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A relative newcomer to hurdles, Niles West junior Jazmine Rafanan will be chasing after her second consecutive trip to the Class 3A state meet on Thursday, May 14, at the Loyola Sectional.
In less than a full season running hurdles as a sophomore, Rafanan earned her way to Charleston in the 300-meter low hurdles. This season, Niles West coach Mark Medland said he believes she can qualify in both the 300 and 100 high hurdles.
“We could tell right away she had natural ability, but she needed to refine her technique and build up her strength,” Medland said. “Making it to state last year really captured her attention, and she worked all summer with us. She takes to coaching well.”
At the Central Suburban South meet on Thursday, May 7, Rafanan finished first in the 300 (48.73 seconds) and second in the 100 (16.42) at New Trier in Winnetka. Her top time this season in the 300 is 47.63 and it’s 15.80 in the 100.
Those finishing first and second at the sectional earn automatic bids to state. The Class 3A state standard for an at-large berth in the 300 is 46.94 and 15.34 in the 100.
“Jazmine has learned quite a bit in a little over a year, but the work is not over yet,” Medland said. “She’s very strong in both events, but she knows she has her work cut out for her at the sectional.”
The Wolves, who finished fourth at the conference meet with 78 points, will be one of five CSL South teams at Loyola. Conference champion New Trier, Evanston, Glenbrook South and Maine South also will be at the sectional in Wilmette.
Glenbrook South
Despite a sprained ankle that kept her from jumping for several weeks, Yasi Mansoorieh finished second in the triple jump and third in the long jump at the CSL South’s meet last week.
The senior recorded a personal-best 33 feet, 5.5 inches in the triple jump and hit a mark of 15-5.5 in the long jump.
“She had been doing some running, but she wasn’t jumping,” Glenbrook South coach Fred Kocian said. “The trainers gave her the go-ahead to jump because the pain and swelling was down.”
Mansoorieh was joined in the jumps by junior teammate Maddy Eenigenburg, who won the triple jump with a career-long 34-00 and tied for fifth in the long jump at 15-2. It was Eenigenburg’s first varsity conference championship.
“They have been pretty consistent for us all year,” said Kocian, whose team took third with 85.53 points.
The two will be looking for their first trips to the state meet when they compete in the sectional on Thursday, May 14, at Loyola. Kocian said the duo’s best chance to get to Eastern Illinois’ O’Brien Stadium is in the triple jump. The Class 3A state standard in the event is 35-8.
“I always tell them at the sectionals to go for the [state-qualifying] times or distance and to not worry about the competition,” he said.
Glenbrook South’s best bet to earn a bid to the state meet is Emily Noone. The freshman finished first in the 800 in 2:19.28 at conference, beating the runner-up by nearly seven seconds.
Maine South
The Hawks scored 33 of their 74.83 points in four distance events at the CSL South meet to finish fifth as a team.
Sophomores Olivia Holmes (12:05.46) and Maura Lally (12:30.41) went three-four in the 3,200 to total 10 points, while senior Casey Bomrad (5:27.53) and freshman Olivia Niziolek (5:34.56) finished third and fifth, respectively, in the 1,600 for eight points. Junior Kalina Gardiner was third (2:29.16) in the 800, and senior Annie Bogard was sixth (2:42.12) in the 800 for a seven-point total.
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The 4×800 relay team’s second-place finish (10:02.29) earned the Hawks eight points.
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