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Riverdale's Howell kicks it in high gear

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By Shannon Heaton | Saturday, May 10, 2008 1:00 AM CDT | () comments

ERIE, Ill. — First, there was the kick. After that, the smile.

Both were equally dazzling for Riverdale junior Kara Howell Friday night at the Class A Erie Sectional, as she kicked past Sterling Newman’s Amanda Trancoso to win the 800-meter run title.

“We had run together on Monday at conference. I led the entire race (up until the end),” Howell said of losing by nearly four seconds to Trancoso. “So this time, I didn’t really know what to do.”

What she did was kick past Trancoso coming around the final turn — and it’s Trancoso whose sprinter’s speed would usually be an advantage.

“I knew when I needed to start my kick, and I just went with it,” Howell said.

A bit later, she also won the 1,600 run, becoming the second Ram runner to win two individual titles Friday night. Fellow junior Alexa Allen was the first, getting pushes from TRAC-8 rivals Aubrey Franklin of Bureau Valley in the 100 hurdles and Fulton’s Allison DeWeerdt in the 300, taking both.

While Riverdale explored individual paths to sectional gold, host Erie/Prophetstown rode the relay train to two titles, with high jumper Karissa Hodge adding a third. The Panthers won by nearly five seconds in the 3,200 relay, adding another win in the 800 relay when anchor Annie DeBaillie held off Princeton sprinter Brittany Lowdermilk to give E/P a victory.

The victories helped Erie/Prophetstown finish second as a team, with 68 points. As they did in Monday’s TRAC-8 meet, Bureau Valley won the team title with 74.

“It was a great day. We were all prepared and ready for today, but Bureau Valley always seems to get us,” DeBaillie said. “The relays did very well (two firsts, a second and a fourth). We have a lot of good people, and when you have that, it makes the relays that much better.”

Morrison’s Erin Carney (long and triple jumps) and Fulton’s DeWeerdt (100 and 300 hurdles) both advanced to state in two individual events. Carney had been a stronger triple jumper during the season, but needed to qualify on distance to make it in that event. She was second with a very solid 16-foot, 8-inch effort in the long jump.

“Last year (as a freshman), I came really close (to getting to state). I was a second off in the 800, our 4-by-4 team was a second off and I was three inches short (in the triple jump),” Carney said.

DeWeerdt had a smile, too, after her timer told her she’d made it to state in the 100 hurdles. A bit later, she made sure in the 300, finishing just a step behind Allen.

“I knew, since I’d made it last year, I could get it again this year,” DeWeerdt said of qualifying. “I still didn’t run as well as I’d like.”