Emotional Dykema misses finals at Illinois Class AA state track meet
CHARLESTON, Ill. — This was not the way Alyx Dykema’s high school throwing career was supposed to end, and the tears she couldn’t keep away were proof of it.
“I’m sorry, I’m trying to hold these back,” Dykema said.
But, clearly, the Geneseo senior’s inability to make finals for the third time in as many years at the Class AA state girls track and field meet bothered her Friday afternoon.
And, just adjacent to O’Brien Stadium on the Eastern Illinois University campus, it took her several minutes to regain her composure after finishing 18th with a throw of 121-feet-4, 8 feet shy of her personal-best and 5 1/2 feet shorter than what she needed to reach today’s finals (start time 11 a.m.).
“I had a good throw at conference, I surprised myself with the 129,” Dykema said. “Going after that school record, though, it’s tough to be so close and not hit it. I knew it was going to be a tough field. I figured I was going to have to PR to have a chance.”
She was right. She got her best throw on her last throw, but it was not enough.
“I had a fun senior season. I didn’t improve from my sophomore year to my junior year, so it was fun to improve senior year,” Dykema said.
Dykema’s teammate, senior Andrea Egan, was the next closest local in the event, which was the only one in the 18-event field to boast three Quad-City qualifiers. Egan was 29th, with a throw of 112-2, also several feet short of her personal best.
“It was just really exciting to get here. Making it to state is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Egan said. “Still, it would have been nice to PR here.”
Egan admitted to having nerves in her first state appearance. “It wasn’t when I woke up, but when I got here, with all of these other throwers,” she said. “(Today) we’ll come back and watch the finals and cheer on any locals, hopefully.”
Unfortunately, there weren’t any who qualified. United Township senior Rachel Medina — by virtue of her sectional performance last weekend in Ottawa — was placed in the best heat with some of the state’s titans. The experience was daunting, and Medina wound up 27th overall, finishing at 113-10.
“I saw that girl (Grant’s Bailey Wagner, who set a new state record with a throw of 157-8) throw in the 150s and 148. It was an intimidating experience,” Medina admitted. “The wind was kind of playing tricks out there and sitting around all day didn’t help much. But it was a good experience today. I’m glad I got to experience this.”