A record day

Woodstock’s Kayla Beattie set two meet records Thursday at the Fox Valley Conference Track and Field Meet at Crystal Lake South High School. She won the 3,200-meter run in 10:09.09 and the 1,600 in 4:50.83. (Hollyn Johnson – hjohnson@nwherald.com)

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CRYSTAL LAKE – Kayla Beattie cranked out lap after lap at speeds never before seen at a Fox Valley Conference Track and Field Meet.

Spectators and athletes watched in awe at one of the most memorable performances ever, as the Woodstock senior wiped out her own records in the 3,200- and 1,600-meter runs by wide margins in the FVC Meet at Crystal Lake South’s Ken Bruhn Field on Thursday night.

Beattie was in fast company, as six other meet records fell. All four relays records were erased, and McHenry’s Ashley Conway (shot put) and South’s Marianne Collard (800) also set individual marks.

Cary-Grove finished with 114 points to win its third consecutive team title, led by sprinter Sarah Ryan, who was involved with three first-place finishes and one second. Huntley (82) was second and Prairie Ridge (71) was third.

Beattie has set records in almost every big meet this season, and with two weeks remaining before the IHSA Girls Track and Field State Meet, her record performances were predictable. She ran 10:09.09 in the 3,200, beating her mark of 10:35.06 set last year. She then ran 4:50.83 in the 1,600, breaking another record from last year at 5:05.55.

“My focus was the 3,200 and I was looking for a little faster time,” said Beattie, who beat her winning time at the McHenry County Meet of 10:16.48. “Any [personal record] would be good. I felt really good after the first mile, coming through in 4:52. I have to go out aggressively, not stupid aggressive, but fast.”

Beattie thought she could have pushed the sixth and seventh laps a little harder, but the IHSA’s website has only Peoria Bergan’s Suzie Tuffey (10:03.00) as running a faster 3,200 in state history.

“I’m looking forward to the next few meets,” Beattie said. “It’s a process [learning to keep up a pace]. I feel like I’m moving in the right direction.”

Conway, who is better known for her high and long jump prowess, threw 39 feet, 10 1/2 inches to win the shot put, beating Crystal Lake Central’s Tami Engelman’s 38-8 throw from 2000. Conway added glide steps to her approach and threw more than 3 feet farther than she did at the county meet.

“I think I can go farther if I get my technique down better,” Conway said.

Collard ran 2:17.02 in the 800 to take the record in that race. Dundee-Crown’s 4x800 relay (Claira Himmel, Lauren Mosher, Jade Franz and Katie Gross), Prairie Ridge’s 4x100 relay (Sam Nirva, Amanda Weber, Brooke Basler and Jessica Ayers), C-G’s 4x200 relay (Annie McGarrigle, Kathie Wollney, Jenni Maki and Ryan) and Huntley’s 4x400 relay (Marilyn McDougall, Beth Parks and Antonia Moore) all set meet records in their races.

Nirva won the long jump, 100 high hurdles and led off the winning 4x100 relay. Her long jump (17-2) was the best of her career by 8 inches).

“In the prelims, I thought, ‘I got to get going,’ ” Nirva said. “I hit that and said, ‘Oh, OK, here we go.’ ”

Ryan drew some motivation from the seed times, which had her third in the 100. She won that race, the 200, anchored the record 4x200 and the second-place 4x100 relay.

“I thought the 100 would be the toughest,” Ryan said. “I didn’t think I would do so well. This is nice. I’m speechless.”

Teams closed the gap somewhat from the county meet on C-G, but the Trojans still had far too much depth to be caught.

“We really work well together and fire each other up,” Ryan said.

Carly Loeffel won the high jump and Kathie Wollney won the 300 low hurdles for C-G’s other FVC champions.

“Wollney and Ryan are just [fantastic],” Trojans coach Mark Anderson said. “Ryan had a big, big night. All the girls are real gamers.”