Whatley Climbs To No. 1 Spot In Girls Shot Put In Illinois

Olivia Whatley took advantage of a chance to get in some extra work at last week’s Central Suburban League South division indoor track championship meet.

Now the Evanston senior ranks as the No. 1 thrower in the shot put in the state of Illinois in Class 3A.

Whatley captured the CSL shot title with a throw of 12.17 meters and heads the list of Evanston invitees for the annual Illinois Prep Top Times meet set for Saturday at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington.

The meet annually serves as an unofficial state meet for both girls and boys at the conclusion of the indoor season. Evanston has recorded the fastest times in the state in girls competition in both the 800-meter relay (1 minute, 44.38 seconds) and 1600 relay (4:04.22), and hurdler Abrielle Artley will also compete for the Wildkits.

Representing ETHS in the boys events will be Matt Cless (high jump, 60-meter dash), Tim Russell (shot put), Vorn Ellis (200), Evan Siegel (60 hurdles) and the 800 and 1600 relay teams.

Whatley, Artley (55 hurdles) and junior Kai Strickland (400 meter dash) all claimed conference titles at the meet held March 17th at Glenbrook North. They led the Wildkits to a 4th place finish in the team standings with 40 points. New Trier won the team crown with 138 points.

As usual, ETHS head coach Fenny Gunter didn’t enter a full lineup at the CSL meet. But Strickland wasn’t available to run on the weekend --- she had a conflict with a dance competition --- so she made the most of her opportunity, along with Whatley. Strickland posted a winning time of 1:03.79 in the 400 and also placed 2nd in the 200 in 28.13.

Artley added a win in the hurdles in 8.87 seconds, easily beating out runnerup Madison Basquin of Maine South, who was clocked in 9.34.

Also scoring a top 5 conference finish was senior Lauren Dain, 5th in the 800 in 2:34.89.

Whatley actually improved on that winning throw two days later when the Wildkits traveled to the Gene Armer Invitational at the University of Illinois in Champaign. Her best toss was 12.18 meters and so far she is the only Class 3A female thrower in the state to surpass 12 meters.

The Wildkits also received first place efforts from Margaret Gass, 11:58.29 in the 3200, and the 1600 relay team of Artley, Dawson Wright, Rikki Gray and Maidson Hardamon in 4:04.22 at the Armer Invite. Jacklynn Okereke took 2nd in the open 200, in 26.05, and the 800 relay team also ran 2nd, in 1:44.98.

It all added up to a 3rd place finish in the team standings, behind Kankakee (61) and Catlin (48). A total of 32 teams competed at the invitational.