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WSC Silver 400 record safe for another year
Western Springs, 03/09/13--Lyons Township's Caitlyn Phelan shouts words of encouragement to anchor Sarah Kreikemeier in the 4x160 relay. Lyons Township High School hosted a girls' indoor track meet on Saturday. | Jon Langham~for Sun-Times Media
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Updated: April 22, 2013 11:46AM
ELMHURST — Sarah Kreikemeier had only one goal in mind entering Friday’s West Suburban Silver indoor girls track and field meet.
Her former teammate, Julia Dambra, set the indoor conference record in the 400-meter dash last year, clocking 58.73 seconds.
Kreikemeier, a Lyons senior, was determined to make that record her own at York.
The Western Springs resident led from start to finish. She beat her nearest opponent, Glenbard West sophomore Emma Gambol, by more than two seconds in a race usually determined by fractions of a second.
The only disappointment was that Kreikemeier fell short of Dambra’s mark, crossing the finish in 59.26.
Kreikemeier wrapped up the final indoor meet of her prep career as one of three winners for Lyons (124), which beat Glenbard West (76) to capture its second consecutive indoor conference crown.
“All (indoor) season I have been working on that goal,” Kreikemeier said. “I wanted it. Every day I was thinking about how I would run it. It was my P.R. for the 400, but I fell short of Julia’s record.”
Kreikemeier already has her name in the indoor conference record book. She was part of a record-setting 1,600 relay that posted a 4:04.66 in 2012. Her relay mates included Melissa Hoo, Amy Brazzoni and Dambra. Dambra set another individual indoor conference record in the 300 dash (40.99), in 2011.
Kreikemeier ran the 1,600 relay again Friday with Olivia Cabanban, Jessica Fuller and Katie Heinz, helping Lyons (4:12.16) take second behind Downers North (4:06.29).
Kreikemeier competed at state last spring with Lyons’ 400 relay and placed 21st with Gabriella Pavletic, Cabanban and Hoo.
“This is a great boost going into the outdoor (season),” Lyons coach Greg Frandsen said. “This gives the girls confidence.”
Lyons resumes action at the Downers Grove South Invitational at 9 a.m. April 6.
