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Lady Trojans capture first County track title since 1977
Prior to Friday, the Auburn High School girls track and field team had already established itself as one of the best teams in
school history.
The Lady Trojans likely removed the "one of" disclaimer by winning the Sangamon County Meet at Williamsville Friday, only the
second County title by an AHS girls team and the first since 1977. The County championship followed a first place tie for the Lady
Trojans in the Sangamo Conference Meet last week.
Auburn won seven events on way to scoring 154 points to take the County title for the first time in 33 years, with perennial
favorite Rochester second in the seven-team meet with 129. The Lady Rockets had won 15 of the previous 16 County titles.
Coach Jodi O'Dell said her girls had focused on the County and conference meets as goals. "We had a team meeting before
the conference meet and talked about what we wanted to accomplish," O'Dell said. "The girls really came together as a team and
did well. We knew we had a shot at the County, though we weren't sure Auburn had ever won it. Winning the conference was a bit
of a surprise."
O'Dell noted her team's depth was a big factor in winning Friday as 18 different girls scored points. "To win a big meet like the
County takes a real team effort," she said. Auburn placed in every event except the long jump and had two placers in nine of the
14 non-relay events.
Freshman Annie Jessup led the charge with two firsts in the 800 (2:31.9) and 1600 (5:48.1) and a second place in the high
jump (4-8), where she finished behind teammate Bree Stevens, who cleared 5-0. Stevens added a second in the triple jump with
a 31-7 1/2 effort.
Taylor Hunt (27.3 in the 200) and Taylor Magdich (13:20.3 in the 3200) also placed first, and the team of Stevens, Hunt, Anna
Dambacher and Paige Wilson won both the 400 relay (54.2) and 800 relay (1:52.3).
Dambacher was second in both the 100 (13.0) and 200 (27.5) and Brooke Longmeyer was second in the shot put (28-5 1/2).
Other point winners were:
THIRD - Alex Moore, discus (94-7); Karley Welsh, pole vault (8-6); 3200 relay (Brittany Russell, Ashley Musson, Brooke Boston,
Lauren Crocker), 13:36.7; 1600 relay (Jessup, Magdich, Boston, Shelby Mangold), 4:54.5. FOURTH - Mangold, triple jump (28-1
3/4); Wilson, pole vault (7-6); FIFTH - Moore, shot put (27-8); Mangold, 400 (1:08.3); Desiree Newenham, 100 hurdles (19.0);
Amanda Mortimer, discus (85-6); SIXTH - Newenham, 300 hurdles (59.5); Magdich, 800 (2:43.2); Molly Hunter, 3200 (16:13.4);
Andrea Jones, 100 hurdles (19.3).
Auburn held only an 88-82 lead over Rochester after the 100 hurdles but Dambacher's second in the 100, followed by the 1-6
finish by Jessup and Magdich in the 800 and the 800 relay team's first place built the lead to 117-93. Rochester closed to within
120-105 after the 300 hurdles but Jessup's win in the 1600 offset a 3-4 finish from the Lady Rockets. Auburn clinched the title
with Hunt and Dambacher's 1-2 finish in the 200, which earned 18 points.
Though it is difficult to compare track teams of different eras, there have been only two AHS girls teams with both a County and
conference championship. The 1977 team, which also won the MSM title, featured Susan Grider, who would go on to win two
state titles in the hurdles the following year as a senior. While this year's team most likely won't have a state champion, it does
have girls who hold or share seven school records, four of which were set this year. That number increases to eight if the coach
is included, as Jodi (Powell) O'Dell still holds the 300 hurdles mark of 51.7 set in 2000.
The 1977 team qualified five girls for the State Meet from what was then the District, in which Auburn placed third as a team.
This year's team will have its chance to qualify for State Thursday (today) at the Class A Sectional at Rochester, which starts at
4:30 p.m. with the field events.
Prior to Friday, the Auburn High School girls track and field team had already established itself as one of the best teams in
school history.
The Lady Trojans likely removed the "one of" disclaimer by winning the Sangamon County Meet at Williamsville Friday, only the
second County title by an AHS girls team and the first since 1977. The County championship followed a first place tie for the Lady
Trojans in the Sangamo Conference Meet last week.
Auburn won seven events on way to scoring 154 points to take the County title for the first time in 33 years, with perennial
favorite Rochester second in the seven-team meet with 129. The Lady Rockets had won 15 of the previous 16 County titles.
Coach Jodi O'Dell said her girls had focused on the County and conference meets as goals. "We had a team meeting before
the conference meet and talked about what we wanted to accomplish," O'Dell said. "The girls really came together as a team and
did well. We knew we had a shot at the County, though we weren't sure Auburn had ever won it. Winning the conference was a bit
of a surprise."
O'Dell noted her team's depth was a big factor in winning Friday as 18 different girls scored points. "To win a big meet like the
County takes a real team effort," she said. Auburn placed in every event except the long jump and had two placers in nine of the
14 non-relay events.
Freshman Annie Jessup led the charge with two firsts in the 800 (2:31.9) and 1600 (5:48.1) and a second place in the high
jump (4-8), where she finished behind teammate Bree Stevens, who cleared 5-0. Stevens added a second in the triple jump with
a 31-7 1/2 effort.
Taylor Hunt (27.3 in the 200) and Taylor Magdich (13:20.3 in the 3200) also placed first, and the team of Stevens, Hunt, Anna
Dambacher and Paige Wilson won both the 400 relay (54.2) and 800 relay (1:52.3).
Dambacher was second in both the 100 (13.0) and 200 (27.5) and Brooke Longmeyer was second in the shot put (28-5 1/2).
Other point winners were:
THIRD - Alex Moore, discus (94-7); Karley Welsh, pole vault (8-6); 3200 relay (Brittany Russell, Ashley Musson, Brooke Boston,
Lauren Crocker), 13:36.7; 1600 relay (Jessup, Magdich, Boston, Shelby Mangold), 4:54.5. FOURTH - Mangold, triple jump (28-1
3/4); Wilson, pole vault (7-6); FIFTH - Moore, shot put (27-8); Mangold, 400 (1:08.3); Desiree Newenham, 100 hurdles (19.0);
Amanda Mortimer, discus (85-6); SIXTH - Newenham, 300 hurdles (59.5); Magdich, 800 (2:43.2); Molly Hunter, 3200 (16:13.4);
Andrea Jones, 100 hurdles (19.3).
Auburn held only an 88-82 lead over Rochester after the 100 hurdles but Dambacher's second in the 100, followed by the 1-6
finish by Jessup and Magdich in the 800 and the 800 relay team's first place built the lead to 117-93. Rochester closed to within
120-105 after the 300 hurdles but Jessup's win in the 1600 offset a 3-4 finish from the Lady Rockets. Auburn clinched the title
with Hunt and Dambacher's 1-2 finish in the 200, which earned 18 points.
Though it is difficult to compare track teams of different eras, there have been only two AHS girls teams with both a County and
conference championship. The 1977 team, which also won the MSM title, featured Susan Grider, who would go on to win two
state titles in the hurdles the following year as a senior. While this year's team most likely won't have a state champion, it does
have girls who hold or share seven school records, four of which were set this year. That number increases to eight if the coach
is included, as Jodi (Powell) O'Dell still holds the 300 hurdles mark of 51.7 set in 2000.
The 1977 team qualified five girls for the State Meet from what was then the District, in which Auburn placed third as a team.
This year's team will have its chance to qualify for State Thursday (today) at the Class A Sectional at Rochester, which starts at
4:30 p.m. with the field events.
Issue Date: May 13, 2010
