Sylvestre, Maljevic Claim CSL South Titles

Ingrid Sylvestre doesn’t consider New Trier’s Georgia Burne as a rival.

But when the Evanston junior hooks up with Burne in the hurdles, it’s a race no high school track fan wants to miss.

Sylvestre topped Burne by three-hundredths of a second in the 100-meter hurdles, and Burne flipped the script with a win in the 300 hurdles Thursday night at the Central Suburban League South division meet held at Deerfield.

Sylvestre joined Lejla Maljevic (long jump) as Evanston’s only individual champions and also combined with Brie Noel, Hunter Vandergriff and Amari Robinson to win the 1600 relay while leading ETHS to a third place finish in the team standings.

New Trier won the team crown with 127.5 points, followed in order by Maine South (99.5), Evanston (97), Deerfield (83), Glenbrook South (74) and Glenbrook North (42).

Sylvestre earned a repeat title in the 100 hurdles, edging out Burne at the finish with personal best time of 15.35 seconds to Burne’s 15.38. Burne was the top seed entering the race and both runners finished under the established Class 3A Illinois High School Association state qualifying standard for State of 15.40.

It was Burne’s turn in the longer 300 race, with a winning time of 46.42 that was her best, with Sylvestre second in 47.47.

The hurdles races brought out the best in both juniors, and to Sylvestre, that said it all.

“I don’t think of her as a rival,” Sylvestre said of a foe she’ll likely face again at next Wednesday’s Deerfield Sectional meet. “I think of it more like she’s helping me, and I’m helping her (run faster). We’re helping one another. It’s not a rivalry.

“In the 100, I stayed at the same pace after I got out strong and I think that pushed her. I actually only practiced the 100 once this week because I’ve been more focused on working on the 300 this year. So I’m really proud to get to 15.35 like that. I didn’t expect that. My goal is to run 15 flat --- or below --- the next couple of weeks.

“In the 300, today I lost my rhythm a little on that third hurdle. I’ve been working a lot on trying to learn to run the curve better. I’m still trying to work on my confidence running against these more experienced girls, still struggling to push myself more.

“I just want to get out of my own head. That’s where I struggle the most, and that always impacts the way I run. I just want to get out there and run, not over-think things, and see what happens. With all of the work that I’ve put in now, I just need to run --- and let the race be what it is. Once I do that, I can see myself getting to State.”

So can head coach Fenny Gunter.

“It’s taken her a little while to get her confidence back again (after suffering a bad fall in a race two weeks ago, a psychological hurdle all hopefuls face at some point). I thought Ingrid ran a little harder today,” Gunter said. “She lost some steps (in the 300) at the No. 2 hurdle, and again at the No. 4 hurdle, and had to regroup. In the 100, she got out really well and then hung in there. She was a lot more competitive. I thought it was a good night for her.”

Sylvestre was also a member of the championship 1600 relay squad that posted a winning time of 4 minutes, 2.06 seconds and barely beat out hard-charging Maine South’s 4:02.16 effort. Sylvestre ran the third leg in solid fashion and the Wildkits had a 40-yard lead on the final baton exchange, but Hawks’ anchor Sarah Cull --- who earlier knocked off Vandergriff in the open 400 --- almost caught Robinson.

In the field events, Maljevic captured the long jump at a personal best 5.42 meters and contributed runner-up finishes in the shot (12.00 meters), triple jump (10.79) and discus (37.20). She claimed her first varsity conference outdoor title after competing at the JV level at last year’s CSL South meet.

The ETHS senior might have won the shot, too, but only attempted three throws in the prelims and scratched out of the finals to travel over to the long jump pit. Deerfield’s Lexi Kirchen turned in a winning throw of 12.2 on her first throw of the finals.

That was according to Gunter’s plan for her to focus on the postseason scenario for the sectional --- and possibly State --- where she’ll need to be at her best in the prelims to make certain she advances.

“With as many events as Lejla’s in (she’ll cut the list down to three at the sectional), it’s asking a lot to have her come back and forth for finals like that,” Gunter pointed out. “I just told her to save some throws for next week. Her better throws are usually up front. And if you get it done (a good throw) in the first three tries, then you can kinda relax after that. She’s still learning how to do that.”

“Today I just had the goal to have fun, instead of thinking too much. Just do it, there’s no other way,” Maljevic said. “I had a big season best in the long jump and I’m so happy about that.

“For sectional and State, you’re expected to perform well the first three throws and Coach wants me to be in the mindset to get it done early. I really feel comfortable now in the shot. There’s a list of things (technique wise) I’ve been checking off, and I’m waiting now for everything to click at once.

“It’s the last time I’ll do four events and I’m super excited and super happy. To finish in the top three in all of them is such a good deal. I had a PR in the triple jump and I’m so excited to win a conference championship. Now I just need to keep improving.”

Noel and Vandergriff added second place finishes in the open 100 and 400, respectively. Noel was actually the defending champion in the 400 but Gunter opted to get some sprint work in for the sophomore, who wasn’t even entered in the fast heat. Noel blazed her way to a heat time of 12.64, better than anyone except eventual champ Olivia Hindson of Glenbrook South (12.61) in the other heat.

Vandergriff moved up to the 400 distance after winning conference crowns in both the 100 and 200 last spring. But a delay in the start of the race due to a problem with the automatic timing system eventually caused officials to take the runners off the track briefly. Then Vandergriff, who was the top seed in the race, had to settle for second to Cull by a margin of 58.54 to 58.90.

Evanston tallied second place points in the 800 relay, also, where the unit of Robinson, Noel, Francesca Decastro and Bailey Sterling was clocked in 1:45.06. Maine South won that race in 1:44.46.