CHARLESTON – DeKalb junior Joscelyn Dieckman was left to battle it out for the Class 3A pole vault title with Naperville Central senior Kait McHale, her training partner at RISE Pole Vault in Joliet.
That made settling for second place easier for Dieckman Saturday at the IHSA Girls Track and Field State Meet at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Stadium.
“Kait (McHale) is one of my best friends and it’s her senior year,” Dieckman said. “If anybody were to take it, I wanted it to be her. I’m still very, very happy with second.”
“I did pretty well. I’m looking to get better. I can improve form, but I’m proud of myself, I was able to jump my height.”
— Sydney Miles, DeKalb high jumper
Dieckman was ahead of McHale as they moved from 3.78 to 3.88, having not missed to that point. But McHale made that height and Dieckman missed on her three attempts to take second place.
DeKalb freshman Sydney Myles finished third in the high jump and junior Korima Gonzalez was ninth in the 800 meters.
Indian Creek junior Reagan Gibson took fourth in the Class 1A pole vault, while Ellie Logsdon took sixth in the 400 for Genoa-Kingston, finishing in 57.82. Kaneland’s Jessica Phillipp was ninth in the pole vault, clearing 3.27 meters for the final spot on the podium.
Dieckman switched from a 13-6, 160-pound Altius pole to a 13-6, 155-pound ESSX pole, which was actually stiffer, during the competition.
“I was very close (at 3.88) on my second attempt,” Dieckman said. “It came down to standards and energy level. I’ve had better days, I’ve jumped 4 meters on that (Altius) pole, but I’m still pretty pleased with how I did.”
Myles was beyond pleased with taking third place. She cleared 1.66 (5-5 1/4) for a personal-best jump by 2 inches.
“I did pretty well. I’m looking to get better. I can improve form, but I’m proud of myself, I was able to jump my height,” Myles said.
Myles has split time with the Barbs’ softball team, where she plays center field, and the track team.
“I was able to practice more (for track),” she said. “I was able to be more consistent and just trust it.”
Gonzalez got the final seed for the 12-competitor 800 field in Friday’s qualifying races and moved up three spots in the finals.
“I’m happy with that. The times were close, so I definitely thought I could do it,” Gonzalez said. “I would say at the halfway mark I felt good, so I was just going to try and go and hopefully I don’t get passed in the last 100 meters.
“I got passed up by two girls at the very end. I was thinking, ‘Just maintain.’ I just tried to hold on.”
Gibson took fifth in state as a freshman and improved by one place on Saturday. She cleared 3.66 (12-0).
“I was really, really happy with how I did,” she said. “I was a little nervous because I was on my third attempt at 12-0, but I cleared it and I’m really happy with that.”