O’FALLON – Sophie Shapiro was once again the catalyst for Edwardsville’s girls track and field success at the O’Fallon 3A Sectional on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, with two hurdles first places and a leg on two first-place relays.
Joi Story and teammate Jayla Gathing of Edwardsville dominated the weight events. Story won the shot put (12.15 meters) and Gathing was second (11.79 meters). Gathing won the discus (44.31 meters) and Story was third (42.87 meters).
Shapiro won the 100 hurdles (13.47), edging Normal University’s Hannah Safranek. Teammate Adara Martin was fifth (14.84).
Shapiro won the 300 hurdles (42.87) and beat Belleville West’s Amyijia Robinson (43.54). Both girls advance. Dariana Morris of Collinsville also advances in seventh place with a qualifying time of 46.86. Shapiro also ran legs of the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relays that advanced to state in first place from the sectional.
Joslyn Springman and Joanna Anoke of Edwardsville both advanced in fourth and fifth place with times of 11.82 and 11.88, respectively, to advance by a qualifying mark.
Anoke qualified in second place in the 200 with a time of 24.04; Collinsville’s Kwanza Henderson advanced with a time of 24.87, in sixth place in the 200.
The Tigers’ Madison Popelar, 2:21.81, placed eighth in the 800; Willow Jackson was ninth (2:23.94). Morgan Popelar was seventh in the 1,600 (5:22.35).
Morgan Popelar of the Tigers advanced second in the 3,200 meters (11:01.56) and MacKenna Kerpan also advanced and was third (11:01.69).
Ali Londigran of Chatham won the 3,200 (11:00.33) and the 1,600 (5:05.27).
The Edwardsville 4 x 100 relay of Joslyn Springman, Sophie Shapiro, Morgan Gestes and Joanna Anoke took first to advance (46.18); Belleville East and West were second and third (46.96 and 47.56).
The Tigers’ Spingman, Jahzara Zakkour, Anoke and Gestes advanced in first in the 4 x 200 relay (1:39.90).
Edwardsville won the 4 x 400 relay with Gestes, Jaylinn Bell, Sophie Shapiro and Serena Shapiro (3:57.69 in first place).
Edwardsville’s 4 x 800 relay of Ainsley Goodwin, Madison Popelar, Willow Jackson and Serena Shapiro advanced to state in first place (9:27.22) and O’Fallon was second (9:41.12) with Ellie Bush, Mae Naveira, Hannah Lewis and Lily McCollum.
Edwardsville’s Talia Omotola qualified in the high jump in second place (1.57 meters).
Morgan Gestes advanced in the long jump in second place for the Tigers (5.57 meters).
Madison Heng of Edwardsville was second in the triple jump (10.99 meters), behind O’Fallon’s Lily Prindable (11.15 meters).
Edwardsville won the sectional team title with 159 points, Normal University was second with 91 points, then Belleville East with 57 points. Belleville West was sixth (41 points; O’Fallon was 10th with 35 points and Collinsville had 25 points for 11th. Alton was eight with 39 points.
