Girls Track: Kim Azie, Kayla Bell lead Bolingbrook to league title
Updated: May 3, 2012 10:42PM
The SouthWest Suburban Blue, which produced five state championships in girls track and field last year, showcased its 2012 talent Thursday at Bolingbrook.
Kim Azie and Kayla Bell were double champions for Bolingbrook to lead the host Raiders to the team championship of the eight-team meet with 116 points ahead of Homewood-Flossmoor (102) and third-place Lockport (88.3).
Azie won the 100 meters (12.26) ahead of teammate Kym Taylor (12.29) and claimed the 200 (24.99) ahead of H-F’s Taylor Lynch.
“I’m ecstatic, I’m so happy,’’ Azie said. “This is the first time I think we’ve ever won the varsity in conference. We worked really hard for this too. It was all of us as a team.’’
Bell took first in the long jump (17 feet, 11 inches) and triple jump (37-8.25) and Cabriana Capers won the shot put (38-0) for the Raiders, who had five second places.
“My goal was to set myself in a good place for sectionals,’’ Bell said. “I wanted to be jumping high 17s, 18s (long jump) and 37s (triple jump) before sectionals. That way for state all I have to do is focus on winning. I came out and did that.’’
Lincoln-Way’s East Aaliyah Brown, the defending conference champion in the 100 and 200 meters, had a sore hamstring after the 400 relay and didn’t run in the 100 or 200 finals as a precaution.
“It’s just a little achy pain and I don’t want to risk anything, and not be able to do sectionals and state,’’ said Brown, a three-time individual state champion.
Lincoln-Way East, which won invitational titles this year at Glenbard South, Lincoln-Way Central and Sandburg, had to settle for fourth place.
East’s Nicole Nepote won the 800 meters (2:20.46) in a close finish with Lockport’s Stef Sanders (2:20.57). Other East winners were Dana O’Grady in the 400 (58.55), Sydney Barerra in the 300 hurdles (48.46), Julia Junkroski in the high jump (5-2) and the 1,600 relay (3:58.07).
Lockport won both distance races — Sam Stanley in the 3,200 meters (12:09.25) and Megan O’Brien in the 1,600 (5:08.51). The Porters’ Krista Nauseda won the pole vault (11 feet) and Lane Kadlec the discus (110-8).
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