2011 - 2012 Girls Track Field Season: R-B relay sets school record at BNC meet

Richmond-Burton and Marengo both advanced seven entries into next week’s state meet.

For the second week in a row, R-B’s 4x100 relay set a season best by almost a full second. They ran 50.31 seconds to win the sectional.

“We’ve been doing hand-offs like crazy, every single day at practice,” said Tori Olker, the anchor leg. “We were all on [Friday].”

R-B senior Talia Sheedlo qualified for the state meet in all four of her events. She was part of the winning 4x100 relay, took first in the 100 hurdles and was second in the 300 low hurdles and triple jump.

“I really wanted that and I’m really happy with the outcome [Friday],” Sheedlo said. “I definitely want to get to [finals] in 100 hurdles.”

Marengo junior Katie Adams won the 3,200 and 1,600 in dominating fashion.

“This is the first year I’ve been positive I wanted to do both the two-mile and mile,” said Adams, who took second in the 1,600 at state last year. “Last year, I knew I wasn’t strong enough to do both.”

Marengo senior Allison Rogutich won the triple jump and advanced with a time of 15.91 in the 100 hurdles after placing third. She narrowly missed out in the long jump, coming up 3/4 inch short of the qualifying mark.

Bria Nelson was Harvard’s lone qualifier, taking fifth in the triple jump. Her mark of 34 feet, 10 inches was just two inches better than the qualifying mark. (NWHerald 5/12/12)

RB relay sets school record @ BNC meet ~

by Ross Jacobson rjacobson@shawmedia.com

RICHMOND – Richmond-Burton seniors Talia Sheedlo and Tori Olker couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was different about the Rockets’ 4x100-meter relay team Thursday at the Big Northern Conference girls meet.

Whether it was the warm weather or running on their home track, all they know for certain is their time was faster than any other relay team in R-B history.

Sheedlo and Olker, along with juniors Roxanne Kelly and Jordan Eisenberg, finished the 4x100 in 51.02 seconds, breaking the all-time school record and beating their previous season best by almost a full second. R-B finished second to Byron (50.97) in a photo finish.

“We have been hitting 52s and we hit a 51.9 once,” said Olker, the anchor leg. “We want to go to state.”

Burlington Central took home the conference team title for the second consecutive year with 101.5 points. Marengo (86) took third, Richmond-Burton (83) was fourth and Harvard (6) finished in 12th out of 13 teams.

Sheedlo captured two individual conference championships in the 100-meter hurdles and triple jump. While her marks didn’t match her season best, Sheedlo said it felt good to come away with a conference title after taking third in the triple jump last year.

“I didn’t even realize I did [hit a couple hurdles],” said Sheedlo, who also took fourth in the 300 hurdles. “It’s still conference, so I was definitely happy with winning.”

Marengo was led by senior Allison Rogutich, who scored in four events for the Indians, including a first-place finish in the long jump.

Rogutich woke up Thursday morning feeling ill, but gutted out second-place finishes in the triple jump, 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles. Rogutich will likely compete in Marengo’s 4x200 relay instead of the 300 hurdles at next week’s IHSA Class 2A Vernon Hills Sectional meet.

“My triple jump I was really consistent, getting 35’s almost every time,” Rogutich said. “I knew I wanted to compete today.”

Marengo sophomore Allie Sprague was the only other local double-winner, taking individual titles in the 800 and 1,600.

Sprague easily won the half-mile and then outpaced teammate Katie Adams on the last lap of the 1600 to win her second event of the day. Her time of 5:11.90 in the 1600 set a personal best.

“I feel like I had a lot more riding on the 1,600,” Sprague said. “I wanted to prove that I could do the 800 and the mile so I really wanted to get a good time and PR in the mile.” Adams won the 3200 earlier in the day, finishing in 11:15.

R-B senior Elizabeth Kaht took second in the pole vault and Kelly was the runner-up to Rogutich in the long jump.

Harvard’s Bria Nelson took fourth in the triple jump while senior Kassie Wallner also scored points for the Hornets with a sixth-place finish in the 400. (NWHerald 5/4/12)

Conference meets: The Fox Valley Conference, Big Northern Conference and Suburban Christian Conference all will hold their girls track and field meets today.

