Thomason headlines local field in Class 1A prelims
· Yahoo Sports
May 22—CHARLESTON — Natalie Thomason has accomplished just about everything possible in four years with the Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin girls' track and field team.
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Fittingly, her career will end with three chances at an IHSA Class 1A state title on Saturday after qualifying for three state finals in Thursday's preliminaries at O'Brien Field in Charleston.
"I'm really happy with how all my races went," Thomason said. "I either (set personal records) or qualified in (all) of them."
Thomason qualified for the state finals in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.86 seconds, the 300-meter hurdles after crossing the finish line in 46.68 and in the high jump after clearing 5 feet, 2 1/4 inches.
She also took part in an 800 relay alongside Jaz Ingram, Emily Dice and Neveah Scott that set a BHRA program record in 1:48.44, though the effort placed 17th in the 44-team race to miss the nine-team cutoff for Saturday's finals.
"I'm glad to see those seniors get that record," BHRA coach Susan Kentner said. "A big day for Natalie to squeak in, get that and really compete really hard."
Saturday will mark the fourth time she's competed in the high jump competition after her leap ranked second in Thursday's preliminary round.
"My year (as a junior) kind of threw me off," Thomason said. "We were trying to figure some stuff out and it was messing with my head, and I had a mental block last year. Being able to break that mental block has given me a little more confidence."
A long day of competition meant that Thomason's shins were hurting, which she attempted to cover with a pair of cheetah print socks.
She'll have another pair ready for Saturday.
"That's why I wear these socks," Thomason said. "I try to make my socks fun so it doesn't look like I'm wearing these ridiculously long socks, but it does help me."
Thomason is among the list of local 1A athletes who qualified on Thursday to get the chance to compete again on Saturday.
Tuscola senior Kate Foltz will run in the 1,600 and 3,200 races. The 3,200 does not have any prelims, but Foltz grabbed the final spot in the 1,600 with a time of 5:13.41 to place 12th on Thursday.
"I barely made it," Foltz said. "I was lucky enough to squeeze that in, but I'm looking forward to Saturday."
Saturday will also mark the final races of Foltz's preps career, which included a Class 1A cross-country championship in 2024.
She expects that experience to prove useful on Saturday and then again at Illinois when she starts running for the Illini next school year.
"I think it just kind of takes away a little bit of any nerves, just knowing that you know you've done it before," Foltz said. "You're familiar with everything. It's kind of nice to know where everything's at."
Thursday's conditions were pristine for distance runners.
"It was good weather, not too cold, not too hot or anything," Foltz said. "I didn't really feel any pressure. Just lots of people there. It's always busy."
Fisher sophomore Vanessa Sides, meanwhile, will compete in the final round for the first time when the 300 hurdle race begins on Saturday.
She advanced through the 1A preliminaries in the 300 hurdles as a freshman and competed in both the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles preliminaries on Thursday, placing eighth in the 300 with a time of 46.02.
"It was just a very, very eventful day," Sides said. "I was really grateful that I had gotten the time I had, and I give thanks to all my coaches and my teammates. I'm just really glad I was able to be here in the first place."
Other sprinters to advance included Sullivan freshman Addie Patterson, who qualified for the 100 hurdles finals with a time of 15.31, and Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley sophomore Makayla Evans, who took the last spot in the 400 finals with a time of 59.75.
St. Thomas More's Henley Parsons will join Foltz in the 1,600 finals after logging a time of 5:07.58 to place seventh on Thursday, while Fisher sophomore Ellie Emberson, Salt Fork junior Callie Richardson, GCMS freshman Erin McCall and Georgetown-Ridge Farm/Chrisman senior Leah Phipps will partake in the 3,200 on Saturday.
"It's always busy, and it was just always a positive atmosphere," Foltz said. "Everyone's always very like positive, I feel like, and really supportive, which is nice."