Lady Yellow Jackets finish runner-up

Posted May 14, 2017 11:00 pm

By Jim Beers Contributing Writer

The Chester High School Lady Yellow Jackets will send its 1,600-meter relay team and individuals in eight events to the IHSA's state track meet at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston this week after finishing runner-up at their own Class 1A sectional on May 12.

All nine will compete in the prelims Thursday and those that qualify for the finals will return to compete on Saturday, May 20.

"I am very proud of the girls for their hard work at the sectional meet," said Chester coach Jenny Stumpe. "I believe that we qualified the most individual events in school story with eight and we are also sending one relay team for a total of nine events. I am super proud."

To qualify for the state meet, individuals or relay teams had to either finish first or second in their respective events or meet a qualifying time in running events or qualifying mark in field events.        There were 19 schools represented at the Chester Sectional including Randolph County schools Christ Our Savior Lutheran, Red Bud, Sparta and Steeleville.

"Our girls fought hard throughout the meet and worked hard to earn each and every point possible," Stumpe said. "They knew that even fifth or sixth place finishes are important and they battled to get every point they could."

Nashville won the event with 105 points, only 9.5 points ahead of the second-place Lady Yellow Jackets. Okawville (60), Trenton Wesclin (49.5) and Lebanon (45) rounded out the top five.

Sparta finished in a tie for eighth with 28 points, while Red Bud took 14th with four points. Christ Our Savior Lutheran and Steeleville did not have enough athletes for a team score.

Katie Hoffman won a sectional title in the high jump with a leap of 5-2, while teammate Audrey Hopper tied for 12th with a jump of 4-3.

In the pole vault, Abby Myers and Nashville's Kylie Kozuszek tied for second with 7-6, while Wesclin's Cheyenne Doverspike (8-3) won the event. All three will be heading to EIU this week.

Chester's Jessica Kattenbraker jumped 33-6 in the triple jump        

The top jump of the day was Casey Berberich of Lebanon (34-09.50).

Chester's Maddie Hoffman earned a trip to state in the shot put with a throw of 34-8.5, with Nashville's Carli Hoffman winning the event with a distance of 35-5.5.

In the relays, Okawville won the 3,200 (10:16.31); Wesclin won the 400 (52.34) and 800 (1:49.08) and the Lady Yellow Jackets won the 1,600-meter with a time of 4:18.89 ((1:49.08).

In the 3,200-Meter Run, Elyse Faust of Breese Mater Dei was the winner (12:46.68), while Carly Carril of Sparta finished second.

Morgan Atchison, a CHS senior, won the 100-meter hurdles (15.34) and 300-meter hurdles (45.57). In the 100, the EIU track recruit broke Sarah Bindel's former school record.

In the 400-meter dash, Kattenbraker battled the entire lap with New Athens's Danika White, getting edged out at the line by only three-hundredths of a second with a time of 1:00.94.

Taylor Dunning, a CHS junior, fought hard in the 1,600-meter run, finishing second to Breese Mater Dei's Gretta Stark with a time of 5:52.27.

"I am very happy to have earned the right to advance to the state meet," Dunning said. "I intend to spend next week fine-tuning my approach and concentrating on winning my race at Charleston."

As the afternoon turned to evening, the final event of the meet was called to the starting line in the 1,600-meter relay. Atchison took the baton and was the first Chester runner out of the blocks.

She ran hard and had to grind out a great first lap against Nashville's Kylie Kozuszek, a sophomore.

With Chester in fourth place, Lady Yellow Jacket freshman Ashtyn Jany took the baton and took off like a woman possessed, propelling CHS into a battle for the lead.

 "It was the last race of the meet and I had not qualified for state in an event," Jany said. "I really wanted it.

"It was my last shot and I really wanted to do it for the team. The older girls have been great with us underclassmen."

The final lap was neck-and neck as Kattenbraker and Nashville's Jadah Heidel battled down the stretch.

At the finish line, Heidel edged out Kattenbraker by just 50 hundredths of a second with a time of 4:18.39, while Chester finished with 4:18.89.

"I am very proud of our girls," Stumpe said. "They qualified eight individual events and one relay and I couldn't be more proud.

"This week, I just want our girls to become comfortable with the fact that they are going to state."

Stumpe noted Jany's outstanding leg of the relay and how Nashville was expected to be the overwhelming favorite of the meet.

"Nashville was expected to win the sectional by 30 points on paper," Stumpe said. "We came out strong and confident and came within just nine-and-a-half points of winning the meet."

It should be noted that EIU is charging a $5 parking fee for parking on campus grounds for both the girls and boys state meets. School bus/vans transporting coaches and participants will not be charged.

Other Chester Results:

<ul>

<li> Discus</li>

</ul>

<li>Hannah Schweizer (99-08)</li>

<li>Maddie Hoffman (99-01)</li>

</ol>

<ul>

<li>1,600-Meter Relay</li>

</ul>

<li>Chester (10:36.45)</li>

</ol>

<ul>

<li> 400-Meter Relay</li>

</ul>

<li>Chester (52.68)</li>

</ol>

<ul>

<li> 3,200-Meter Run</li>

</ul>

<li>Jocelyn Landeros (17:19.75)</li>

</ol>

<ul>

<li> 100-Meter Dash</li>

</ul>

<li>Elyzabeth Mitchell (14.65)</li>

</ol>

<ul>

<li> 800-Meter Run</li>

</ul>

<li>Destiny Williams (2:37.37)</li>

<li>Addie Blechle (2:46.97)</li>

</ol>

<ul>

<li> 800-Meter Relay</li>

</ul>

<li>Chester (1:53.25)</li>

</ol>

<ul>

<li> 400-Meter Dash</li>

</ul>

<li>Audrey Hopper (1:12.19)</li>

</ol>

<ul>

<li> 300-Meter Hurdles</li>

</ul>

<li>Elyzabeth Mitchell</li>

</ol>

<ul>

<li> 1,600-Meter Run</li>

</ul>

<li>Avery Runge (6:14.85)</li>

</ol>

<ul>

<li> 200-Meter Dash</li>

</ul>

<li>Addie Blechle (30:43)</li>

</ol>

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