Q-C area teams make finals at Illinois Class A girls state meet

By Shannon Heaton | Saturday, May 17, 2008

CHARLESTON, Ill. — The 1,600-meter relay has been the province of Illinois Quad-City area Class A teams.

In 2006, Sherrard won the state title in this event at O’Brien Stadium, finishing second last year (taking top team honors along the way) and third in 2005. Annawan/Wethersfield medaled last year, and Erie/Prophetstown medaled in each of the past two years.

This year, it seemed to figure that local teams would have a big say in the relay, as Annawan/Wethersfield boasted the fastest sectional time, with Sherrard third and Knoxville and Rockridge not far off the pace.

The locals, for the most part, didn’t disappoint. Though Annawan/Wethersfield was nipped at the finish line during its heat race, qualifying fifth overall, and Sherrard nabbed the ninth and last qualifying spot by finishing third in its heat race, it was a good first day overall. Finals begin today at 11 a.m., with field events, track finals beginning at 12:15 p.m.

“A nap’s the first order of business,” Titans anchor Natalie Fargher confessed after leading off or anchoring four relay events Friday. “I tried to catch the leader with 75 (meters) to go, but I just couldn’t do it,” she said refering to the 1,600 relay.

Both Annawan/Wethersfield and Sherrard showed the effects of a long morning and early afternoon, but the Titans did hold the lead down the stretch of the second leg and the entirety of the third leg — during the 1,600 relay — with Brooke Buresh running that one. Annawan/Wethersfield also qualified in the 3,200 and 800 relays.

“We may not have run our best, but we still pushed it, and I’m pretty sure we made it to finals,” Buresh said.

Sherrard nabbed the last spot in the 1,600 relay thanks to a strong second leg from Sarah Boraas and a strong third from Lacey Hainline. Despite anchor Shelbie Pettie still feeling the effects from the 1,600, where she collapsed at the finish line, Pettie willed herself into the third spot in her first race, good for ninth overall.

Sherrard qualified three relays (400 and 800 as well as the 1,600), plus four individuals. Though defending the team title will be tough, the Tigers have a strong top-five chance.

“I didn’t want to let the team down today,” Pettie said. “Our senior (Raeann Anderson), it would be her last 4x4, and I wanted to do it for her, when it all comes down to it.”