Taylorville girls end Track and Field season at State
CHARLESTON — The THS 4×400 girls relay team left it all on the track on Friday, May 19. They pose for a team picture after the race. The athletes from left to right: Sydney Lowis, Anna Goodman, Ella Goodman and Ava Odam.
Lucas Domonousky
Breeze-Courier Sports Editor
CHARLESTON —Taylorville High School sent three individual and one relay team to the IHSA Girls State Track and Field meet on Friday, May 19. O’Brien Stadium at Eastern Illinois University housed some of the most talented female athletes in the state of Illinois including six Tornadoes. Senior Anna Goodman lead the THS 4×400 relay team, consisting of junior Ella Goodman who also participated in the 800m relay; junior Ava Odam and sophomore Sydney Lowis, as well as sophomore Pole Vaulter Alyssa Andeatta and High Jumper Lilella Vail to a one of a kind day at Eastern Illinois University.
Junior Ella Goodman ran in the 800m dash which was the team’s first event of the day, 8:00 a.m. Goodman gave a strong performance finishing the two-lap race in 2:28.78 which earned her a position of 27th.
CHARLESTON — Sophomore Liliella Vail flops over the bar set for the High Jump event at O’Brien Stadium on Friday morning. She finished 16th place for the Tornadoes reaching an official height of 1.50m.
Tommy Photo
Taylorville sophomore Liliella Vail gave the Tornadoes their best finish of the day. She leaped in the High Jump portion of the State meet reaching a height of 1.50m. The benchmark gave her a 16th place finish.
Alyssa Andreatta, the sophomore, finished with a NH (no height) meaning she had no result. However, this was Andreatta’s second consecutive year reaching the State meet and as a sophomore, that is nothing to hang her head on.
“It’s awesome to be here, again!” Alyssa said. “It’s a learning experience, especially what happened today but I’m ready to come back next year.”
There is no doubt she will be back. The second year pole vaulter has kept setting the bar higher and higher in both seasons breaking Taylorville records every year. Head girls Track and Field Coach Robert Dunn says she’s going to have a larger work load come next season.
“She has been awesome!” He stated. “Two school records this year. Her two-hundred times have gotten better. We’ve gotten her so fast, this year, that our pole vault coach is getting mad that she’s gotten that fast. We’ve had to go through so many poles. This Summer we’re going to have to reset her poles and figure out what we need her to do. She’s just worked awesome for us. She will be apart of one of our relays next year.”
Andreatta comments on the speed training provided by Coach Dunn.
“This season has been really great. She says. “Coach Dunn’s speed training has gotten me a lot faster and my dad as my coach has gotten me a lot better at pole vault. Just need to focus on a few more things for next year.”
The main event for Taylorville High School came at the very end of prelims. The 4x400m relay team (Anna Goodman, Ella Goodman, Ava Odam and Sydney Lowis) raced around the EIU track in a total time of 4:26.76 which earned them a 28th place finish.
“They’ve had such a great year.” Head Coach Dunn says. “We’ve mixed some pieces in between Ava Odam, Lyla Repscher we came up with a good four about a month ago and we’ve just gotten better and better. Today just didn’t come together. We’re a lot faster than that and we know that.”
Just about every THS track team member was able to talk about the “learning experience” that was Friday morning at State besides senior Anna Goodman who raced in her last ever High School meet.
“It was really exciting!” Said Goodman. “We tried our hardest and we’ve put in a lot of effort to get here so I’m really proud of everybody.”
This was Anna’s first time at the State Track meet and to make it her final season made that all the more special.
“She’s been awesome.” Coach Dunn says. “She’s been a leader for us. Just positive the whole year. Ran great times in multiple events. Been there, done that. Anything we’ve needed her to do she’s done.”
Anna brings words of encouragement for the future of the Taylorville girls athletic programs.
“Try your hardest.” Goodman states boldly. “Don’t give up in practice because I know it can get really hard. Have fun with it. That’s the biggest part.”
The Taylorville girls Track team ends their 2023 spring season bringing six athletes to the IHSA State meet which is a sizable improvement from just a season ago. The THS boys will participate in their own version of State beginning next Friday, May 26. Taylorville is also sending six of their own to the meet.
CHARLESTON — Taylorville sophomore Alyssa Andeatta soar through the air during the Pole Vault event at the IHSA State Track and Field meet held on Friday, May 19.
Tommy Photo
