PETERSBURG — Stacey Sinclair didn’t win any of her events last Saturday in the Gene Armer Invitational indoor track and field meet in Champaign. But given the competition and her efforts, the Petersburg PORTA High School junior has reason to be excited heading to Bloomington this afternoon.
Today brings the Illinois Prep Top Times Indoor Classic at Illinois Wesleyan University. It’s considered the unofficial indoor state meet, with Class 1A competition (including PORTA) today, followed by Class 2A (Central State Eight Conference, minus Rochester) and 3A on Saturday.
“I feel like I have a shot to win, based on how the season’s going so far,” Sinclair said, referring to her main event: the high jump. “I’ve been jumping good, so if I can stay focused, I have a chance.
“I know I’m ahead of where I was a year ago.”
Sinclair cleared 5 feet 4 to finish third at Wesleyan last year. Then-senior Kelsey Holman of Eureka won at 5-6, with Newton’s Maura Cummins — based on fewer misses — getting second at 5-4. Cummins, who’s gone 5-5 this season, is back at IWU today, as is Lexington’s Brittney Algar (5-4).
Sinclair’s career best is a 5-8 outdoor leap last year, when she went on to take sixth at the outdoor state meet. She’s gone 5-4 indoors this spring, with one of those jumps coming at Champaign. It came down to Sinclair and Springfield High’s two-time defending Class 2A outdoor champion, Sarah Maxson.
They both cleared 5-4, then agreed to try for 5-6 in order to conserve their legs. Maxson cleared it, while Sinclair narrowly missed on her second of three attempts.
“I got over (the bar), but I hit it with my legs; I almost had it,” Sinclair said. “Going against (Maxson), knowing she’s a state champion, you want to do good. You want to prove yourself and step up to the competition.”
Stepping up
Sinclair and her teammates were one of just four Class 1A teams in the otherwise Class 2A-3A Gene Armer meet. The Bluejays finished ninth in a 35-team field.
In addition to her near-miss in the high jump at Champaign, Sinclair came within .16 seconds of making the 200-meter dash finals. Her 27.50-second time in the 200 prelims was the ninth fastest, but the eight spots in the finals were filled by schools such as Kankakee, Southeast, Chicago Young and Bradley-Bourbonnais.
“The competition’s a lot harder at a meet like that,” Sinclair said, “but it just makes you push yourself for faster times.”
Sinclair’s 27.50 ranks 10th among the 200-dash entries today, and she’s also slated to anchor PORTA’s 4×200 relay. Depending on overlap of events, PORTA coach Beth French said Sinclair might be scratched from one of the running events.
French, who’s coached the PORTA girls for many years, said Sinclair never has an offseason. The 5-9 junior is getting her “track legs” back after an impressive basketball season in which she averaged 18.1 points and 7.0 rebounds. She’s also a middle hitter in volleyball.
Just as Sinclair’s sports seasons sometimes bump into each other, so do her track events.
“She’s one of the better all-around girls we’ve had here in a long time,” French said. “But in track, it’s hard because sometimes she has back-to-back-to-back events. It’s hard to run a 200 prelim and then go high jump.
“She’s a very good sprinter; she could be an excellent 400 runner. We just haven’t had the opportunity to use her like that. Meets can get complicated sometimes.”
Dave Kane can be reached at 788-1544.
