Date posted online: Saturday, April 28, 2007
Marian's Gergel
finally off the ground
Senior wins pole vault in her first jump of the
outdoor season
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GIRLS TRACK | OAK FOREST
INVITATIONAL
OAK FOREST | Marian Catholic's Melissa
Gergel put down her bag of cucumbers and picked
up her pole and finally took her first outdoor pole vault of the season.
It was also her only vault of the night, but the
senior went 10 feet in a slight drizzle to win the event at the 24th Annual
Oak Forest Invitational on Friday.
"I feel I am pretty much back,"
Gergel said. "It felt great to warm up and not
have any pain or soreness, and to finally compete."
The Spartans finished fourth with 59 points while Andrew ran away with the
team title with 113 in the 13-team meet. T.F. South,
which had several athletes at its Prom, was seventh (37), followed by Rich
East (31). Crete-Monee was 11th with 25 points.
Bad weather and some pulled muscles in her right thigh have kept
Gergel, who was second in Class AA last year in
the vault, from competing.
"I want to compete, but you know with the weather not being so good, you
don't want to take any chances," the Oregon-bound
Gergel said. "I knew I was going to take just one.
Better safe than sorry."
Crete-Monee freshman Shanikka Vance won the
triple jump (32-10) and was second in the long jump (14-9). Vance, whose
older sisters have made names for themselves in the program, likes carrying
on the tradition.
"There is kind of a little pressure, but I don't mind," Vance said. "I have
to keep the family name going."
She also said it was good to come in as a freshman and win.
"I had some competition with Rich Central's Queenie
Adeboyejo," Vance said. "That is what kind of
kept me going in the triple jump."
Rich East's 800 relay team of Ijeoma
Ibe, Ceara Williams,
Danielle Cook and Jacina Sims won in a
season-best 1:48.75. Rich East fumbled a handoff in the 400 relay and
finished second (51.97).
"I think we just had more confidence out there today," Sims said. "By
practicing more, we have improved our time and we do believe in each other
more."
Cook said the fast start of Ibe was a plus, as
they never trailed in the race.
"That and good competition here makes you want to go harder," Cook said. "We
want to be ready for conference (next Thursday) and sectionals."
The Rebels' Jamie Steward won the high jump by clearing 5-2. The junior said
she did what she had to do.
"My best was 5-4 at conference last year and I knew it was a bad day to
jump," Steward said. "It was hard, but you got to go out and compete no
matter how bad it is."
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