iltoptimes – News – Normal U High advances 16 girls while defending sectional title

Normal U High advances 16 girls

while defending sectional title                                     

By Randy Sharer

For Illinoistoptimes.com

PONTIAC – The reigning state champion Normal University High School girls track team remained unbeaten against Class 2A opponents on Wednesday (May 14, 2025) by scoring 157 points to dominate the Pontiac Sectional.

The Pioneers, who captured their 12th sectional in school history and second straight, advanced all four relays along with 11 individuals who combined for 15 berths in the May 23-24 state meet in Charleston.

“We stacked it heavy because that is what we’re going to need to do at state,” said U High coach Randy Anderson, whose team won eight of the 18 events.

Eureka placed second with 113.5 points followed by Morton (74), Mahomet-Seymour (65), Olympia (41), and Pontiac (39) among 16 scoring teams. Lincoln was ninth (28), Prairie Central 10th (27), and Clinton 14th (17).

The meet produced many extra qualifiers beyond each event’s two automatic ones. Nine advanced in the 300 hurdles; eight in the long jump and four-by-400; seven in the 400, four-by-800, discus, and pole vault; six in the 800, 100 hurdles, and four-by-100; five in the 1,600; four in the four-by-200 and shot put; and three in the 200, 3,200, and high jump.

Shining for host Pontiac was senior Maria Long, the Class 2A state long jump leader coming in based on her school record of 19 feet, 1¼ inches. She won Wednesday with a career best of 19-2½. She also lived up to her top seeding in the triple jump with a winning personal best of 35-1¾.

“I hit a big PR (personal record of 19-2½) a few weeks ago, but there was a lot of wind that day,” Long said. “So, it just felt really good to undeniably hit it this time.”

The only girls in area history ahead of Long are Lincoln’s Dominique Dawson (19-7¼ in 2002) and Dwight’s Katy Koonz (19-5 in 1991).  

Next year, Long will be a University of Illinois cheerleader. She says cheerleading provides excellent training for jumpers.

“A lot of that helps you be explosive and powerful,” she said.

U High swept the two shortest relays beginning with a school record 47.26-second tour of duty in the 400-meter relay, which featured the McIntyre sisters, Harper and Lydia, Addie Cortese, and Hannah Safranek. Their time broke Bloomington’s 2015 area record of 47.40.

“We’ve been practicing handoffs every single day over and over again,” said Lydia…