Fenwick High School junior Maeve Bonakdar brought several lessons from two previous trips to the Class 2A girls track and field state meet. On Saturday, she left Eastern Illinois as the Friars’ first all-stater in a throwing event by taking seventh with a distance of 11.82 meters/38 feet-1 1/2 inches.
“A lot of it was looking forward to college. I wanted to take (throwing) more seriously. I love the sport so much that improving small things has just been fun,” Bonakdar said. “I’m so happy to be here. I’ve been ecstatic. I’ve been trying to keep a positive attitude. It means a lot to me because I did not take throwing seriously as much (before).”
Fenwick junior Mia Bagato earned her first top-nine all-state medal with sixth in the 800-meter run by improving her school record to 2:15.67. Entering the season hoping to beat 2:16, Bagato ran 2:15.88 at the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference Meet May 9 to first break the 2:16.18 school-record set by 2025 graduate Mia Menendez when she was sixth at state in 2024. Bagato also competed at 2024 state with the 4×400 relay but was injured for state as a sophomore.
“It’s definitely my comeback year. I accomplished everything I wanted so I’m glad I went out with a bang,” Bagato said. “I knew I already accomplished what I wanted so anything here would be extra. I was really hoping I would medal. I’m just super-grateful for my coaches and the training plan and my teammates.”
Bonakdar’s personal-best 40-4 to win the indoor GCAC Meet is believed to be the longest throw in program history. As she improved from 24th at state as a freshman to 16th in 2025, so did her approach to this state opportunity.
“First of all, I realized sleep is so important. I couldn’t get sleep the past few times because I’d just been too nervous,” Bonakdar said. “The last time I didn’t eat because I was too nervous. I think the most important thing is keeping a smile on your face and not getting down on yourself.”
Bagato, who also qualified for state in the 400 and (14th, 59.78), benefitted from joining cross country for the first time this past fall.
“Not only did it give me the running background but it truly made me fully commit to running as a whole,” Bagato said.
Fenwick sophomore Bridget Brunick (11:28.49) and junior Juliana Gamboa (11:28.62) were 16th and 17th in the 3,200, which is run in two heats Saturday. Sophomore Molly Madden was 28th in discus (27.62m/90-7).
Trinity sophomore Karis Young was 22nd in the 100 high hurdles (15.86).
OPRF girls track & field
On what could have been her final high-school throw Friday, Oak Park and River Forest senior Oliwia Slezak earned the 12th and final spot for the 3A shot put finals with a personal best.
On her final throw for the Huskies, Saturday, Slezak did even better to reach the all-state medals stand. The lifetime-best 12.24m/40-2 catapulted Slezak to ninth and the final all-state medal. Slezak’s previous-best 11.67m/38 3 1/2 that carried over from Friday got the last qualifying spot by 3 1/2 inches. She’ll compete next at Claremont-McKenna.
“It’s crazy. I had a three-foot (personal record) on my last throw of my high-school career,” said Slezak, who came to state with a personal best 37-10 3/4 indoors, March 20.
“It’s been a tough outdoor season for shot but I showed up when it mattered. What else could you want?”
Slezak was the Huskies’ only finalist Saturday. That made her final throw even sweeter because her state teammates still in Charleston were there to watch.
“My entire team came out and started cheering before that last throw,” Slezak said. “The last throw of my life. I knew it was going to be good. My team helped me.”
Slezak came to state with the No. 26 best sectional performance. For discus, she was in 15th at state last year and seeded 13th but finished 20th (34.26m/112-5).
“It’s a weird one,” she said.
Senior Violet Schnizlein was 18th in the 1,600 (2:15.02) and senior Chloe Kozicki ran a lifetime-best in the 200 (22nd, 25.63) and was part of a season-best 4 x 200 relay time with senior Soraya Lewis-Arellano and sophomores Nylah Smith and Zoe Bourelly (19th, 1:42.66). Also at state were seniors Sheila Johnson (29th in shot, 9.14m/30-0), Luciana Ramirez (tied for 31st in pole vault, 2.90m/9-6 1/4) and Niani Patton (100 high hurdles), who had a disqualification.
Schnizlein (Illinois) and Kozicki (Occidental) also plan to run in college. They were four-time state competitors who made their individual state debuts Friday.
“Competing at state for the fourth and final time was bittersweet,” Kozicki said. “I am very proud of how both my relay and my individual event ran (personal bests) at state.”