EDWARDSVILLE – Alton's Laila McNeal came up big for her girls track and field team at Friday's Southwestern Illinois Relays meet at Edwardsville's Winston Brown Track Complex.
Alton's Katie Mans had to withdraw from the meet because of illness; McNeal, however, won two events, including the high jump (with a height of 4-10) and the long jump (with a distance of 16-7.75) to provide some big points for her Redbirds in a third-place finish with 96 points, two points ahead of Southwestern Conference rival Edwardsville, which took fourth with 94 points on the day.
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“I did pretty well,” McNeal, a junior, said. “I want to take it to at least 18 (feet) in the long jump and get past my (personal record) for the high jump, 5-4, this year. I got interested (in track and field) when some people told me to try track because they knew I was fast and then I figured out I could jump, so I ended up going to the high jump and long jump.
“Last year was my first year doing this; I do love track. I got to state (the state Class 3A meet in Charleston) last year and I'd like to go again.”
The Redbird girls are scheduled to host an SWC dual meet against Collinsville at 4 p.m. today before taking part in Friday's Lady Maroon Invitational meet at Belleville West; the meet is scheduled to begin at noon.
