #2) to win the 800 Meter Run. Eli Ten Eyck of Pittsfield, who finished second in last year’s state 1A 1600 Meter Run, opened his season by running 4:30.06 to win that event by five second ahead of Shelbyville’s Ryan Skowronski (4:35.89).

Blake Neville of Edwardsville cleared 14-3 to win a highly competitive Pole Vault with Vandalia’s Zane Steele placing second (14-0).

East St. Louis-Senior looked strong throughout this meet. Marcus Lampley ran 52.62 to win the 400 Meter Dash. The Flyers also had some good relay performances. Their squad ran 8:21.75 to win the 3200 Meter Relay by more than 20 seconds ahead of Edwardsville. Their Frosh/Soph team had the fastest time in the 800 Meter Relay (1:35.33) to win their division. Belleville West ran 1:35.74 to win the Varsity division. The Flyers ended the meet by running 3:31.78 to win the 1600 Meter Relay by seven seconds ahead of Pleasant Plains.

Greg Foster Invitational

This meet in Hillside put up some good performances. Crete Monee’s Jamal Safo ran the state’s fastest time in winning the 55 Meter Dash (6.48) ahead of Romeoville’s Joe Otchere (6.63). Safo came back to run 22.91 to win the 200 Meter Dash. He was not done as jumped 22-4.50 for the win in the High Jump and his third win of the meet.

Eddie Siuda of Downers Grove South ran the season’s best time in the 3200 Meter Run (9:39.51) in winning by ten seconds ahead of Matthew Blanco of Oswego East (9:49.37).

Andra Ward of Cahokia jumped a state leading 46-8.75 in the Triple Jump two weeks ago at the Vanderbilt HS Invitational. He came close to that mark in this meet jumping 46-0 for the win. Stefan Baldwin of Crete-Monee cleared 6-6 to win the High Jump.

York Girls Invitational #2

The most exciting race of this Friday night meet came in the 1600 Meter Run. Hinsdale Central’s Grace McCabe did most of the pacing duties until her teammate Kayla Byrne and York’s Sarah May passed her with under three laps to go in the race. Byrne and May stayed even until the final 100-meters when May passed Byrne on the curve. The York junior used some lapped runners down the final straight away to help her hold off Byrne for the win. May ran an indoor best 5:08.64 (IL #3) to hold off Byrne (5:08.92, IL #4). McCabe finished in third (5:13.21, IL #7).

Bella Pisani of Hinsdale Central ran an indoor personal best of 2:20.03 (IL #7) to win the 800 Meter Run winning by four seconds ahead of teammate Gilley Filer.

The big winner of the night was Naomi Egharevba of Naperville Central who won three running events. The junior started out by running 43.24 to win the 300 Meter Dash. She followed that up by running 7.67 to win the 55 Meter Dash. Her third win came in the 200 Meter Dash as she crossed the line in 27.52. Egharevba also led of Naperville Central’s 800 Meter Relay team that finished third behind Hinsdale Central (1:51.93) and Barrington (1:53.11).

Molly Fitzpatrick of Barrington had the fastest time of the night in either level of the 400 Meter Dash as she ran 63.03 for the win on the Frosh/Soph level. Earlier in the evening, she ran a 2:25.1 split on Barrington’s Frosh Soph 3200 Meter Relay team. Fitzpatrick earned all-state honors last November at the 3A State Cross Country Meet.

Clinton Early Bird Invitational @ Shirk Center, Illinois Wesleyan University

Lucy Rulon of St. Thomas More was the only individual double winner in this meet. The senior jumped 17-0.25 to win the Long Jump. She came back to clear 5-2 to win the High Jump. Her teammate Fran Hendrickson won on the track running 5:24.05 to win the 1600 Meter Run.

Campbell Petersen made her high-school track debut a successful one. The Dunlap freshman ran a sizzling 11:15.30 (IL #1) to win the 3200 Meter Run ahead of teammate Ayah Aldadah (11:32.93). The next runners were more than a minute behind Aldadah.

Clinton’s Payne Turney won the 800 Meter Run (2:23.44) six seconds ahead of Rock Island’s Jade Ford.

UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY HS INV RESULTS

ILLINOIS RESULTS

YORK GIRLS INV #2 VIDEOS

PLAINFIELD SOUTH BOYS INVITATIONAL #1 VIDEOS