Griffins’ Brown overcomes difficult schedule

Updated: May 20, 2011 8:39PM

CHARLESTON, Ill. – When the heat sheets for the Class 3A girls track state meet came out, Aaliyah Brown could only shake her head.

The Lincoln-Way East sophomore had as tough a task as anyone at O’Brien Stadium on Friday. Not only did she have four races to run, two of them were back-to-back in the final section of the 200 meters and the first heat of the 1,600 relay.

“It was horrible,” Brown said of the short turnaround between her final two events.

But she gutted it out and ended her day tired but happy. Brown qualified first in the 100 in 11.41 seconds, just .03 off the state-meet record set by Morgan Park’s Alexandria Anderson in 2004, and also had the fastest 200 time (24.07). Plus, she anchored the Griffins’ No. 1-qualifying 400 relay team (46.94) and the 1,600 relay, which had the third fastest time (3:52.31).

“I know I’m physically ready,” Brown said of running the 200 and 1,600 relay back-to-back. “I needed to be mentally ready for that and I was.

“Hopefully those times go down, but for today, the times were good and I’m happy with them.”

Another satisfied sprinter was Young senior Raena Rhone, the defending 400 champ who qualified first in that event in 54.92. She also helped the Dolphins put up the third fastest time in the 400 relay (47.72) and grabbed the last qualifying spot in the 200 with a season-best 25.08.

“I’m trying to get my time down for [today],” Rhone said after the 400 in what was just off her best time of the season but still faster than anyone else has done.

Brown and Rhone weren’t the only busy and successful athlete on Friday. Evanston’s Margaret Bamgbose, Homewood-Flossmoor’s Abie Ehimwenman, Downers South’s Tori Franklin and Glenbard West’s Kathryn Pickett each qualified in four events.

Bamgbose was the top qualifier in the 300 hurdles (43.00) and was scratched from the 100 hurdles in order to help the Wildkits qualify first in the 800 and 1,600 relays and second in the 400 relay.

Ehimwenman was the top qualifier in the triple jump (39-8.5) by 16 inches, advanced No. 2 in the long jump, was sixth fastest in the 200 and ran a leg on the fourth-place 800 relay.

Franklin qualified second in the triple jump and 400, 10th in the long jump and as part of the second-place 1,600 relay.

Pickett was No. 1 in the long jump (18-9.25), fourth in the 300 hurdle and fifth in the 100 hurdles in addition to helping the Hilltoppers qualify seventh in the 400 relay.

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