By Scott Taylor
@Taylor_Sports
The Joliet West 4×100-meter relay team came into the Ottawa Sectional meet with the highest seed time.
While the Tiger quartet of Brandy Teague, Shyasia Baker, Kristine Bourg and Melzina Johnson were unable to win the race Thursday, they were able to take second and qualify for state with a time of 49.11.
“It feels really good, especially with it being my senior year,” Bourg said. “Last year was my first year of track and made it down last year and with everyone returning and making it back down again is the cherry on top.”
“I’m so excited,” Baker said. “We ran as hard as we could. Our team gets along really well and we’re going to do really good at state.”
They hope to improve their handoffs to make it to the state finals, which would guarantee them a medal. State is Friday and Saturday at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.
“It is pretty exciting,” Teague said. “I hope we peak next week because it has never been perfect, so hopefully next week it is. The goal is to medal. We need to get better handoffs.”
Johnson also qualified individually in a pair of events, advancing in the long jump (17-feet, 8.75-inches) and 100 (12.28).
“I’m most proud of the long jump,” Johnson said. “We have six jumps and it took me my last jump to qualify. I’m real proud of that. It feels good to qualify in the 100 for the first time and am excited about that.”
While she has two chances to medal individually at state, Johnson feels the relay is her best chance.
“I want to leave Charleston with a medal around my neck,” Johnson said. “I’m really confident with the 4×1. I love it and we all give it all we got. We want to surprise everybody.”
•The Minooka distance team garners the headlines after winning state in cross country, but it was Brooklyn Bachmann in the pole vault who came through with a personal record in the pole vault to advance to state for the first time, finishing with a vault of 10-6.
“Coming out here today I really wanted to get 10-3, which is three inches above my PR,” Bachmann said. “I wasn’t sure at first with the wind, but once I got my jumps in and everyone was supportive, I knew I was going to qualify for state, and when I did, it was probably one of the best feelings of my life.”
The three-sport athlete is going to enjoy her trip to the state meet and hopes to set a new mark.
“A PR at state would be really nice,” Bachmann said. “But I’m going to state for the experience and I want to compete. Whatever happens, happens, I’m just glad I made it down there.”
Emily Shelton has high hopes for state and after her performance at the sectional, she should.
The sophomore completed the double dip by winning both the 3200 (10:42.07) and 1600 (5:05.34).
She hopes to have a pair of medals after next week.
“I want to go top five next week (in the 3200),” Shelton said. “I also want to get a PR. I want to make all-state in the 1600 as well.”
Ashley Tutt will join her teammate in the 3200 after placing second with a time of 10:51.48.
Mackenzie Callahan is headed to state in the 800 after placing third in 2:18.95.
•Lockport tied with Downers Grove North for fourth place with 47 points in the Lockport Sectional meet, sending five events to this weekend’s IHSA Class 3A state track and field meet.
The Porters advanced the 800-meter relay team Jaclyn Greci, Jacqueline Mathius, Tori Aguilar and Grace Gliwa, who placed second in a time of 1 minute, 43.63 seconds.
Gerci also advanced in the 200 dash in a time of 25.65 seconds, placing fourth.
Carolyn Dietz won the sectional title in the pole vault with a leap of 10-feet, 3-inches, while Drew Litynski advanced in the triple jump with a fifth-place leap of 36-05.
Junior Morgan Bollinger won the sectional title in the 3200 run in 11:21.78, defeating Downers Grove South’s Katie Stapleton.
Bollinger is advancing to state for the third straight season, advancing for the first time since her freshman year.
“Last year, our 4×800 relay advanced and I made it in the 1600 as a freshman,” she said. “It feels really awesome to win. I was sick all this week, so I was pretty nervous going in and I knew I had to gut 10 seconds from what I did two weeks ago to hit qualifying. I did the same time this week, but I went for place today and battled hard with some of the best kids in the state. It was windy today, so I just wanted to stay by her and try not to break away and at the end give it all I had. There was a girl closing in and if we were going for top two, I knew I had to keep that position.”