Austin Rowswell from Lincoln-Way West outpaces Bill Bailey from Joliet West at Top Times – Shaw Local – News 24

BLOOMINGTON — Call it a friendly rivalry, this track between Lincoln-Way West sophomore Austin Rowswell and Joliet West senior Billy Bailey.

But call it a rivalry.

Rowswell took the upper hand on Saturday, winning the Class 3A 60- and 400-meter dashes with Bailey in his wake at the Illinois Top Times indoor meet at the Illinois Wesleyan’s Shirk Center, but Bailey extracted a measure revenge in the 200 by finishing second overall and four places ahead of Rowswell.

They are two years apart, but are very good friends, rivals in the winter and spring, and teammates in the summer at the Prestige Athletic Club in Joliet. This, of course, makes everyone want to beat the other even more when they are of different colors.

Rowswell opened strong on the 200-meter track, winning the 60 in 6.96 seconds. He increased his advantage with a winning time of 50.11 in the 400. After that, a disappointment in the 200m was not unexpected, but the time of 22.74 was still solid. But not as solid as, say, the 22.30 posted by Bailey, just three hundredths behind winner Daniel Lacy of Champaign Centennial.

“I like the way he’s developed and the way he pushes me,” Bailey said. “He’s a great competitor and a great person. »

Rowswell had more motivation than Bailey.

“Last week in conference, I finished second in the 60, and that drove me really crazy,” Rowswell said. “This week I focused a lot on my start, my blocks and a lot of power off the start. And in the 400, my friend Billy had me for the first 350, and the last 50, I came back.

In the 200m, I decided I wanted to let him win, but it was tough. It was the longest 200m I have ever run. My legs were tired, but I gave her everything I had.

Plainfield East’s Elissa Perkins won neither the long jump nor the triple jump, but she scored personal bests in each, which should set her up for the spring season beautifully. His best long jump was 19 feet 5 1/4 inches, three quarters of an inch behind winner Alex Johnson of Huntley. And the triple jump is his specialty.

“Huge PR for me, so I was really excited,” Perkins said. “The triple jump requires a lot of technique, and the long jump is speed and power. »

Perkins, a senior, eventually reached 40 feet on the triple jump and hit him on the nose, finishing third behind Dominique Johnson and Alex Johnson of Huntley, who each jumped 40 feet 1 1/2 inches.

“Forty has been my goal for a very long time,” Perkins said. “It gives me a lot of confidence for the outdoors. »

Morris’ Joy Dudley had a simple strategy for the 3,200-metre Class 2A race, 16 laps around the track: follow Sundara Weber. The freshman from Sandwich was the first seed heading into the race.

“We raced Sandwich in cross country because they’re in our conference, and I knew she was going to be amazing,” Dudley said of Weber. “It was nice to have her there even though she is a tough competition. »

The plan worked. Dudley ran the first half of the race in around 5:50, and despite a squeeze in the last 800 meters, took fourth place behind Weber with a personal best of 11:06.87, around 23 seconds better than his last week’s qualifying time.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m not keeping up with my pace, like I’m going as hard as I can, trying to hold on,” Dudley said. “I was hoping to get a PR, but I didn’t think it would be that big. »

Providence Catholic’s Natalie Papes placed fifth in the pole vault, reaching 11-foot-6. The lone win for the area team went to the girls from Plainfield North in the 3A 4×400 relay. Taylor McClain, Alex Eydenberg, Lindsey Wenz and Lauren Dellangelo ran it in 4:00.98 to edge Prospect.

In Friday’s Class A competition, the Seneca girls won the 4×400 relay, with senior Anna Bruno leading in 4:07.44. Sophomore Sister Clara Bruno, fellow sophomore Evelyn O’Connor and freshman Lila Coleman followed. Anna Bruno was second in the long jump (17ft 7in) and third in the 400m (1:01.07).

Seneca junior Teagan Johnson won the pole vault with a jump of 12-foot-3. She also got seventeen in the triple jump (32-foot-8). Senior Caitlyn O’Boyle was eighth in the 60-yard hurdles (9.93), 14th in the 60-yard (8.19) and 11th in the triple jump (29-foot-2). O’Connor ran fifth in the 800 (2:21.10).