Prospect dominates in win at high powered Bruce Ritter Invitational

Ginsberg runs strong triple including win in 800; Freshmen runners dominate up front in 1600

By Michael Newman

Downers Grove, Ill – A typical Bruce Ritter Invitational in recent years on the Downers Grove North campus would be the survival of the cold weather and then a mad rush to their vehicles. It seemed that the Girls teams attending this meet could not get a break.

They did on Saturday night as the meet ended in 75 degree temperatures with a whisp of wind.

Prospect have continued their upward trend that started last fall when they won the Class 3A State Cross Country Championship. The Knights won the invitational team title with 171 points scoring in the 15 of 19 scored events in this meet. York scored 97 points to finish second just ahead of Naperville Central (96 points) and host Downers Grove North.

The Knights won eight events in this meet including all four relays. It started in the 4x800m Relay where Prospect did not run the lineup that they ran in March at the DGS Relays or at the end of the month at Illinois Top Times. It seems that whomever Coach Pete Wintermute has put in their quartet this season, Prospect finds a way to win.

It does help to have Lily Ginsberg as your anchor runner.

Prospect’s Sophie Fransen, Kaitlin Skelton, and Bridget Derengowski kept their team close to Downers Grove North and Naperville Central in the first three legs of the race. Addison George of Naperville Central and McKenzie Willard of Downers Grove North had a slight lead when Ginsberg got the baton. Ginsberg’s 2:16.2 anchor split pulled her away from the field to give her team the win timed at 9:33.37 (IL #3). Downers Grove North (9:39.36, IL #6), Naperville Central (9:44.22, IL #10), and Glenbard West (9:48.81) finished second through fourth.

Ginsberg came to the starting line less than an hour later to run in her section of the 800 Meter Run. Teammate Cameron Kalaway, Liv Phillips of Naperville Central, and Ava Gilley of Downers Grove North were in a tight pack as the quartet passed 400-meters in 68 seconds. Kalaway made the first move on the back stretch to separate herself from the pack with Ginsberg following. Ginsberg made the final move coming into the final 100-meters crossing the line with the win in 2:15.91 (IL #4) . Kalaway was a close second timed in 2:16.40 (IL #5) followed by Gilley (2:17.08, IL #6) and Phillips (2:17.88, IL #7).

Ginsberg got the baton with the leading heading into the final 400-meters of the 4x400m Relay. The junior ran a 59.2 anchor to lead Prospect the win (3:59.86, IL #2) in what was at the time the fastest time in the state. Lyons Township ran 4:05.60 (IL #9) to finish second.

Charlotte Deines of Prospect had a big meet winning two individual events along with anchoring Prospect to wins in the two short relays. Deines started her day by jumping a personal best of 18-2 (IL #8) to win the Long Jump. She pulled away at the start to run 12.62 into a headwind to win the 100 Meter Dash ahead of the York duo of Elaine Paul (12.93) and Katelynn Pratt (12.96). Deines anchored Prospect to the win in the 4x100m Relay (49.14, IL #10) as well as the anchor in Prospect’s 1:42.90 time (IL #4) to win the 4x200m Relay.

The two longer distance races were strategic with runners making their moves while others in the front counter them in a fast pace. Prospect’s Meg Peterson and Veronica Znajda along with Catherine Sommerfeld of Lyons Township and Lily Eddington of Downers Grove North pushed the first 800-meters in 2:29. Then the fun began. Eddington started to push the pace in the third lap with Peterson right by her side. Then came Znajda and Sommerfield. It was the two freshmen who had controlled the race as they passed 1200-meters in 3:46. Peterson made the final move entering the back stretch pulling away from the field. Peterson ran 4:56.61 (IL #2) to claim the win with Eddington second also running under five minutes (4:59.19, IL #3). Znajda was a close third (5:00.05, IL #4) followed by Sommerfeld (5:03.66, IL #6).

Bria Bennis of York and Hailey Erickson of Prospect pulled away from the pack early in the 3200 Meter Run. Erickson commanded the pace the first mile countering any move that Bennis made during the first five laps of the race. The two passed 1600-meters in 5:29. Bennis made a definitive move at the start of the sixth lap gaining an advantage on Erickson and control of the race. Bennis’ first 3200 outdoors resulted in running 5:22 in the final mile to run 10:51.64 for the win. Erickson stayed close running 10:57.56 to finish second. Katherine Klimek of York closed the gap in the final three laps to run 10:59.50 to place third.

Meet Notes

A surge in the final meters of the 200 Meter Dash gave Dakota Washington of Downers Grove North the win (25.71) ahead of York’s Katelynn Pratt (25.79) and Elaine Paul (26.28). Morgan Navarre of York surged in the final 50-meters catching Rebecca Phillips of Lyons Township before the finish line. The York freshman ran a personal best 59.10 for the win while Phillips ran 59.34 to finish second.

Kyla Motley of Shepard got an excellent start in the 100m Hurdles pulling away for the win (15.89) ahead of Prospect’s Katherine Lytle (16.64) and Charlotte Rossi (16.74). Motley earlier in the meet jumped a personal best of 36-4.5 to win the Triple Jump. Aisha Kazeem of Palatine made up the stagger in the 300 Meter Hurdles by the middle of the curve. She was impressive running 46.00 (IL #4) for the win ahead of Prospect’s Emma Letzig by more than two seconds (48.38).

Rajee Stevenson of Shepard and Paige Owens of Naperville Central both cleared 5-0 in the High Jump. Stevenson won the event on fewer misses. Kait McHale of Naperville Central cleared 11-6 in winning the Pole Vault.

Kennedy Brandt of Glenbard West achieved a personal best of 36-9 to win the Shot Put. Allison Roozeboom of Naperville Central also achieved a personal best with a throw of 111-7 to win the Discus.