Carmel’s Paul ready for state

Updated: May 13, 2011 10:22PM

Megan Paul raced to a pair of championships during the IHSA Class 3A Buffalo Grove Sectional on Friday night.

But convincing the Carmel junior of her double dip was a tough sell.

“I came in second place,” said Paul, a few minutes after the 200-meter dash. “She (Palatine’s Laura Schweikert) thought she came in second. I’m just happy to qualify for state.”

Paul will be pleased to discover she actually took first in the 200 in 25.0. Schweikert settled for second in 25.1.

“I knew that she (Paul) was someone to compete against,” Schweikert offered. “I was just focusing on getting out fast and not being able to see her.”

The pair also battled in the 400. There was no photo finish, however, as Paul won the race in 57.80 to hold off Schweikert (2nd, 58.40).

The other two-time champion was Stevenson thrower Rachel Redmond. She ruled the shot put (40-7) and the discus (117-0).

“I was really nervous, especially because I didn’t do very well (at conference),” Redmond said. “As soon as I got here, it started to downpour. That was kind of stressful.”

Redmond shook off the butterflies to claim both throwing titles.

There was no drama in the team race, as Palatine rolled up 121.33 points to win the sectional over runner-up Waukegan (56 points). The Pirates collected 18 points in the 1600 run, thanks to the 1-2 finish of Sarah McIntosh (5:06.5) and Becca Sund (5:17.70).

“I just wanted to run with my teammate (Sund),” McIntosh said. “We wanted to take the race out hard and get under state qualifying (5:15.0).”

The other individual champions from the BG sectional were Waukegan’s Kanedra Lee (long jump, 17-7), Lake Forest’s Carolina Carmichael (pole vault, 11-9), Fremd’s Stephanie Uhrich (high jump, 5-3), Warren’s Amber Cook (triple jump, 36-1), Palatine’s Courtney Brown (3200, 11:15.1), Mundelein’s Megan Geldernick (100 hurdles, 14.8),

Waukegan’s Ebony Smith (100, 12.1), Palatine’s Tess Wasowicz (800, 2:17.2) and Zion-Benton’s Chelsea Maxey (300 hurdles, 44.6).

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