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Sports

Girls Track: Niles West Enjoys Record Day at Sectionals

Kellion Gordon was a double winner in the 100 and 200 while Niles North's Kiana Foreman took second in the 400.

Judging by her results, you couldn’t tell that something was wrong with Niles West’s Kellion Gordon.

She cruised to first-place finishes in the 100 and 200 preliminaries early on in Thursday’s IHSA Class 3A Wilmette Sectional at Loyola Academy.

But Gordon was hurting. Whether it was the 80-plus degree heat or a slight muscle pull, Gordon’s hamstring was not right.

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Still the senior sprinter persevered, taking first place in the 100 and 200 finals and advancing to the state championships.

“I had to pull through it because I had to go to state,” Gordon said. “That’s my number one goal right there.”

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Gordon was one of four Niles West athletes to move on to next week’s state championships. Jasmine Townsend won the shot put (37-10), Vicki Barela took second in the triple jump (35-03.5) and Sydney Hellwig was second in the 100 hurdles (16.15).

It was a record-setting day for Niles West, which took third overall in the sectional, behind Loyola Academy and Evanston. The Wolves had never finished higher than fourth in a sectional before, but coach Mark Medland thought they left some points on the board.

“In all honesty, we actually had hoped for more,” Medland said. “There are those moments where you have those exciting times where you qualify and then those moments where you have those real down times where you just miss.”

Niles West’s highly ranked 4x100 relay team messed up the baton exchange between the first and second legs, failing to record a time. Gordon, who was usually ran the second leg, was pulled prior to the race because of the hamstring injury.

Hellwig also had a shot to qualify in the 300 hurdles, but fell halfway through the race after tripping over a hurdle. Still Hellwig was satisfied to be going to state after recovering from a pre-stress fracture in her right foot that had her in a walking boot for four months.

"Today was a [personal record] and I’m happy; I’ve been dropping time and can’t wait to see what happens at the state meet,” Hellwig said. “I’m a sophomore, I’ve got two more years, I’m pumped.”

NILES NORTH

Kiana Foreman lost out in the race for a 400 sectional title, but a berth in the state finals is not a bad consolation prize. Glenbrook South’s Danielle Yapor edged Foreman by .34 seconds, but Foreman still moved on as the second-place finisher.

Foreman will join junior Annemarie Reid, who vaulted 8-09 to take second place in the pole vault, as the only two Niles North athletes to move on past the sectional championships.

Sophomore Whitney Jean finished third in the 100 (13.02) and 200 (26.46) just missing out in both races.

Senior Ashlei Kehl took third place in the shot put (35-07.5), only two feet short of the IHSA qualifying mark.

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