Allman “repeats” in 1600 at NCC Cardinal Girls Classic

Three of first four events produce state bests; Wheaton-Warrenville South wins 2 relays including state lead in the 4x4

By Michael Newman [email protected]

Naperville, Ill – It was a bittersweet experience for Glenbard West’s Audrey Allman as she stepped on the track at North Central College’s Res/Rec Center Thursday evening. Two years ago, at the NCC Cardinal Girls HS Classic, Allman won the 1600 Meter Run at this meet going under five-minutes for the first time. A week later, all track & field was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

RESULTS | VIDEOS

“I’ve been yearning to come back here after my sophomore year,” Allman explained after the meet. “The junior year was so odd with all the precaution we had to take. We had no indoor season. It was god to be back here to see what I could do.”

What Allman did was had a great night to actually kick off her season. The first meets that Glenbard West had were on smaller 160-meter sized tracks. She stepped up big time being involved with two great legs in relays for her team and an individual race where she decimated the field in the 1600 Meter Run.

Allman was scheduled to anchor her team in the 4x800m Relay. Her teammates kept close to the lead. Wheaton-Warrenville South had a strong first two legs to take the lead from Annie Macabobby and Nicole Poglitsch. The third leg became a little closer as Lyons Township and Oswego trading off the lead the first three laps with South holding on and Glenbard West moving up throughout the pack.

Allman got the baton in fourth place. That lasted only one lap as the senior took over the lead with three laps in the race. That was the ballgame for the rest of the field. Allman looked comfortable throughout running a 2:17.5 anchor leg to bring home the win and the fastest time of the season in the state with a 9:43.29.

Three other teams in this race also went under the previous state best. Lyons Township moved in the final lap to capture second (9:49.37) ahead of Wheaton-Warrenville South (9:53.78) and Oswego (9:56.90).

That relay was just a prelude to what was to happen in the 1600 Meter Run. Freshman Emma Berres of Naperville North pushed the pace early in the final section going past the first 400-meters in 70.2 seconds. Allman stayed close to the front along with Holly Johnson of Downers Grove South as the pace strung this early pack out.

It was a matter of when Allman was going to take the lead. She looked just as relaxed as the relay. It was sooner rather than later as she took the lead just before 800-meters passing that point in 2:26. She threw in another 76 400 in the next two laps passing 1200-meters in 3:42.

It did not seem effortless but looking at this runner’s face it appeared to be so. She passed with one lap to go with a 10 second lead ahead of Johnson, Audra Soderlind of Oswego, and Berres. That lead grew in the final lap as she closed in a 73 second final 400 to win in an amazing 4:55.10 (IL #4).

“I went into this race wanting to feel good,” Allman said. “I ran my PR here two years ago. I did not necessarily want to top that. I just wanted to fell god during the race.”

Johnson lowered her personal best by nine seconds to run 5:07.15 (IL #7) to finish second. Soderlind followed a great race last week at Batavia to run 5:09.99 (IL #10) to finish third. Naperville North’s Berres (5:11.32) and Julie Piot (5:11.87) finished within a second of each other in fourth and fifth.

There were other storylines that played a big part int the return of this meet after a year hiatus. The success of the Wheaton-Warrenville South relay teams showed last year in the state meet where they earned all-state honors in the 4x200m and 4x400m relays.

They started off this season just where they left off. The Tigers were in the second of three sections of the 4x200m Relay in this meet. They took charge of the lead from the start of that sectional and pulled away for an over three second win ahead of Oswego. They now had to see where they placed as the final section was about to start.

Naperville North won the final section of the event but could not surpass the standard that South had set. The Tigers winning time was 1:47.84 (IL #7) finishing ahead of North (1:48.43, IL #10) and Oswego (1:51.02).

The state best of 4:16.01 by Hinsdale Central entering this meet had the top six finishers surpass that time with top seven teams in the event populating the leaderboards on top.

The first section had Lyons Township winning in 4:15.53 (IL #6) showing the times were going to be faster in this meet. Wheaton-Warrenville South showed that was true in the next section. A 61 second anchor leg from Sydney Anton gave the Tigers the win in what was a state leading time of 4:10.50. They then had to wait again for the outcome of the final race of the night. Metea Valley won that section but fell short of South’s time running 4:12.55 in finishing second overall.

Hinsdale Central finished third (4:14.40) ahead of Glenbard West (4:14.43), Naperville North (4:14.46), Lyons Township, and Lincoln-Way East (4:16.59). Allman ran a 62.7 opening leg for Glenbard West 28 minutes after winning the 1600 Meter Run.

OTHER MEET HIGHLIGHTS

The exploits of Allman in the distance events overshadowed what was a great night for Lincoln-Way East’s Mariam Azeez and Sophia Barnard. Three of the first four events on this track produced the fastest times in the state. Azeez and Barnard each had one.

Barnard has been hot early in this season, and it showed for her in the 55 Meter Hurdles. Barnard had the lead by the first hurdle on her way to the win and an 8.40 state leading time. Teammate Kendall Crossley finished second (9.01).

The state leading time in the 55 Meter Dash WAS 7.35 seconds. That was before Azeez left the blocks. The defending 3A champion in the 100 Meter Dash left the field behind her as she ran a state leading 7.22 for the win.

Kyla Harris of Metea Valley finished second in 7.34 (IL #2) ahead of 7.39 (IL #5 tie) run by Emma Kwak of Lyons Township. Barnard came right back to run a 7.45 to finish fifth. A good doble this early in the season for the senior.

Azeez also picked up two more event titles in this meet. She jumped 18-8.5 to win the Long Jump ahead of Denise Hernandez of Naperville North (17-11.25, IL #8). Azeez’s third win was when she ran 25.61 to win the 200 Meter Dash ahead of Barnard (26.39) who finished second.

Hinsdale Central picked up the other two wins in the distance races. Catie McCabe was by herself 300-meters into the 800 Meter Run. The junior ran 2:17.12 (IL #2) to win the race by over six seconds ahead of Amelia Bellizzi of St. Charles East (2:23.93).

Sarah Fischer of Hinsdale Central has looked strong this season first at York a few weeks ago and then Thursday night in the 3200 Meter Run. Fischer passed by 1600-meters in 5:32 and built up a good lead over this strong field. The junior went on for over a four second win running 11:10.98 (IL #8). Sarah Maggio of Metea Valley finished second (11:15.07) ahead of top five finishers Ava Hendren of Naperville Central (11:16.28), Logan Brennen of Naperville North (11:18.98), and Kelsey Casella of Downers Grove South (11:21.29).

Christina Gu of Naperville North won on the track in the 400 Meter Dash (1:00.47, IL #8).

The field events were great at this meet. One of the best might have been the Shot Put where two of the top five state performances were achieved. Na’Kiyah Robertson of Downers Grove South had a 38-11.75 put (IL #4) to win the event. Courtney Clabough of Yorkville had a 38-0 best (IL #5) to finish second. Clabough’s older brother Kyle is the defending 3A Boys state champion in the event.

Three athletes went over 11-feet in the Pole Vault. Jaiden Knoop of Lincoln-Way East and Nina Wintermute of Glenbard West both cleared 11-5 in the event. Knoop won on fewer misses. Samantha Nepras of Wheaton-Warrenville South cleared 11-1 to finish third.

Madeline Andelbrandt of Naperville North cleared 5-3.5 to win the High Jump. Jaimie Clemmons of Lincoln-Way East jumped 35-6.5 to win the Triple Jump.