Photo by Bill Roseberry

LaJarvia Brown

CLASS 3A ROCK ISLAND SECTIONAL — LaJarvia Brown of Alton won four events to lead the parade of local individuals advancing to next weekend’s large-school IHSA girls' track finals at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

Brown, a senior and the two-time defending state triple jump champion, finished first in that event at the sectional with a leap of 38 feet, 10.25 inches. She also won the long jump by going 19-3. And Brown capped her big day by winning the 100-meter high hurdles in 14.34 seconds and the 300-meter low hurdles in 45.52.

“It’s the first time in the history of the girls’ track program that we’ve had an individual win four sectional events,” Alton coach Terry Mitchell said. “It was a really good day for LaJarvia and a good day for us.”

Her win in the 300-meters proved impressive because Brown outran East St. Louis Rokelle Stanley, who beat her in the Southwestern Conference Meet. Stanley’s sectional time was 46.37.

Sophomore teammate Katie Mans won the high jump with a leap of 5-5 in the rain. Alton’s Chayvon Buckingham, runner-up in the shot at 39-9 and Jewel Wagner, third in the shot 38-9, also qualified for state.

All figured, the Redbirds’ scored 64 points to finish third behind champion East St. Louis (90 points) and runner-up O’Fallon (87 points).

“That’s also the best team finish we have had at a sectional,” Mitchell said. “So I think we are in good shape for state next week.”

Edwardsville took seventh with 41 points and Granite City placed 12th with 21 points in the 14-team competition.

The Tigers’ 4x800-meter relay team snared first in 9:33.69 and marked the only event that Edwardsville qualified for state.

Granite City senior Andrea Hyde nabbed second place in the 100-meters in 12:52 and was a member of the 4x100-meter and 4x200-meter relay teams that earned state berths. The 4x1 group ran a 49.41 and finished sixth. The 4x2 unit turned in a time of 1:44.19 and wound up second to O’Fallon, the winner in 1:42.69.