Edwardsville Female Athletes Dominate Illinois Top Times Meet

BLOOMINGTON - Edwardsville High School had two winners on the day in Joanna Anoke in the 200 meters, and Sophie Shapiro in the 60-meter hurdles, while Lyric Jones of Belleville East won the 400 meters to highlight a big day for Metro-East athletes in the girls Class 3A Illinois Top Times track meet, which was held Saturday, March 28, 2026, at the Shirk Center at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington.

The meet is an invitation-only meet, featuring the top athletes in the state. It is an indicator of how the outdoor season might go as well.

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In the 60-meter dash, Cassidy Willis of East finished second with a time of 7.61 seconds, with Joslyn Springman of Edwardsville placing fourth at 7.70 seconds, Jones came in sixth at 7.72 seconds, Anoke was seventh at 7.78 seconds, and Belleville West's Mariah McLean was eighth at 7/83 seconds. Anoke won the 200 meters with a time of 24.96 seconds, while Springman was fourth at 25.24 seconds, Willis was right behind in fifth at 25.25 seconds, Jones was the winner in the 400 meters with a time of 56.81 seconds, with Shapiro coming in third at 57.52 seconds, Kwanza Henderson of Collinsville was fourth with a time of 59.55 seconds, Aliyah Collier of the Maroons was sixth at 59.97 seconds, Gabrielle Peppers of the Lancers was eighth at 1:00.59, teammate Kamryn Durrah was 11th at 1:00.84, and Toby Hawkes of Collinsville was 17th at 1:02.28.

In the 800 meters, Serena Shapiro of the Tigers placed eighth at 2:21.36, while teammate Willow Jackson was 10th at 2:23.85, and Edwardsville's Ainsley Goodwin was 14th at 2:25.63. In the 1,600 meters, MacKenna Kerpan of Edwardsville came in fifth at 6:13.11, and in the 3,200 meters, Virginia Siejka of the Tigers was 13th with a time of 12:14,70, while Sophie Shapiro won the 60-meter hurdles at 8.62 seconds, with Amijia Robinson of West was fourth at 9.02 seconds.

In the 4x200 meters, relay, Edwardsville's team of Springman, Jahzara Zakkour, Anoke, and Morgan Gestes won the event at 1:42.06, with the Belleville West team of McLean, Robinson, Stacee Whitson, and Asliyah Paulette came in seventh at 1:47.08, with Collinsville's team of Dariana Morris, Patience Everage, Deattrice Tillman, and Henderson were ninth at 1:47.60. In the 4x400 meter relay, the Tigers' team of Jaylinn Bell, Gestes, Serena Shapiro, and Sophie Shapiro were second at 4:01.22, with the East team of Jones, Peppers, Lailah Moody, and Durrah were fourth at 4:02.17, West's team Aliyah Collier, Toni Powe, Robinson, and Paulette came in eighth at 4:11.93, and Collinsville's team of Hawkes, Morris, Everage, and Henderson came in ninth at 4:14.19. Edwardsville's 4x800 meter relay team of Jackson, Kerpan, Morgan Popelar, and Madison Popelar placed second in the race at 9:37.41.

In the field events, Joi Story of the Tigers, who's headed for the University of Texas next season, won the shot put with a throw of 12.95 meters, with teammate Jayla Gathing finished in fourth at 11.54 meters, RaMiyah Young of the Lancers finished second in the high jump, clearing 1.64 meters, while Edwardsville's Talia Omotola cleared 1.52 meters to finish 11th, and teammate Quinn Neal placed 13th, also clearing 1.52 meters. Gestas finished sixth in the long jump, going 5.39 meters, while Madison Hardy of the Tigers finished ninth in the triple jump, going 10.69 meters.

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