Plainfield North’s Jones leads pack to girls state track meet

Updated: May 17, 2011 7:02PM

Cessily Jones had yet to catch her breath after winning the 200-meter dash at the Naperville North sectional, and the junior sprinter from Plainfield North was already looking ahead to the Class 3A state meet.

And she wasn’t just thinking about herself.

“I know we haven’t had good weather,” said Jones, a four-time individual finalist, “but I’m hoping when I get down to state it will be a better performance across the board for everyone.”

The three-class state meet runs Thursday through Saturday at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. Class 1A preliminaries are Thursday, 2A and 3A prelims Friday and finals in all classes on Saturday.

Jones qualified in the 200 and 100 meters and will be joined by teammate Jaclyn Aremka, also a sectional champion, whose 5 foot, 5 inch high jump is tied for second among 3A qualifiers.

“What’s nice is we’re bringing two high quality athletes to a very good field knowing they will do well,” Plainfield North coach Tammy Gummerson said.

Jones and Waubonsie Valley’s Morolake Akinosun were fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 200 meters last year, and tied for fourth in the 100 meters. Akinosun returns as a sectional champ in the 100 but didn’t qualify in the 200.

“She’s a very good runner,” Jones said. “I hope she does good at state. I hope everyone does good at state.”

The sprinter to beat will be Lincoln-Way East sophomore Aaliyah Brown, the defending state champ in the 100 who has the top qualifying times in the 100 (11.96) and 200 (24.21).

Two-time sectional champ Kimberly Azie of Bolingbrook ranks tied for fourth in the 100 (12.27) and seventh in the 200 (25.20). Teammate Kymbriona Taylor, also a junior, could make the finals in the 100 (12.35).

Lincoln-Way East, sixth in the state 400 relay last year, has the top 400 qualifying time (46.83) ahead of Evanston (47.51) and Homewood-Flossmoor (47.95).

Bolingbrook also has scoring potential in its 400 (48.40) and 800 (1:41.48) relays. The 800 relay ranks fourth behind Evanston (1:39.86), East St. Louis (1:40.69) and Belleville East (1:41.46).

Minooka’s 1,600 relay (4:06.87) is a long shot, but anchor Lauren Jonen still has high hopes.

“This year would be awesome to get in the three-minute zone, even 3:59.00,” Jonen said. “I really want to break that four-minute barrier.”

Other local 3A qualifiers include a trio in the pole vault — Plainfield South’s Savannah Emmrich, Lockport’s Krista Nauseda and Providence’s Lindsay Smoljan all cleared 10-3 in their sectionals.

Some area runners to watch are Lockport’s Megan O’Brien (3,200) and Stefanie Sanders (1,600), Plainfield Central’s Jenna Moody (400), Plainfield South’s Erin Fitzgerald (800) and Providence’s Mandy Coglianese (300 hurdles).

Bolingbrook’s Chantel Stennis and Lincoln-Way East’s Dana O’Grady qualified in the 400 and Minooka’s Kiley Saunders in the 800.

In Class 2A, only three high jumpers rank ahead of Morris freshman Haleigh Knapp, who cleared 5-2 in the sectional.

Lincoln-Way West has six qualifiers, led by sectional champs Kaitlyn Neiheisel in the pole vault (11-6) and Monica Hahn in the 3,200 and 1,600. Abby Hedlin (high jump), Sara Losacco (400) and Toni Fiore (1,600) also made it downstate.

In Class 1A, Seneca returns state runner-up Alyssa Applebee and Madison Warning in the pole vault. Applebee (11-6) ranks second and Warning (10-6) tied for fourth. Applebee also qualified in the 100 hurdles (15.67) and triple jump (34-7¼).

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