The final day of Alexandria Anderson’s high school career opened with an awards presentation from the Olympic champion whose record she had finally broken.
Over the next four hours, the Morgan Park senior treated the crowd at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Stadium to a performance that overshadowed even Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
On a dominating and inspiring afternoon at the IHSA Class AA girls track and field finals, Anderson capped the most decorated career in state history by breaking two more state records and winning four individual titles for the second straight year.
Anderson broke state records in the 200- and 400-meter dashes, and her record-breaking long jump from Friday’s preliminaries held up as well. The only record she didn’t break, the 100 dash, was one she already owned.
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“I’m just so honored,” said Anderson, who finished her career with an unprecedented 13 individual state titles and 20 total medals. “All the hard work that I’ve done over the past four years has paid off.”
Anderson’s achievements weren’t enough to push Morgan Park past Evanston for the team title.
Led by junior Shalina Clarke, who broke her own IHSA record in the 300 low hurdles and won the 100 high hurdles, the Wildkits won their third straight Class AA championship with 87 points. Morgan Park was second with 71, and Homewood-Flossmoor was third with 46.
Anderson broke Joyner-Kersee’s 26-year-old record in the long jump Friday with a leap of 20 feet 9 inches. On Saturday, Joyner-Kersee presented the top nine long jump finishers with their medals. When it was Anderson’s turn, the crowd responded with one of its loudest cheers of the day.
“It was her record, so I just felt honored for her to be able to put the medal around my neck,” said Anderson, who will compete collegiately at Texas. “Last year she gave a quote that if someone was to break it that she wanted it to be me. It was on my mind this season to go out there and just get it.”
The ovations for Anderson continued each time the public-address announcer confirmed another state record had fallen. Anderson won the 100 in 11.65 seconds before breaking records in the 400 at 52.63 and 200 at 23.32.
“It’s a blessing,” Anderson said of finishing her high school career with four state records. “I put it out there that that’s what I wanted to do. I’m so overwhelmed. I don’t even know what to say.”
Morgan Park’s other title came in the 800-meter relay. Tamika Robinson, Tierra Russell, Samantha Newman and Aja Evans won in 1:40.98.
After running a 41.46 in Friday’s preliminaries, Clarke shaved almost a full second off her previous state record time by running a 40.61 Saturday in the low hurdles. If she hadn’t stumbled slightly on the sixth hurdle, she might have hit her ultimate goal: the national high school record of 39.98.
Clarke won the 100 hurdles in :13.93 and finished second to Anderson in the 100 and 200 dashes.
But Evanston won the championship thanks to Arielle McAlpin’s second in the long jump and third in the triple jump, Demeca Hill finishing third in the 100 and 200 dashes and the 400 relay taking second.
“We knew it was going to be close,” Clarke said. “It’s the same thing every year. It’s who can pull through, who’s the strongest, who can get the job done. This year, we got it done.”
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