CHICAGO MARIST TRACK AND FIELD

 On Saturday, April 12, 2008, the Northside Varsity Women traveled to Lane Stadium in Chicago, Illinois for the Ed Key Invitational to take on host Kenwood Academy (defending Indoor City Champions and President's Day Invitational Champions), CICS - Longwood, Lane Tech, Hope, IMSA, Little Village, Austin, Corliss, Marshall, Fenger, Clark, Dunbar, and Bollingbrook. The Ed Key Invitational is named after former Kenwood Academy coaching legend Ed Key, who coached multiple athletes to the State Title in the 100m Dash.The point scale used for Individual events and relays was 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1. Medals were awarded to the top three places in each event. Northside Head Coach Jon Gordon awarded Watermelons for all School Records. Team Trophies were awarded to the top two teams.  

  Although Lane Stadium, has been a Chicago landmark forever, in March 2008, Lane Stadium re-opened with a brand new all weather Track, 2 rings for Shot Put, Discus cage, and four runways for Long Jump and Triple Jump. However, prior to Saturday, all meets hosted at the new stadium were not completed due to lightning. It seems as if there is a permanent rain cloud that sits above the Indians new stadium. On Saturday, April 12, 2008, despite the freezing rain and some of the worst conditions the Mustangs have competed in this season, Kenwood Academy Head Coach Patrick Simon determination to complete the first meet ever at the newly re-opened Lane Stadium prevailed.

  Bolingbrook won the Meet with 153 points. The Northside Varsity Women were awarded a Team Trophy for placing SECOND overall with 135 points, and posted victories over Kenwood Academy (116), Dunbar (57), Fenger (42), Clark (39), Marshall (16), Corliss (13), Austin (8), Little Village (7), IMSA (6), Hope (2), CICS - Longwood (1), and Lane Tech (1).

  With the raining coming down, 15 mph winds, and temperatures in the 30s, it did not appear that it would be ideal weather for meet records, school records or even personal records in any event. However, the conditions were the same for all athletes in the meet, and the primary focus would be winning each event, rather than a time goal.

  In the 3200m Run, Northside Junior Ani Zotti wanted to do more than just win the race, she wanted to break the school record, and her determination and mental toughness prevailed against freezing rain and 15 mph winds. Junior Ani Zotti went out in 88 seconds for the first 400m, and then 94 seconds for the next 400m, for an 800m split of 3:02. Zotti then ran the next 400m in 95 seconds, for a 1200m split of 4:37. Ani Zotti then ran the next 400m in 93 seconds for a Mile split of 6:10. Northside Head Coach Jon Gordon informed Zotti, she was on pace to break the school record. Northside Assistant Coach Chad Ware gave Zotti her 400m lap splits as he ran across the Track in excitement. A week earlier, Zotti had run a 6:17 in the Mile at the Mather Invitational, and now with a Mile to go in the 3200m Run, Ani Zotti was running faster than her previous Mile race, and on pace to break Rachel Kittaka (12:21) school record in the 3200m run. Ani Zotti ran the next 400m in 92 seconds for a 2000m split of 7:42. Junior Ani Zotti ran the next 400m in 93 seconds for a 2400m split of 9:15. Ani Zotti ran the next 400m in 93 seconds for a 2800m split of 10:48. With 400m to go, Ani Zotti was on pace to break the school record and the meet record! Northside Junior Ani Zotti ran the final 400m in 89 seconds to WIN the 3200m run and BREAK THE SCHOOL RECORD and the MEET RECORD with a personal best time of 12:17. Ani Zotti also ran negative splits, running the first mile in 6:10, and  the final mile in 6:07 for a personal best time of 12:17. Ani Zotti was also awarded a Medal for winning the 3200m run!

  One of the characteristics of Championship Teams, is they have athletes that will step forward and make personal sacerificies to help their Team Win, and put the Team's goals first, before individual goals and outside interests. This requires an athlete to be at every meet, ready to race, and care about their teammates so much, that they don't want to let them down by not showing up to the meet. Track is a unique sport, that requires every athlete to be present to win a meet. The difference between winning and losing is generally one-two athletes not being present. The Northside distance runners, sprinters, throwers, and jumpers all rely on each other every week.

  Although the Mustangs had many athletes demonstrate those qualities on Saturday, one of the athletes that came through big to help her teammates upset Kenwood Academy was Northside Captain Anna Parks. Rather than go on a Family vacation to Minnesota, Anna Parks came to practice on Friday and offered to race in the 3200m run and the 1600m run, for a teammate who was sick, even though she is primarily a 400m/800m runner. Anna Parks could have been on vacation this past weekend, or even at a school club activity, instead she came to practice on Friday, and to the meet ready to race and help her teammates. Anna Parks scored 18 points in the meet, including, winning the mile, and helped put the Mustangs over the top.

  In the 3200m Run, Anna Parks ran a 6:27 (3:11/3:26) for the first mile, and finished the second mile in 6:30 (3:19/3:11), for a total time of 12:57.40 to place second overall! Anna Parks was awarded a Medal for placing second overall!

