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ALTON — Members of the Marquette Catholic girls’ track and field team reflected on their progress and accomplishments after competing at the IHSA Class 1A state meet Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Charleston, after their prelims race in the 4x100 relay.
The team, guided by head coach Billy Sprague, showcased notable improvement this season, especially in sprints, relays, shot put, and jumps. Sprague highlighted several personal records achieved during the state competition, including triple jumper and 4x100 relay member Karly Davenport.
“Karly Davenport PR’d her first jump in the triple jump and PR’d on her last jump, winning her flight with a distance of 10.30 meters and placing 17th overall,” Sprague said.
A season highlight came at the sectional meet when the girls’ 4x100 relay team qualified for the state competition. Despite having academic tests required on the day of the sectional, relay member Tyra Wells arrived just 10 minutes before the finals, then performed strongly with little warmup.
The Explorers 4x100 relay team, consisting of Lilly Hannigan, Tyra Wells, Madison Bassett and Karly Davenport, broke the school record at the state preliminaries with a time of 52.20 seconds, placing 22nd overall.
“Qualifying meant a lot to us as we worked hard all season long and we just beat the school record again,” the relay team said collectively.
The state meet was a significant goal for the team, which described the experience as intense but rewarding. One athlete compared the atmosphere to boot camp, emphasizing the competitive spirit and camaraderie among participants.
“You just take it in watching all these amazing people race and cheer," one of the girls said. "Everyone around you knows they will push you to the limits."
Coach Sprague described Wells as a “blessing” for Tyra Wells' contribution, noting that despite minimal warmup, her presence fueled the team’s sectional qualifying effort.
“It created a lot of great memories and was a fantastic way to end the season getting here to state,” Sprague added.
The achievements of the Marquette Catholic girls’ track and field team reflect their dedication and the guidance of their coaching staff as returnees set their sights on future goals.