The FVC Meet starts at 4:30 p.m. at Huntley. Cary-Grove will be the heavy favorite to win its fourth consecutive title there. Sprinter Sarah Ryan and hurdler Kathie Wollney lead the way for the Trojans, who won the McHenry County Meet by a large margin.

Richmond-Burton hosts the BNC Meet at 4 p.m. The Rockets have solid depth and could be one of the top teams. Marengo also should score some big points with Katie Adams, Allison Rogutich and Allie Sprague. (NWHerald 5/3/12)

Rocket Relays: At Richmond, Hampshire captured first-place finishes in seven events on the way to the team title (109 points) at the 20th annual Lady Rocket Relays.

Richmond-Burton finished second (95), while Marengo took third (73). Marian Central placed fourth (71.5). (NWHerald 4/27/12)

Richmond-Burton triangular: At Richmond, Roxanne Kelly and Talia Sheedlo each won three events for Richmond-Burton, which won the meet with 117 points. Burlington Central (43) was second, and North Boone (26) was third.

Kelly took the long jump (13-9.5), the triple jump (34-0.5) and the 200 (28.04 seconds). Sheedlo won the 100 hurdles (14.98 seconds), the 100 (12.92 seconds), and the 300 low hurdles (47.72). (NWHerald 4/24/12)

Woodstock Invitational: Richmond-Burton defeated Woodstock North, 6-1. Brogan Etten homered and drove in two runs for the Rockets. R-B’s Haylea Hoskins allowed one run in a complete-game effort in the circle. (NWHerald 4/22/12)

McHenry County Track & Field Meet:

By JOE STEVENSON – joestevenson@shawmedia.com~  Huntley’s Omo Tseumah won the high jump (5-6), McHenry’s Taylor Szamlewski won the shot put (35-9) and Richmond-Burton’s Elizabeth Kaht won the pole vault (10 feet).

Tseumah’s jump was remarkable considering the sub-50-degree temperatures and brisk winds.

“For me, it’s a mental challenge [in the cold],” Tseumah said. “You know your body can do it. I didn’t know what to think at first because the [approach] apron here is different and I had to adjust how I curved in.”

Tseumah cleared 5-8 at the Kaneland Invitational last weekend and tried that height Thursday, but missed. That would have been a meet record.

The pole vault victory for Kaht was a bit surprising because Crystal Lake South senior Lexi Dahl came in with an opening height of 10 feet, but missed on three attempts.

“I still have improvements to make, but it was one of my better days, in terms of technique,” Kaht said. “I was swinging my legs up better, but I’m losing a little when I let them fall to the side.”

Dahl broke her favorite pole, a 12-6 pole rated at 155 pounds, in warmups.

“That’s my baby,” said Dahl, whose personal best is 11-3. “I had to use a 12-6, 150, and it was too mushy, there wasn’t enough pop. It was different after practicing on that pole all week. I was just talking to someone on the bus over here and they asked me if I ever saw a pole break. I said, ‘Just once. That never happens.’ ” (NWHerald 4/20/12)

Tumbling helps: Richmond-Burton senior Talia Sheedlo took two individual firsts, a second and anchored the Rockets’ winning 4x100 relay at the Reeves Invitational. Sheedlo said her tumbling work as a cheerleader has helped her with running and jumping. R-B coach Keith Forth said it also has helped junior Jordan Eisenberg.

“Talia leads off the 4x100 and is just dynamite out of the blocks,” Forth said. “She eats everybody up at the start. I’m very proud of her, she’s a great competitor.”

R-B won the Reeves Invitational with 132 points. (NWHerald 4/17/12)

Give & take: Marengo Ed Reeves Invitational~

RB's Sheedlo, Marengo's Rogutich split duel

by Joe stevenson joestevenson@shawmedia.com

MARENGO – Richmond-Burton senior Talia Sheedlo has a good idea what has boosted her performances.

“I did a lot of tumbling as a cheerleader, and it’s really helping with my extra power,” Sheedlo said.