 In the High Jump, the Lane Stadium high jump pit was as small as a queen size bed, and was filled with water. Despite these condition, Northside Junior Maria Torres WON it with a jump of 4'7. Northside Senior KArolina Maslanka finished in seventh place with a jump of 4'0. 

 In the Long Jump, Northside Junior Maria Torres placed sixth overall with a jump of 13'9. Junior Gayatri Satam placed seventh overall with a jump of 13'7.

 In the Triple Jump, Northside Junior Gayatri Satam placed third overall with a jump of 24'4.5. Maria Torres was scratched from the Triple Jump.

 In the Shot Put, Northside Senior Alyssa Anderson placed fifth overall with a throw of 27'7. Northside Senior Courtney Konow placed sixth overall with a throw of 26'10.

  In the Discus, Northside Senior Courtney Konow placed second overall with a throw of 79'8.5. Northside Senior Kelly Varney finished in fifth place with a throw of 69'5.

 In the 4x100m Relay, Freshman Robin Doherty ran a 16.39 100m split on the first leg of the Relay. Freshman Nina Coomes ran a 16.98 100m split on the second leg of the relay. Lynette Ardies ran a 14.63 100m split on the third leg of the relay. Courtney Konow anchored the Mustangs to tenth place with a 15.20 100m split, for a total time of 63.20.  

 In the 4x800m Relay, Freshman Karlyn Gehring ran a 2:55 800m split on the first leg of the relay, and made a nice exchange to Sophomore Karen Li. Karen Li ran a personal best 3:01 800m split on the second leg of the relay. Su Yang ran a 2:57 800m split on the third leg of the Relay, and made a nice exchange to Bessie Nolan. Bessie Nolan anchored the Mustangs to victory with a 2:44 800m split, for a total time of 11:37.

  In the 100m Hurdles, Kenwood Freshman Nia Munson won it with a time of 18.00. Northside Senior Kelly Varney finished in second place with a time of 18.90. Junior Jennifer Kane finished in fourth place with a time of 22.40.

  In the 100m Dash, Bolingbrook Senior Mennane Boyd won it with an outstanding time of 12.6. Northside Freshman Nina Coomes ran a personal best time of15.70. Northside Freshman Robin Doherty ran a time of 16.50.

  In the 800m Run, Bessie Nolan, who has PR for 800 meters of 2:36, dug herself a hole early, by getting off to a slow start in the 800m run with an 87 on her first 400m. Bessie Nolan then ran a negative split of 85 to pass two runners and win the 800m run with a time of 2:52.8. Nolan was awarded a Medal for finishing first overall. Dunbar Freshman Dynasty Williams finished in second place with a time of 2:52.9. Bolingbrook Senior Ali Rollins finished in third place with a time of 2:57.7. Northside Freshman Su Yang ran an outstanding time of 2:59 to place fourth overall. Dunbar Senior Kenya Shellto finished in fifth place with a time of 3:03. Little Village Freshman Angelica Samperio finished in sixth place with a time of 3:09. Little Village Freshman Stephanie Abeja finished in seventh place with a time of 3:33.2. Clark Sophomore Misha McGlory completed the scoring and finished in eighth place with a time of 3:58.0.

 In the 4x200m Relay, Maria Zdunek ran a 31.83 200m split on the first leg of the relay. Nina Coomes ran a 35.37 200m split on the second leg of the relay. Courtney Konow ran a 32.47 200m split on the third leg of the relay. Maria Torres ran the anchor leg with one hand on the baton, and the other hand was holding her pants from falling off, for a 36.43 200m split, to place 9th overall with a total time of 2:14.1.

 In the 400m run, Junior Adaora Achufusi was scratched from the event. Northside Freshman Ashley Kossakowski arrived to the meet after the last heat of the 400m run had been completed.

 In the 300m Hurdles, Northside Sophomore Karen Li finished in fourth overall with a time of 60.1. Northside Junior Maria Zdunek finished in fifth overall with a time of 64.6.

 In the Mile, Northside Junior Anna Parks ran the first 400m in 85 seconds, and the next 400m in 90 seconds for an 800m split of 2:55. Anna Parks ran the next 400m in 92 seconds for a 1200m split of 4:27. Anna Parks ran the final 400m in 91 seconds to win the Mile with an outstanding time 5:58.1. Anna Parks was awarded a Medal for finishing first overall in the Mile. Northside Junior Ani Zotti ran the first 400m in 86 seconds, and the next 400m in 91 seconds for an 800m split of 2:57. Ani Zotti ran the next 400m in 95 seconds for a 1200m split of 4:32. Ani Zotti ran the final 400m in 96 seconds for a time of 6:08 to place second overall! Ani Zotti was awarded a Medal for finishing second overall in the Mile.

 In the 200m Dash, Northside Senior Kelly Varney placed second overall for the Mustangs with an outstanding time of 29.1. Northside Freshman Ashley Kossakowski placed seventh overall for the Mustangs with a time of 35.6.

 The Mustangs did not have enough alternates available to run the 4x400m Relay, and the event was scratched.