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QUALIFYING FOR STATE: Several area athletes move on to this week's Class 1A State Final Meet

alex wallner, effingham daily news, ill.
·7 min read

May 13—ALTAMONT — Kaitlyn Vahling represented the area well.

So did Isabella Keller and Liv Hoene and several others at the Class 1A Altamont Sectional Track and Field Meet, held Wednesday and Thursday at Altamont Junior High School. Each of the mentioned athletes will be competing in the Class 1A State Final Meet in more than one event this week at O'Brien Field on the campus of Eastern Illinois University.

Vahling advanced after winning the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash and the 400-meter dash. She also ran a leg for the 4x100-meter relay team that qualified.

"That was my goal this year," said the Teutopolis senior. "I feel like I proved myself."

Vahling ran the 100 in 12.29 seconds, a season-best. She ran the 200 in 25.80 seconds, the 400 in 1:00.25 and — with Adi Davidson, Halle Bushue and Ella Neihls — ran the 4x100 in 51.23 seconds.

The future Eastern Illinois Panther is hoping for a better outcome this time around, too. Last year, Vahling dealt with an injury leading up to the state meet, forcing her to not compete to her best ability.

"I've definitely been more careful this year," Vahling said.

Hoene advanced in both the 100-meter- and 300-meter hurdle events. She ran the 100 in 17.39 seconds and the 300 in 48.98 seconds. Keller completed the 1600 in 4:55.43 and the 3200 in 10:16.02 — a personal record. She is ranked first in the state in both events.

"My time in the two-mile, I just wanted to beat my best or try to get a (personal record) every race, but the mile, I didn't really expect to after being tired after the two-mile, so I didn't really expect too much," Keller said.

Aubrey Denning advanced in the 800 and the 1600. She won the 800 with a 2:14.17 personal record and was fourth in the 1600 at 5:23.16.

Newton advanced in all four relay races. The 4x100 team of Alaina Kuhl, Elley Bennett, Morgan Schafer and Makayla McVicar finished in 52.52 seconds. The 4x200 team of Kuhl, Bennett, Schafer and McVicar won in 1:50.44. The 4x400 team of Camryn Martin, Bennett, Karasyn Martin and Sydney Kinder won in 4:12 and the 4x800 team of Karasyn Martin, Layna Marshall, Camryn Martin and Grace Schumacher won in 10:32.37.

McVicar also advanced, individually, in the 200 after finishing with a 27.24-second personal record.

"It's pretty amazing," McVicar said. "Running against Kaitlyn, that pushed me. I'm just really proud of myself for getting this far."

Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City's Kyleigh Wallace and Altamont's Justyce Higgs advanced in the discus with throws of 112 feet, 6.75 inches and 96 feet, 4.75 inches, respectively.

Newton's Gracie Smithenry won the high jump at 5 feet, 1 inch.

St. Anthony's Allison Geen won the pole vault at 11 feet, 7 inches. Karasyn and Camryn Martin and St. Anthony's Nora Trupiano also advanced.

North Clay's Rayna Persinger won the long jump with a jump of 17 feet, 10.25 inches. Cumberland's Katelyn Shoemaker was second, and qualified, with a leap of 16 feet, 1.75 inches.

Teutopolis' Ella Neihls won the triple jump with a leap of 35 feet, 3.25 inches. Kinder, Teutopolis' Kaela Neihls, Smithenry and Shoemaker also advanced in the triple.

The state meet begins Thursday with preliminaries. Field events start at 10 am and track events start at noon.

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Below are all the times and placements from every event.

TEAM RESULTS

1. Newton 140; 2. Teutopolis 104; 3. Effingham (St. Anthony) 96; 4. Marshall 76; 5. Altamont 43.5; 6. Brownstown/St. Elmo 41; 7. Louisville (North Clay) 39; 8. Vandalia 36; 9. Casey (C.-Westfield) 31; 10. Toledo (Cumberland) 24; 11. Cowden (C.-Herrick)/Beecher City 21.5; 12. Oblong/Palestine-Hutsonville 17; 13. Flora 10; 14. Windsor/Strasburg (Stewardson-S.) 9; 15. Neoga 5; 16. Bridgeport (Red Hill) 4; 17. Lawrenceville 2.

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

100m — 1. Kaitlyn Vahling, Teutopolis, 12.29; 2. Sophie Bowers, Vandalia, 13.04; 3. Rayna Persinger, Louisville (North Clay), 13.16; 4. Ella Neihls, Teutopolis, 13.30; 5. Presley Williams, Brownstown/St. Elmo, 13.31; 6. Makayla McVicar, Newton, 13.55.

200m — 1. Kaitlyn Vahling, Teutopolis, 25.80; 2. Makayla McVicar, Newton, 27.24; 3. Presley Williams, Brownstown/St. Elmo, 27.50; 4. Gabriella Weishaar, Altamont, 28.20; 5. Mya Freise, Windsor/Strasburg (Stewardson-S.), 28.52; 6. Morgan Knoblett, Oblong/Palestine-Hutsonville, 28.68.

400m — 1. Kaitlyn Vahling, Teutopolis, 1:00.25; 2. Rayna Persinger, Louisville (North Clay), 1:00.88; 3. Abigail Weishaar, Altamont, 1:02.11; 4. Sophie Bowers, Vandalia, 1:02.50; 5. Sydney Kinder, Newton, 1:02.61; 6. Marlee Heighton, Marshall, 1:04.32.