Sheedlo battled one of the area’s top athletes, Marengo’s Allison Rogutich, in two events at Saturday’s Marengo Ed Reeves Track and Field Invitational. Sheedlo edged Rogutich in the 100-meter high hurdles, while Rogutich won by 4 inches in the triple jump.

Sheedlo also won the 300 hurdles and led off the Rockets’ winning 4x100 relay team as R-B won the girls meet with 134 points. Marengo (120) was second and Hampshire (113) was third at Rod Poppe Fields. Sheedlo, Jordan Eisenberg, Roxanne Kelly and Tori Olker teamed up to win the 4x100.

Woodstock won the boys meet with 155 points, well ahead of Harvard (107) and R-B (77). The meet also awards a co-ed trophy for highest combined scores, which Woodstock won with 242 points, ahead of R-B (211) and Marengo (175).

Sheedlo already has run the state-qualifying time in the high hurdles and also has made the state-qualifying distance in triple jump this season.

“I love racing against [Rogutich],” said Sheedlo, whose win in the high hurdles was almost a dead heat. “We’re right there with each other all the time.”

That performance should bode well for Sheedlo since Rogutich took fourth in the Class 2A 100 high hurdles at last year’s IHSA Girls State Meet.

“We’ve always had a friendly competition,” Rogutich said. “She’s really breaking through and is going to be great. It’s exciting to have competition with her at meets like this.”

Marengo’s Allie Sprague was one of Saturday’s stars as she set meet records in the 800 (2:17.49) and 1,600 (5:12.69). She defeated Hampshire’s Cassie Kruse in the 800 and Woodstock’s Maura Beattie in the 1,600.

“That makes me really excited,” Sprague said. “I hope I can keep this up through the season and do this at state.”

Sheedlo, Sprague, Rogutich (triple and long jumps) and Hampshire’s Ashley Fouch (100, 200) were double winners on the girls’ side. R-B’s Elizabeth Kaht set the meet record at 10-0 in the pole vault.

Woodstock’s boys showed their strength in the relays, winning the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400. Tyler Parson won the 100 high hurdles and was second in the 300 intermediate hurdles for the Blue Streaks, who also got firsts from Donte Arnold (triple jump) and Kyle Oleson (high jump).

“The only thing I’m disappointed in is Donte false starting in the 300s,” Parsons said. “He would have won that. I feel pretty good in the highs. I’ve beaten my [personal record] in almost every single meet. I want to qualify for state on time this year and not just because I won my [sectional] race.”

The Streaks’ junior ran 15.14 to win Saturday, edging closer to the 14.94 qualifying time.

Marengo’s Torben Hoffmeyer won the 1,600 and finished second in the 3,200 to Johnsburg’s. (NWHerald 4/15/12)

RB 109, Harvard 37: @ Harvard, Talia Sheedlo won the tirple jump (33-9), 110 high hurdles (15.7) & the 300 intermediate hurdles (47.8) for the Rockets in a BNC East Division win.  (NWHerald 4/13/12)

RB 85, Marengo 75, GK 26: @ Genoa, RB senior Talia Sheedlo took first in the 100 meter high hurdles (15.11), 300-meter low hurdles (50.65) & the triple jump (36-0-5) as the Rockets won the BNC East division triangular.  (NWHerald 4/4/12)

Girls track & field season: RB

Coach: Keith Forth (23rd Season)

Last year's finish: Sixth in BNC

Key returning athletes: Tori Olker, sr., sprints, LJ; Jordan Eisenberg, jr., PV, sprints, middle distance; Elizabeth Kaht, sr., PV, sprints; Roxanne Kelly, jr., sprints, TJ; Talia Sheedlo, sr., hurdles, TJ; April Wanagas, sr., distance; Skylar Bayer, jr., distance; Andrea Fox, jr., throws; Lydia Moore, sr., throws; Marissa Woodward, jr., throws

Top new athletes: Allyson Brandal, fr., sprints; Alexis Nelson, fr., middle distance

Worth noting: RB has been represented at the state meet for 19 consecutive years & is trying to make it 20.....Sheedlo (110 high hurdles), Kaht (PV) & Eisenberg (PF) all ranked in the NW Herald Honor Roll last year.  (NWHerald 4/3/12)