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Sprinter has whole package Sunday, March 30, 2008 By Stan Morris of the Journal Star
Honor roll student. Gifted athlete. Hard worker. Effective leader. Focused. Respectful. Faithful. "It's rare to run across an athlete that has that entire package," Thole said. "Once in a while you get the one who's extremely talented, but they're lacking here or there. It's very rare to have someone with the entire package and I've been extremely blessed to have her with us here for four years." Thomas has been the Knights' top sprinter since her sophomore season. She's won seven Mid-State 6 Conference titles the past two years and is a two-year state qualifier. Already one of the Journal Star area's best, Thomas finished last year with a flourish. She qualified for the state meet in four events. Despite failing to advance out of the state preliminaries, Thomas bounced back with a career best (11.9 seconds) in winning the 100 meters at the JS Honor Roll Meet. She also anchored the Knights to victory in both the 4x100 and 4x200 relays at the elite meet. "Last year showed me I'm capable of more than I think I am," Thomas said. "That's really going to push me this year. Test my limits. Hopefully they are way far away." The ultimate goal for her final season is to make it to the second day of the state meet. "I'm really looking forward to going after it this year and putting everything I can out on that track - leaving it all out there," Thomas said. She also has another reason to succeed. "Track for me is enjoyable, something I love, but also it's my ticket to college," said Thomas, who lists Illinois Wesleyan among the top of her growing list of colleges. To Thole, the most important part Thomas can play this year is role model and leader to a talented group of Richwoods underclassmen. But while speed and smarts come natural, Thomas has grown into that leadership role. "I didn't think I had it in me to be a leader, so I thank coach Thole and the rest of the coaches for giving me the opportunity," Thomas said. "If anything it helps push me more, because I know I have all these other girls looking at me (thinking), 'You're the leader, are you going to step up as well or are you just going to preach it to us and not do it yourself?' " Thomas, whose first name means "graciousness of God," practices what she preaches. "She goes out there and busts her butt every day in practice and during meets she's very focused," Thole said of the two-year captain. "And the younger kids see that focus and see the kind of results she gets and they see the link."
MID-STATE 6: Thomas is not the only standout returning for Richwoods, which has won seven of the last nine league titles. The Knights lost high jump state runner-up Alex Starks to graduation, but return Thomas and senior state medal threat Donielle Ross (triple jump, 400). Richwoods has a stable of young sprinters and a distance crew headed by seniors Katie Grinstead, Olivia Coker and Sravanthi Vegunta that Thole says is the "heart and soul" of the team. Defending M-S 6 shot put and discus champ Megan Kerns is also back. Notre Dame hopes to feed off the success of a Class 2A state-runner up finish in cross country, with senior Caitlin Comfort leading the way. Comfort, the 2006 AA cross country state champ, has been working on her speed work in hopes of improving on a seventh-place state finish as a junior in the 3200. Distance runners Molly Dahlquist (1600 grade school state champ), Maggie Clark and Julie Hendricksen head a talented freshman class and senior Keeli McGee leads the Irish sprint crew. Manual returns 200 conference champ Keke Sturdivant. Central and Woodruff looking to improve after recent numbers issues.
MID-ILLINI: The road to the Mid-Illini title still runs through Metamora, which returns much of the talent that earned its eighth consecutive league title a year ago. The 82-member roster includes such standouts on the track as sophomores Amanda Duvendack, Gretchen Giesler and Lindsey Herman, juniors Angela Rego and Courtney Delap and senior Samantha Nowotnik. Top jumper senior Ashley Tjaden also returns, as does senior pole vaulter Amanda Povolko, who tied her school record of 9-6 indoors. Sophomore hurdler Morgan Ryan returns after misssing most of her freshman year with an injury. East Peoria could challenge with the return of senior sprinter Blair Wyman and a distance crew headed by Cassie Lohmeier and Emily Gustafson. The Raiders have young talent and shot put school-record holder Suzy Vaughn. Numbers are up at Limestone, home of 1600 meter Class AA state-runner up and Class 2A cross country champ Nicole Benson. The Rocket senior has looked strong indoors, posting a meet-record 5:01.37 clocking at the Cogdal Relays. Benson teamed with three freshmen to set a meet record in the 1600 medley at Cogdal. The Rockets also return senior Rachel Garrett and junior Kristin Wikoff. Distance runner Kayla Austin nursing calf injury. Dunlap is led by sophomore weight specialist Emily Waldman, who set the Mid-Illini meet record in the discus. Also heading a young Eagles squad is sophomore sprinter Claire Peterson and distance runner Priya Maillacheruvu. Morton returns 100-meter hurdles league champ Tess Grampp, as well as distance running sisters Brittany and Brooke Carius. Top 800 runner Brooke Bisping opted to play soccer her junior season. Pekin took second in its first year in the M-I and returns quality sprinters and 2006 high jump state medalist Brittni Bastean. Washington led by high jumping sisters Tessa and Lexie Barra, who have both cleared state qualifying height of 5-3. Canton's 18-member roster includes seven freshman, six sophomores and no seniors. AROUND THE TRACK: With seven-time state champ Katelyn Bastert now at Duke, senior all-around standout Amy Byers takes center stage at Illini West. Byers is a five-time medalist and runner-up in the 800 for Carthage, which joined Dallas City and LaHarpe to form the first-year consolidation ... Eureka returns senior Olivia Klaus, the Class 1A cross country state champ and five-time individual track medalist, as well as sophomore Kelsey Holman (third in high jump) but the Hornets lost sophomore two-time medalist Caty Eeten to a knee injury suffered in the basketball season. ... Wethersfield/Annawan returns three-fourths of its fifth-place 4x200 relay and a freshman group that won the IESA 8A state title a year ago ... Tremont has its ninth-place 4x800 relay intact ... Camp Point Central/Southeastern features 2006 Class A high jump state champ Kendra Jennings and last year's long jump champ Katelyn Moore ... Alisa Baron, 400 meter Class A runner-up, leads Bureau Valley ... Princeton returns two-time medalist Brittany Lowdermilk ... West Central junior Miriam Rutzen has already high jumped 5-6 indoors ... Galesburg looks strong again with all four members of its ninth-place 4x400 relay team returning and a strong underclass ... Henry/Midland's Kayla Heal won the Prep Top Times Indoor Classic 55 meter dash. Stan Morris can be reached at 686-3214 or smorris@pjstar.com |
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PEORIA - To Richwoods girls
track and field coach Rich Thole, senior Shavantay Thomas is the consumate
student-athlete.