Area track and field athletes ready to run down dreams at Illinois girls state championships

QUINCY — West Central Illinois will be well represented at the Illinois girls state track and field championships next weekend at O’Brien Stadium on the Eastern Illinois University campus in Charleston.

Quincy High School pushed two athletes through the Class 3A Danville Sectional on Thursday, while Illini West got two through at the Class 1A Mercer County Sectional. West Hancock had one athlete advance.

On Friday, at the Class 1A Beardstown Sectional, Liberty had athletes reach state in six different events, while Pittsfield is going in three events and Unity in another.

For Quincy, senior Anna Schuering finished second in the 800-meter run in 2 minutes, 21.82 seconds and second in the 3,200 run in 11:31.30. She missed the cut in the 1,600 run, finishing fourth in 5:22.92.

Blue Devils freshman Anna Venvertloh qualified for the state meet in the high jump, clearing 1.55 meters to take second. She was third in the 400 dash in 1:01.95, missing state by four seconds.

At Mercer County, Illini West’s Josie Bryan won the 800 run in 2:27.27 and West Hancock’s Bailey Barber won the long jump with a leap of 10.69 meters. Illini West’s Reagan Reed was second in the high jump, clearing 1.52 meters.

At Beardstown, Liberty had three runners each qualify for state in two events. Shannon O’Neil lowered her school record in the 300 hurdles, winning in 47.63 seconds. O’Neil also won the 100 hurdles in 16.53. Elli Sunde won the 11 dash in 13.25 and the 200 dash in 27.13. Arianna Neisen won the 3,200 in 11:44.18 and was second in the 1,600 in 5:32.80.

Pittsfield’s Olivia Campbell — the defending state champion in the discus — won both the shot put and the discus. She tossed the shot 11.25 meters and the discus 40.94 meters. Katie Cox was second in the 100 hurdles in 17.12.

Unity’s Kyra Carothers won the high jump, clearing 1.52 meters.

The state track championships begin Thursday.