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Rushville’s Megan Ervin clears the 9-foot, 3-inch mark in the pole vault Friday at the Beardstown Class A Track Sectional.
Clayton Stalter
Rushville’s Erin Ealy and Pittsfield’s Karly Losch push to the finish line in the 4 x 100-meter relay Friday in Beardstown.
Clayton Stalter
West Central’s Kelsey Little competes in the long jump Friday at the Beardstown Class A Track Sectional.
Clayton Stalter
Grant makes it No. 4
Beardstown speedster sprints back to state
BEARDSTOWN — With three trips to the state track and field meet already under her belt, Beardstown senior Penny Grant is confident that this is her year.
Grant qualified for the state meet in three events Friday at the Beardstown Sectional. She’s hoping her fourth trip to Charleston will yield her best finish at state yet.
“I think so. I’m feeling good this year,” Grant said. “I’m hoping that I make it to the finals in the (100-meter dash), and I have a pretty good chance to make it in the long jump.”
Grant qualified for state in the 100 and 200, as well as the long jump. She jumped only 17 feet, 3 inches — nearly a foot shorter than her best mark this season — but the Beardstown senior didn’t want to show too much.
“I know within myself that I can jump a little farther than that,” Grant said. “I’m glad I didn’t jump 18 (feet) today because I want to save it for state.”
Pleasant Hill’s Macey Black was just as successful as Grant Friday, as Black qualified in three events as well. The Pleasant Hill junior ran her best-ever time in the 100.
“I just changed my blocks two days ago, so I was really iffy,” said Black, who also qualified in the 200 and 400. “So I came in here and tried it out. I wanted to see if it worked, and it did.”
Like Grant, Black has gone to the state meet every year of high school. She’s setting her sights on the 200.
“I definitely feel like the (200) is my strongest,” she said “My (400) is new and I’m still picking up on how to run it, and I’ve kind of doubted my (100), but it comes and goes.”
Rushville-Industry was the big winner Friday as the Lady Rockets took first at the sectional with six individuals and three relay teams advancing.
Erin Ealy and Mallory Ervin qualified in the 100-meter high hurdles, Danielle Reynolds advanced in the shot put and Tayler Onion got through in the high jump.
Ealy, who had the best seed time in the 100 hurdles, clipped the third-to-last hurdle and was visibly upset as she crossed the finish line in third place. She still advanced to state by meeting the qualifying standard.
Rushville’s Candice Caldwell and Megan Ervin both advanced in the pole vault, and Megan Ervin also qualified in the 300-meter low hurdles.
“My goal this year is to make the finals and hopefully go for a state medal,” Ervin said. “I’d like to have one. I’ve got one from eighth grade, so now I need one for high school. It’s my last year to get one, so I want to try it.”
Rushville and Pittsfield each qualified three relay teams (4x100-, 4x200- and 4x400-meter relays) for the state meet, and West Central will send two (4x100, 4x400).
Saukees Karly Losch (long jump), Marla Willard (high jump), Natalie Hamilton (3,200) and Kayci Yelliott (100) advanced as individuals.
“It’s kind of unbelievable because I never used to be this good,” Willard said after finishing second in the high jump. “It just makes me so happy.”
Aside from Grant, Beardstown’s only other qualifiers were pole vaulter Brooke McGuire and shot putter Kelsey Harper. New Berlin’s only advancing individual was freshman Maggie Tarr in the 300-meter low hurdles.
Illinois School for the Deaf, Routt, Virginia/A-C Central, Waverly and West Central all failed to advance an individual.
The state meet is held at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Stadium in Charleston and begins next Friday.
HILLSBORO SECTIONAL
North Greene qualified two individuals, and Carrollton’s 4x800-meter relay team advanced to the state track and field meet Friday at the Hillsboro Sectional.
North Greene freshmen Rachel Price and Sarah Randall both qualified for next weekend’s state meet in individual events. Price finished second in the shot put with a toss of 106 feet, 7 inches, while Randall won the 3,200-meter run in 12:38.9.
Carrollton finished second in the 4x800 with a time of 10:47.9.