800m — 1. Aubrey Denning, Effingham (St. Anthony), 2:14.17; 2. Adrienne Koester, Teutopolis, 2:28.34; 3. Grace Schumacher, Newton, 2:35.50; 4. Mya Freise, Windsor/Strasburg (Stewardson-S.), 2:36.49; 5. Layna Marshall, Newton, 2:37.45; 6. Myah Boyd, Marshall, 2:37.74.

1600m — 1. Isabella Keller, Effingham (St. Anthony), 4:55.43; 2. Molly Farrell, Marshall, 5:03.02; 3. Aubrey Denning, Effingham (St. Anthony), 5:23.16; 4. Madeleine Fox, Marshall, 5:25.61; 5. Kayla Clark, Casey (C.-Westfield), 5:40.46; 6. Shay Bennett, Newton, 6:01.34.

3200m — 1. Isabella Keller, Effingham (St. Anthony), 10:16.02; 2. Molly Farrell, Marshall, 11:02.07; 3. Madeleine Fox, Marshall, 11:53.06; 4. Kayla Clark, Casey (C.-Westfield), 12:10.94; 5. Brooke Koelm, Louisville (North Clay), 13:25.74; 6. Lily Yager, Newton, 14:09.14.

100m hurdles — 1. Liv Hoene, Effingham (St. Anthony), 17.39; 2. Katie Berner, Brownstown/St. Elmo, 17.55; 3. Emma Bloemer, Teutopolis, 17.75; 4. Hannah Shoemaker, Toledo (Cumberland), 17.77; 5. Gracie Smithenry, Newton, 17.83; 6. Ellie Miller, Cowden (C.-Herrick)/Beecher City, 17.84.

300m hurdles — 1. Liv Hoene, Effingham (St. Anthony), 48.98; 2. Audrey Goble, Casey (C.-Westfield), 49.56; 3. Katie Berner, Brownstown/St. Elmo, 51.07; 4. Karasyn Martin, Newton, 51.32; 5. Harper Richardson, Marshall, 53.81; 6. Hannah Shoemaker, Toledo (Cumberland), 54.19.

4x100m relay — 1. Teutopolis, 51.23; 2. Newton 52.52; 3. Vandalia, 53.76; 4. Marshall, 54.07; 5. Altamont, 54.21; 6. Oblong/Palestine-Hutsonville, 54.27.

4x200m relay — 1. Newton, 1:50.44; 2. Brownstown/St. Elmo, 1:52.30; 3. Altamont, 1:54.53; 4. Oblong/Palestine-Hutsonville, 1:56.95; 5. Casey (C.-Westfield), 1:58.39; 6. Teutopolis, 1:58.40.

4x400m relay — 1. Newton, 4:12.00; 2. Marshall, 4:13.38; 3. Effingham (St. Anthony), 4:17.19; 4. Altamont, 4:27.25; 5. Brownstown/St. Elmo, 4:31.76; 6. Toledo (Cumberland), 4:39.98.

4x800m relay — 1. Newton, 10:32.37; 2. Casey (C.-Westfield), 10:45.75; 3. Effingham (St. Anthony), 10:59.86; 4. Neoga, 11:48.90; 5. Teutopolis, 12:02.78; 6. Flora, 13:31.17.

Shot Put — 1. Hannah Brown, Vandalia, 11.05m; 2. Ella Mattas, Vandalia, 10.47m; 3. Brooke Schafer, Newton, 9.81m; 4. Kyleigh Wallace, Cowden (C.-Herrick)/Beecher City, 9.62m; 5. McKenzie Davis, Marshall, 9.57m; 6. Rockell Allen, Flora, 9.42m.

Discus — 1. Kyleigh Wallace, Cowden (C.-Herrick)/Beecher City, 34.31m; 2. Justyce Higgs, Altamont, 29.38m; 3. Karsyn Gaddy, Louisville (North Clay), 28.66m; 4. Brooke Schafer, Newton, 28.57m; 5. Peyton Osteen, Altamont, 26.13m; 6. Callie Emmerich, Effingham (St. Anthony), 25.91m.

High Jump — 1. Gracie Smithenry, Newton, 1.55m; 2. Claire Campbell, Marshall, 1.52m; 3. Jada Buehnerkemper, Teutopolis, 1.47m; 4. Adi Davidson, Teutopolis, 1.42m; 5t. Avrie Persinger, Louisville (North Clay), 1.37m; 5t. Sophia Emmerich, Effingham (St. Anthony), 1.37m; 5t. Mary Scheidemantel, Effingham (St. Anthony), 1.37m.

Pole Vault — 1. Allison Geen, Effingham (St. Anthony), 3.53m; 2. Karasyn Martin, Newton, 3.23m; 3. Camryn Martin, Newton, 3.07m; 4. Nora Trupiano, Effingham (St. Anthony), 2.61m; 5. Sami Habing, Teutopolis, 2.46m; 6. RayLynn Myers, Altamont, 2.31m.

Long Jump — 1. Rayna Persinger, Louisville (North Clay), 5.44m; 2. Katelyn Shoemaker, Toledo (Cumberland), 4.92m; 3. Ella Neihls, Teutopolis, 4.89m; 4. Morgan Knoblett, Oblong/Palestine-Hutsonville, 4.87m; 5. Lena Fehrenbacher, Newton, 4.67m; 6. Leslie Felmlee, Brownstown/St. Elmo, 4.62m.

Triple Jump — 1. Ella Neihls, Teutopolis, 10.75m; 2. Sydney Kinder, Newton, 10.39m; 3. Kaela Neihls, Teutopolis, 10.34m; 4. Gracie Smithenry, Newton, 10.27m; 5. Katelyn Shoemaker, Toledo (Cumberland), 10.24m; 6. Ellie Miller, Cowden (C.-Herrick)/Beecher City, 10.20m.