Several Area Competitors Qualify For Finals In 1A Girls State Meet

Seven girls qualified and will be headed to the finals in the Class 1A State Girls Track Meet after competition Thursday at O'Brien Stadium at Eastern Illinois University.

Altamont's Grace Nelson and Teutopolis' Kaitlyn Vahling qualified in all three events they participated in and are headed to the finals Saturday.

Nelson won the 100 hurdles in 14.18 seconds and the 300 hurdles in 44.27 seconds. She finished third in the 200 in 26.45 seconds.

Vahling took second in the 100 in 12.33 seconds and second in the 400 in 59.49 seconds. She was sixth in the 200 in 26.18.

T-town's Isabelle Hemmen took first in the pole vault with a height of 3.27 meters to advance.

Effingham St. Anthony's Allison Geen finished seventh in the pole vault with a height of 3.27 meters and will be competing Saturday.

Brownstown/St. Elmo's Addie McWhorter finished fifth in the high jump with a leap of 1.55 meters to qualify.

Alexis Hetzer took sixth in the triple jump for Newton with a leap of 10.55 meters to advance.

The Newton 1600 relay team of Sydney Kinder, Karasyn Martin, Rylea Borgic and Laney Hemrich finished ninth with a time of 4:12.59 to advance.

Others who did not make it to the finals include:

St. Anthony -- Anna Green (pole vault), 31st at 2.60 meters; Maggie Moeller (triple jump), 24th in 9.33 meters

Newton --  Laney Hemrich (400) 11th in 1:00.98 min.; Rylea Borgic (800), 22nd in 2:31.99 min; (100 hurdles), 22nd in 17.38 sec.; (300 hurdles) 12 in 49.58 sec.; Gracie Smithenry (high jump), 13th in 1.52 meters; Camryn Martin (pole vault) 25th in 2.75 meters; Addyson O'Dell (long jump) 30th in 4.50 meters; Amber Russell (shot) 23rd in 9.79 meters.

The Newton 400 relay team of Addyson O'Dell, Alaina Kuhl, Hemrich and Makayla McVicar finished 16th in 52.02 and the 800 relay team of O'Dell, Ella Radke, McVicar and Brooke Schafer finished 20th in 1:52.70 minutes.