Lincoln-Way East lights up SouthWest Suburban Blue meet

Lincoln-Way East won 11 events and scored 168 points to claim the conference title over runner-up Homewood-Flossmoor (102) and third-place Lockport (81) in Saturday’s SouthWest Suburban Blue meet.

Homewood-Flossmoor coach Rob Assise had a short, accurate description for Lincoln-Way East’s girls track team.

“They’re really, really good,’’ he said.

That assessment came after the final standings in the SouthWest Suburban Blue meet were announced Saturday at Lockport. Lincoln-Way East won 11 events and scored 168 points to claim the conference title over runner-up H-F (102) and third-place Lockport (81).

Led by five-time state champion Aaliyah Brown, East won all four relays, the 400-meter dash, 800-meter run, 300 hurdles, high jump, pole vault and took first and second in the 100 and 200 in a strong conference.

“A lot of girls contributing,’’ Brown said. “Field events and sprints and distance.’’

The Texas A & M-bound senior took the 100 (12.46 seconds) Thursday night before the meet was suspended because of lightning. She won the 200 (25.07) on Saturday with teammate Alexis Hyshaw taking second in both events.

Brown’s first race in Thursday’s finals was anchor leg of the 400 relay (48.32) that included Hyshaw and freshmen Alexis Pierre-Antoine and Asia Brown, Aaliyah’s sister.

“It’s cold out here,’’ Aaliyah Brown said Thursday night. “Our handoffs could have been better…but we still came out with the win.’’

East piled up the points Saturday in warmer, mostly sunny conditions. The meet ended with Dana O’Grady, Sydney Barrera, Meghan Marias and Asia Brown winning the 1,600 relay (4 minutes, 2.49 seconds) ahead of H-F (4:06.61) and Bolingbrook (4:12.68).

O’Grady, a junior, also won her second straight conference title in the 400 (58.97).

“We were able to push through the fact that the weather got in the way,’’ O’Grady said. “We just stayed strong mentally and kept our focus.’’

East sophomore Julia Junkroski recovered from a sprained ankle she suffered earlier this year to repeat as conference high jump champ (5-2) and win the pole vault (11-0).

“I did all right in high jump. I could have done better in pole vault,’’ Junkroski said.

Other East winners were Alyssa Vogt in the 800 (2:21.06) and Pierre-Antoine in the 300 hurdles (47.89). The 3,200 relay (9:53.38) had Vogt, Kyndall Wallace, Kendall Nepote and Emily Karl. The 800 relay (1:43.56) was Hyshaw, Asia Brown, Pierre-Antoine and Aaliyah Brown.

“It is very nice to win,’’ said East assistant Wendy Hegarty, standing in for coach Caroline Gerritsen after the birth of her first child Wednesday. “We were up by five points with 10 events to go. They were very workmanlike to get the job done.’’

Sandburg freshman Grace Foley won the 3,200 (11:46.69) on Thursday and claimed the distance double Saturday by winning the 1,600 (5:17.55).

“It would have been really hard if I had to run it on the same night,’’ Foley said. “It was great to run on fresh legs.’’

H-F’s Chardae Greenlee also was a double champion, winning the triple jump (36-3.5) and long jump (17-1). H-F’s Jayla Stewart won the 100 hurdles (15.49).

Lockport’s Lane Kadalek repeated as conference champ in the discus (113-8).

Joliet Central’s Marquisha Crosby won the shot put (37-2).