HS girls’ track: State qualifiers galore in Macoupin County
Payton Harding and Hannah Gibson. Photo provided.
By JACKSON WILSON
Enquirer Democrat Reporter
Macoupin County is once again going to be well-represented at this year’s IHSA girls’ state track meet.
Athletes from Carlinville, Staunton, Gillespie, North Mac, Bunker Hill and Mt. Olive all made the cut at the Class 1A Riverton sectional.
The Carlinville duo of Hannah Gibson and Payton Harding claimed the top two spots in the shot put and discus events. Gibson won the shot put with a 10.94m throw and Harding landed the discus title at 36.50m. Harding threw a 10.82m personal record in the shot put and Gibson finished with a 32.90m distance in the discus.
Mt. Olive’s Chloe Green also qualified for the state shot put in the third and final slot at 10.80m.
Emma Crawford of North Mac won first place in the 100m hurdles (15.81s), 300m hurdles (47.39s) and long jump (5.57m). Zoey Watkins of Bunker Hill will additionally be joining Crawford in the state 300m hurdles after finishing second place in 50.37s.
Kaelyn Swift, another talented North Mac athlete, qualified in the 100 and 200-meter events, placing runner-up in both. She ran the 100-meter in 12.49s and the 200-meter in 27.15s.
Asher Ronan additionally joined the North Mac individual qualifiers as she earned a runner-up ranking in the pole vault (2.76m).
North Mac also qualified for the 4×100 and 4×200 relay state finals. Swift, Lakin Whited, Addison Cole and Klara Stricker captured the 4×100 sectional crown in 50.98s. Swift, Whited and Cole also were part of the unit that placed second only to Father McGivney in the 4×200 with a final time of 1:50.52. Ronan rounded out North Mac’s 4×200 lineup.
Other Macoupin County state qualifiers included Lilly Trettenero of Staunton and Amari Vickery of Gillespie. Trettenero won the pole vault sectional title (3.13m) and placed fifth in the 100-meter dash (12.85s).
Vickery qualified for the high jump, placing fourth overall at 1.57m.
The IHSA girls’ state finals are Thurs., May 22 to Sat., May 24 at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.
Look for boys’ sectional coverage from May 21 in next week’s issue of the Macoupin County Enquirer Democrat.
