McKenna Van Tilburg shines at Herscher Invite; area girls win 8 events

HERSCHER − Eight of the 18 events on the girls side of the Herscher Invite on Friday were won by athletes representing the 13 area schools competing in the late-season meet.

While Wilmington (44 points) placed sixth as a team, the Wildcats got a boost from perhaps the strongest individual performance of the meet. It came from freshman McKenna Van Tilburg who picked up three first-place finishes, the most of any athlete in individual events, and one second-place finish.

She won the 100 meters (12.42 seconds), 110 hurdles (15.93), 300 hurdles (46.11) and finished a very close second in the 200 meters (25.35), only 0.02 seconds out of first.

Van Tilburg said that the support of her team has made her first year of high school track enjoyable and helped her push harder.

“Everybody is really helpful with the workouts and pushing each other,” she said. “Everyone cheering for each other at the end of my races, or in any race, and telling me if someone is close or not, that pushes me.”

Wilmington head coach Stephanie Stickel said that it has been great to coach Van Tilburg through her first season and nice to see her find as much success as she has.

“She has a lot of grit and determination, and she likes to be challenged,” Stickel said. “She’s such a good kid, humble and kind and all the good things that you can ask from an athlete with this much talent.”

Beecher's Brooklynn Burdick runs the 3,200 m race at the Herscher Invite Friday, May 2, 2025. (Mason Schweizer)

Beecher placed 12th as a team (20) and got a first-place finish out of senior Brooklyn Burdick in the 3,200 meters (11:45.00). That was a new PR for Burdick, who said having fresh legs Friday helped her cut some time.

“Our last meet was probably about a week ago, so I was feeling extra good coming into today,” she said. “I felt great the first probably 2,600 or so but the rest kind of took it out of me. But I knew I had to finish so I opened my stride and just kind of let the wind take me.”

Burdick is looking to finish her senior year as strong as she can. With this being the first season she has focused fully on track rather than splitting time with soccer, Beecher head coach David Smulson said that the extra dedication can help her wrap things up on a high note.

“This year she’s focused all her attention on track, and it’s really shown,” he said. “She ran 30 seconds faster than the qualifying time for state today [in the 3,200]. ... It’s phenomenal seeing her run well and lead the team, as well.”

Reed-Custer placed third overall (47) and got two first-place finishes, one by Alyssa Wollenzien in the high jump (1.55 m) another by Sophia Burciaga in the pole vault (3.13 m). Central placed seventh (33) and had Lia Prairie take first in the discus (34.77 m). Manteno’s Klarke Goranson won the 800 meters (2:13.12) as the Panthers finished ninth (28).

Elsewhere on the girls side, Herscher placed fifth (45), Coal City was eighth (30), Kankakee was 11th (24) with a small squad of girls who didn’t travel to the Urbana Invite, Bishop McNamara was 13th (18), Peotone was 14th (16), Iroquois West and Momence tied for 15th with Tri-Point (9), while Watseka came in 18th (8).