Vandergriff Sets Sprint Pace With Two CSL South Titles

Evanston’s collection of young runners and jumpers is poised to put the Wildkits back on the state track map as a team.

And no one has a higher ceiling than junior Hunter Vandergriff.

Vandergriff sprinted to a pair of victories Thursday at the windswept Central Suburban League South division meet and helped the Wildkit girls earn a third place finish in the team standings.

Vandergriff’s wins in the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash were among the eight gold medal performances for ETHS, more than any other school. But, as usual, the Kits couldn’t cope with New Trier’s depth and the Trevians repeated as team champs with 133 points. Glenbrook South edged out ETHS for second place 108.5 to 102, followed by Maine South (97), Deerfield (58.5), and Glenbrook North (55).

Evanston hasn’t won the team title since 2014, but head coach Fenny Gunter will take quality over quantity any time, especially with Illinois High School Association sectional and State tests looming the next two weeks. And the Kits provided plenty of quality in less than ideal conditions for a championship meet.

None of the competitors were able to challenge the existing IHSA state qualifying standards that some of Evanston’s athletes have already met or exceeded. The payoff will come next Wednesday at the Class 3A Glenbrook South Sectional.

And Vandergriff showed she can compete with the state’s elite sprinters after ruling the 100 in 12.33 seconds --- a personal best --- and repeating as division champ in the 200 in 25.63, just off her season best.

Also crowned as individual champions for Evanston were senior Stella Davis, 2:21.25 in the 800; senior Nyel Rollins, 47.50 in the 300 hurdles; sophomore Ingrid Sylvestre, 15.61 in the 100 hurdles; sophomore Ebony Turner, 11.68 meters in the shot put; and freshman Brie Noel, 58.24 in the 400.

The 400-meter relay team of Noel, Vandergriff, Bailey Sterling and Francesca Decastro also ruled that race in 50.71, the highlight of a less-than-satisfying relay effort overall for the Kits because the 800 team was disqualified and the 1600 team settled for a third place finish.

Vandergriff’s rise in the sprinter’s ranks has come as no surprise to Gunter, even though the lanky junior had no prior track experience coming into ETHS.

“I remember that one day she just walked into the fieldhouse and said she wanted to try track. And I’m glad she did,” Gunter said. “She’s coming around for us now. It hasn’t been easy for her but she’s managing her life as well as she can. She has challenges that you don’t know, that a lot of young kids go through. She works hard, she practices hard and she’s done a tremendous job for us so far. She’s doing her best and that’s all we can ask of her.

“We’re still trying to make her understand how much potential she has, so it’s great to see her have a moment like tonight where she can see that potential. She’s still trying to find her way and it doesn’t happen overnight.”

Vandergriff’s confidence got a boost last spring when she scored an unexpected 200 win at the conference meet. This year the surprise came in the 100, an event that she’s worked hard at especially when it comes to seeking a better start to the race.

Thursday, she was seeded second behind Glenbrook South’s Sophia Abraham and came from behind to win, with New Trier’s Olivia Debotello second in 12.75. In the 200, Vandergriff and teammate Noel scored a 1-2 finish.

“I just want to keep improving, keep dropping time and keep listening to what the coaches say,” Vandergriff said. “Track feels a lot more serious for me this year. I think I’ve matured a lot and I’m definitely more disciplined now in many areas. Maybe that’s because I’m older and moving up the ladder.

“I wasn’t expecting to win the 100, not at all. I am so surprised! The New Trier girl (Debotello) got ahead of me about midway through the race and I just tried to stay with her. I stayed under control and tried to have more patience. I was just trying to run for (a good) time, not for place.

“That’s only the fourth open 100 I’ve run this spring. My starts are getting better because of my turnover work (in practice). And that work has prepared me well in the 200, too. It translates well.”

Davis’ win in the 800 was a breakthrough of sorts for the senior standout who is already a state qualifier in both cross country and track. She added her first conference championship in outdoor track after coming up short in the 800 as both a sophomore and a junior.

As a sophomore, Davis was the runner-up in the half mile and as a junior she actually won the race but was disqualified for cutting into the inside lane too soon. Even though the ETHS coaching staff entered her in the 800 all three years --- including now --- mostly for a speed workout in her training, not necessarily to win team points, that ruling last year hurt Davis more than she let on.

“I wasn’t upset at first because I ran a PR (about 2:17), but I did cry later,” she revealed. “I was super excited about that PR.

“This is my first conference championship in track and I’m really excited about that. With the wind, I wanted to pack behind someone for the first 200, but no one really took charge so I couldn’t. I expended a lot of energy on that first (67 second split) lap.”

Davis credited assistant coach Gideon Yitref for helping her break through Thursday. She’ll probably run the 1600 in the postseason, as the state qualifying time of 5:11.78 is easily in reach for the future University of Illinois distance runner.

“Coach Yitref really personalizes the workouts for all of us, and the racing strategy he tells me is so important, too,” she said. “I think I’m running smarter this year and I know I’m capable of better times than I’ve shown so far.

“Coming out of indoors we were looking at running the 3200, or possibly doubling in the 3200 and the 1600. But I didn’t really get down to the time I wanted in the 3200 and I think I’m in a better competitive spot in the 1600 (for State). I’m hoping I can run a 4:57.”

Gunter’s decision to switch junior Lejla Maljevic to the junior varsity level produced a “win-win” scenario for the Wildkits in the field events. Maljevic’s absence in the varsity competition allowed Turner to rise to the occasion instead, and Maljevic scored a PR of her own while winning the JV shot at 12.72 meters (41 feet, 8.75 inches) and also won the long jump and discus at the lower level.

Turner also turned in a fifth place effort in the varsity discus.

The coach’s choice came when he looked at the condensed time schedule for the six-team meet. He wanted to reduce the stress of the competition for Maljevic, who didn’t jump last year due to an injury --- it was her first year as a thrower, too --- and is still honing her time management skills going from one event venue to another at invitational meets.

“That was tremendous for Ebony to get her first conference title,” Gunter praised. “That’s what we were hoping for. We wanted to give her a chance to shine on her own. That was a big step for her, and next week we want her to get that state mark (11.17) again.”