KV’s Mulloy makes mark in first season

Updated: May 9, 2011 10:34PM

She’s only a freshman, but Kankakee Valley sprinter Leanna Mulloy has made a big impact for her track team this spring.

The Kougars are 16-2 overall, including a 5-1 mark in the Northwest Crossroads Conference, and Mulloy has had a great deal to do with the Kougars’ success.

Mulloy remains undefeated in the 100-meter dash this season with a personal record time of 12.6, which ranks third in the area.

Mulloy’s best in the 200 is 26.4, which also ranks third.

Mulloy also anchored the Kougars’ 400 relay team to a season-best time of 52.55 Thursday night as KV beat Lowell and Highland in a meet.

Head coach Lane Lewallen said she was also impressive with her split time of 61 seconds while running the third leg on KV’s 1,600 relay team.

Mulloy’s effort helped the Kougars move from third place to first place overall in a school-best time of 4:15.73.

“With the excellent competition we have faced, and will face, she has an excellent chance of running state-qualifying times in both the 100 and 200,’’ Lewallen said. “Leanna has done an outstanding job this season. She is very talented, puts the team first, and is very focused on being the best she can be.’’

Other KV athletes among the area’s best include Kristin Fritts in the 1,600 (5:24.98) Breeanne Babe, who went 9 feet, 6 inches in the pole vault — a school record — along with the 1,600 relay team of Audra Lewis, Gabby Martin, Mulloy and Dayton Dellahan (4:15.73).

Inching closer: Lowell high jumper Alli Manchester is closing in on tying or breaking the school record of 5-7.

In a double dual meet with Munster, the two-time state qualifier cleared 5-6 and narrowly missed 5-7, which would have tied the Red Devils’ record in the event.

“My expectations for her are to get back to state and clear the opening height, which she has not done the past two years,’’ Lowell coach Scott Coil said. “She had a bit of a setback, twisting her ankle doing pole vault and has had to rest more than we would like her too, but I don’t want to risk her not getting back to state. I think she has the capability of doing better. She is just so strong and so powerful that if she continues to analyze and critique her form, she should eventually compete, and maybe win a state title.’’

Manchester won the Hoosier State Relays in February and now she’s looking to atone for the last two years at the state meet.

“She knows she has the skill set to go down to Bloomington and do really well,’’ Coil said.

Quick study: Highland’s Kat Smailis didn’t start hurdling until the beginning of last season, but after spending a year learning the ropes in terms of how to hurdle, the Trojans’ senior has quickly become one of the area’s best hurdlers.

“This year she has put in a great deal of time and effort in to perfecting her form,’’ Highland coach Ellie Bellie said. “She was already fast, but she wanted to improve her times by improving her form, and she’s really done that in both the 100s and 300s.’’

Smailis is also a key performer for the Trojans on both their 400 and 1,600 relay teams, which have both recorded the fastest times for Highland in several years according to Bellie.

“She is a true leader on the team,’’ Bellie said. “She is always trying to motivate the younger athletes to work hard at practice and she does a good job at it.’’

 

 

 

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