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Sports

Spartan Girls Track: Young Team Gains Experience at Sectionals

Some junior varsity runners were pulled up to gain experience and let other athletes focus on one event.

The combination of injuries and tough competition doesn’t often bode well for any team. Combine that with the fact that Glenbrook North is relatively young and inexperienced and success wasn’t defined by place for the Spartans.

Competing in one of the state’s toughest sectional meets, Glenbrook North failed to qualify any of its athletes for the state finals next weekend in Charleston--but did score some good performances along the way.

“We got close to qualifying a few people. The whole team did a nice job today,” Glenbrook North coach Ron Gatchalian said. “Our high jumper placed third, so she got close there. It was a pretty tight race in the high jump.”

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Sophomore high jumper Patricia Hare was one of a number of Spartans to come close to advancing past the sectional championships. Her mark of 4-9 in the high jump was good enough for third and six inches below the IHSA qualifying standard.

Hare didn’t have one of her best days, however; she had cleared 5-0 this season. Both qualifiers in the high jump on Thursday finished at 4-11.

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Freshman Diana Boyer was seventh in the pole vault at 7-03, and the only freshman competing in the event.

“We’re young, we had some injuries this year,” Gatchalian said. “It was just one of those injury-bug years. Some of the girls that would probably be at this meet aren’t competing today, working themselves back.”

That gave some junior varsity girls the opportunity to step in. Sophomore Emily Meyer ran just under the six-minute mark in the 1600 (5:59.99) after being moved up from the junior varsity. She filled in to give other girls a chance to focus on one event.

“This year was really exciting for me because it was my first time running an individual race and it felt really good,” said Meyer, who was part of the Spartans’ 4x800 relay team last season. “I was really happy to be competing with some tough competitors."

The Spartans’ 4x800 relay team of Cassie Bobart, Grace Ruklick, Brianna Kaplunov and Emann Suleiman started off the meet with a fifth-place finish, leading a second tier of teams behind the event’s four state qualifying teams.

Sophomore Valerie Bobart finished eighth in the 3200 (12:30.32) after winning the CSL North championship last weekend while  Ashlyn Mathy took fifth in the 800 (2:24.63).

Seniors Jennifer Hare, Mathy and Suleiman finished their track careers by taking eighth in the 4x400 relay. Patricia Hare ran the anchor leg.

“Everyone’s been working really hard,” Gatchalian  said. “We have a lot of young girls that are excited about coming back next year and have some good goals.”

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