Track and field: McHenry girls, Jacobs boys take McHenry County team titles

CARY – McHenry senior Skyler Balzer said she does not usually thrive in cold and windy conditions, but she fared well on Friday night.

Balzer and teammate Danielle Jensen combined for 34 points in the two individual distance races at the McHenry County Track and Field Meet at Cary-Grove’s Al Bohrer Field to lead the Warriors to the team title with 113 points.

Defending champion Prairie Ridge was second with 107.

Balzer and Jensen ran the 3,200 together the entire way, with Jensen winning by .05. Balzer took off with just more than a lap to go in the 1,600 and held off Crystal Lake South’s Abby Machesky for first. Jensen took third.

“It was definitely a challenge,” Balzer said. “I don’t always do well in the cold and the wind, so I had to really push through.

“I heard my coach yelling, ‘Arms!’ I tried to move my arms the best I could and try my best in that final lap. It was super exciting (to win as a team), especially coming in second last year, this is a good step forward.”

Jacobs won the boys team title with 107 1/2 points, ahead of Richmond-Burton (98 1/2) and Crystal Lake Central (90 1/2). The Golden Eagles sealed the team victory with Max Sudrzynski and Matt Andreano going 2-3 in the 1,600 and Jackson Cook winning the 200 before the final event, the 4x400 relay.

McHenry’s Brianna Amedio, Mackenzie Grieve, Kelly Huerta and Avery Stinger won the 4x100 and 4x200 relays and Gabi Grasser won the long jump.

“This year we’ve all been working really well together, especially with our sophomores,” said Huerta, who was second in the 100 and fourth in the 200. “We’ve gotten stronger as a team and working really well. Although we’ve missed people here and there, we’ve filled their spots and girls are really good at putting in the work.”

Prairie Ridge’s Olivia McPherson, Brenna Benjamin, Faith Wilder and Lila Stewart won the 4x800 relay. Stewart came back and won the 800 and Wilder won the 400. Katie Jewell was second in the 200 and 400 and third in the 100.

Woodstock North’s Ashley Janeczko repeated as champion in the shot put and discus, throwing personal best in the shot at 11.20 meters (36 feet, 9 inches).

“I was loose and ready to throw and had a great release,” said Janeczko, who will throw at NCAA Division III Dubuque next year. “I’m really happy with that. It feels really great (to repeat in both). I’m very excited about that, it’s a great experience.

“I’ve been PR’ing a lot recently. To come here and PR in shot and close to PR in disc, I’m pretty excited for the end of the season.”

Johnsburg’s Caitlyn Casella won the 100 and 200 in two tight races. Casella’s 12.19 in the 100 broke Crystal Lake Central’s Celesta Madda’s 2014 meet record of 12.38. Huerta (12.29) and Jewell (12.34) also beat the old record.

Andreano usually runs the 800, but moved to the 3,200 and won that race before finishing right behind Sudrzynski in the 1,600.

“We brought it together as a whole team,” Andreano said. “We went for the team win tonight instead of being more individualized. We got a lot of team wins in certain events and it was a good overall effort from everyone.

“I was going into the 3,200 trying to win it. In the 1,600, I was just trying to get extra points and close it off. Just score as well as I can.”

Khristos Oludimu (triple jump) joined Andreano and Cook as county champions.

R-B dominated the sprint relays, winning the 4x100 with Ethan Hile, Max Loveall, Noah Gammel and Jack Martens. The Rockets also won the 4x200 (Hile, Nick Kyes, Loveall and Martens) and 4x400 (Jayson Wold, Oscar Bonilla, Loveall and Martens).

Cary-Grove throwers Reece Ihenacho and Logan Abrams combined for 36 points as Ihenacho and Abrams went 1-2 in the discus and the reverse order in the shot put.

Ihenacho, the Class 3A state discus runner-up last year, threw his career-best 57.53 (188-9) to win by more than 30 feet. That is the top throw in the state this season.

A stiff crosswind was not ideal for throwers, but Ihenacho still finished strong with his last throw as the best.

“It made me focus more on getting the disc flat,” he said. “I was a little too high today, I need to keep it lower. I waited for the wind to die down. It would have been great for lefty throwers.

“Just having everybody clap and turning off my mind and throwing it far. I’m excited. I’m hoping Monday to break 60 here, my last home meet.”

McHenry pole vaulter Zeke Galvicius narrowly missed at 4.57 meters (15-6) to break his own meet record, but won his third county title in a row.