CHARLESTON -- The strategy appeared to be perfect for Sandburg's Kristen Sutherland in the 3,200-meter run, the most strategic high school race of all. Lay back in the first laps of the Class AA title race, let the fast runners tire, then pick off the other contenders, one by one.

Except for one thing.

"I didn't really have any strategy," Sutherland said of her metric two-mile game plan. "I just went out and ran and was hoping for the best."

Regardless, she ran the race the way it must be run, and it was the route to victory in the state championship. That became crystal clear with 380 meters remaining, when on the first turn of the final lap, she went around leader Lindsay Flanagan of Lake Park on the outside and cruised to a triumph by about 20 meters.

Sutherland was one of two Southland athletes to capture championships on Saturday. Lincoln-Way Central's Jenna Wexter capped a three-year pole vault career by winning the title in track's most spectacular event.

Because of the way Eastern Illinois' O'Brien Stadium is arranged, the pole vault, held on the far side of the track, was far from the view of most of the crowd of about 12,000. But Sutherland's come-from-behind win was in full view of all. Up to 20 meters behind for much of the race, she closed the gap on Flanagan with two laps to go, and finally made her move.

"There was a point where we weren't super far apart," said Sutherland, who won the Class AA cross country title last fall. "In my mind, I thought, 'I can actually beat her.' I knew she has a kick from running against her in the past, so I was a little nervous that if I went, she would beat me at the finish, but I thought I had nothing to lose."

Flanagan didn't answer when Sutherland raced by, not in the turn, not on the backstretch, not out of the final turn, not at all.

Wexter had something close to a perfect day, not missing at any height until she had clinched the title with a vault of 12 feet, even though her Achillies tendon injury continued to nag her.

"I didn't even miss until 12-6," Wexter said. "I missed all three attempts at 12-6, but I definitely had the height for it. It was a little frustrating because I wanted to do better."

By that time, Wexter had already won, with Jocelyn Kuksa of Palatine and Sarah Ross of Jacobs High in Algonquin missing their three attempts at 12 feet. So Wexter, who vaulted over 13 feet in practice, was going for individual gusto. Regardless, the state title lost none of its glitter.

"I was not so much nervous as excited because this was my last year at state," Wexter said. "I was just having a blast."

A sprinter as a freshman, Wexter switched to the pole vault as a sophomore, and the climb to the top began. She finished ninth in state in 2006, was second last year behind Melissa Gergel of Marian Catholic, who was a senior in 2007, and won it all this year.

"It feels amazing," Wexter said of the title. "It's a great end to a senior year."

Chicago Christian, with distance runner Jodi Hoekstra involved in every point, finished 17th in Class A, with 17 points. Benton won the small-school title with 71 points.

East St. Louis Senior captured the Class AA crown, with Lockport's 15.5 points earning the Porters 17th place, the best area showing by a large school.