Huntley’s Fanella endures rough day

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CHARLESTON – Huntley junior Amy Fanella shed a few tears late Friday afternoon, the most disappointing day in what had been a terrific track and field season.

Fanella was one of the highest seeds in the Class 3A 300-meter low hurdles and in the triple jump at the IHSA Girls Track and Field State Meet. She qualified in neither event.

Fanella had been so dominant all season, winning the 300 hurdles and triple jump at both the McHenry County and Fox Valley Conference meets. But Friday was not her day.

“I just did really bad,” Fanella said.

Fanella’s 300 time (45.46) missed qualifying by one spot. Her triple jump (35-23⁄4) was well off her best effort of the season. She admitted the 300 race affected her mentally for the triple jump.

“It was hard to get it out of my mind,” Fanella said. “It wasn’t one of my worst times, but maybe I should have pushed it a little harder. There were a lot of things I could have done better today.”

Decision time: Woodstock junior Elise Beattie made a decision Friday not to run the 1,600 meters to save her energy in the 85-degree heat for today’s 3,200 finals.

Elise is in the faster heat of the 3,200, and her sophomore sister, Kayla, is in the slower heat.

That means Kayla, who qualified for the 1,600 finals, has a decision to make for the finals: Does she conserve her energy or does she try to medal in both races?

Kayla had a subpar race at the Huntley Sectional last Saturday, which put her in the slower heat for today’s 3,200, but there could be a positive out of that. She can try to medal out of the slow heat and have about two hours more recovery time for the 1,600.

Fine time: Richmond-Burton senior Sarah Finley was beaming after competing in the Class 2A 100, 200 and long jump. She didn’t reach the finals in any events, but she was close.

Finley’s 25.98 in the 200 was 10th, missing the finals by one spot.

“It was a lot more than what I expected,” said Finley of her first state experience. “I don’t think I’ve ever given so much as that [200] race. I kind of stumbled out of the blocks in the 100, but I still ran faster than I did at sectional.”

Finley missed the long jump finals by three inches.

C-G cutup: Cary-Grove coach Mark Anderson refers to junior Kelly McCoy as his “eternal eighth-grader” for the comic relief she provides the team.

McCoy cleared 5-3 in the Class 3A high jump, but nicked the bar. As it wiggled, she hurried off the pit, then tiptoed away giggling as it stayed put, like she’d heaved a water balloon at someone and gotten away with it.

Anderson said it’s a common misconception that if jumpers leave the pit before the bar falls, it’s a good jump. McCoy, like many track and field fans, thought that was the case and she needed to get out quickly.