Illinois IHSA Outdoor State Championships – News – Road to Charleston

Road to Charleston – A view of the 2023 IHSA 1A Girls Sectional Distance Events

By Michael Newman

Ahry Comer of Pope County and Kennady Anderson of Kewanee Wethersfield will look to repeat qualifying in three distance events like they did in their sectional meets. The two juniors were all-state in all three events last May. Comer is the defending state champion in the 800 Meter Run.

Elana Rybak of Father McGivney has some of the top times in Class 1A in both the 800 Meter Run and 1600 Meter Run. She will look to qualify in each of those events along with helping her team qualify in the 4x800m Relay. Molly Farrell of Marshall most likely qualify in the 3200 Meter Run and the 1600 Meter Run in her sectional meet. Farrell has the fastest Class 1A 3200 Meter Run time and will be the favorite when steps to the alley line at next Saturday’s State Finals.

14 Sectionals will take place in Class 1A on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Here is a view of each of those sectionals focusing on distance events.

Class 1A State Qualifying Standards

800 2:28.20 – 1600 5:36.90 – 3200 12:26.20 – 4×8 10:35.90

Wednesday, May 10

Erie – Jolee Larson of Indian Creek could be the runner to watch in this sectional as the top seed in two distance events. The senior comes into this meet with the top seed time and the only runner under 12-minutes in the 3200 Meter Run. Clarissa Ostrowski of Rock Island Alleman is a solid second seed in the 3200 Meter Run. She is almost 30 seconds ahead of the next runner in the field, Victoria Browning of Sherrard. Larson leads the field in the 1600 Meter Run with a 5:34.97 seed time. There are seven runners between 5:46 to 6:00 that will be chasing after the second auto qualifying spot including Ostrowski, Caroline Bend of Indian Creek, and Mattea Wuest of Riverdale. Bend and Wuest are the top two seeded runners in the 800 Meter Run with Bend leading at 2:30.75. Erika King of Morrison and Madisyn Skelley of Sherrard also could vie after the auto qualifying spot. Sherrard will be the big favorite in the 4x800m Relay. The Tigers have the top seed time of 10:22.06 ranked #14 in Class 1A. Fulton looks to be the next team to make it to Charleston.

Farmington – This is one of the most competitive Class 1A Distance Sectional Meets this season. All four events are loaded. Kennedy Anderson of Kewanee-Wethersfield was all-state in all three distance events last year. The junior enters this meet as the top seed in those…