Publications & Sites 
Girls track: Angster in running for Libertyville’s Newsom Award
Haley Becker of the Wildcats clears a height during Saturday's Palatine Invite. She took first place in the event. | Mark Ukena ~ For Sun-Times Media
Article Extras
Updated: June 25, 2012 1:15AM
One of the highest honors for a student-athlete at Libertyville High School is the Newsom Award.
One senior male and one senior female are recognized annually. Honorees typically rack up numerous athletic, academic and leadership achievements.
Libertyville girls track coach Tom Bizosky nominated a sprinter for the Newsom Award this year.
Fittingly, it didn’t take him long to pick Jen Angster.
“She truly embodies what it means to be an athlete,” he said. “She’s humble and an outstanding person, and her family is phenomenal.
“It’s so much fun to joke and laugh with her,” he added. “She’s jovial.”
And fast.
Angster sped to a first-place time of 12.9 in the 100-meter dash at Saturday’s Palatine Invite. Her personal-best time in the event is between 12.6 and 12.7, Bizosky noted.
Wildcats junior Haley Becker won high jump (5-3) for the second time in as many weekends. Her 5-4 effort topped the field at the Vernon Hills Invite on April 13. Becker cleared a school-record 5-5 at a meet last spring.
“She just missed 5-5 (on Saturday),” said Bizosky.
Libertyville junior Nicole Jaffke and senior Jackie Hansen went 2-3 in pole vault. Jaffke (10-9) took runner-up honors to Lake Forest senior standout Carolina Carmichael (11-3), while Hansen cleared 10-3.
Libertyville’s school record in the event is 11-3, achieved by Lizzy Procter in 2001. Procter’s vault coach then was Bizosky.
“Keep an eye on (Jaffke),” he said. “She’s using a new pole and she’s close to surpassing Lizzy’s mark.”
In the JV pole vault segment Saturday, Libertyville sophomore Madey Buhrman and junior Morgan Dunleavy each cleared 7-3. Buhrman was declared the winner because of fewer misses.
“Both are versatile,” Bizosky said of the Wildcats, who race in middle distance events as well.
Team totals were not tallied at Palatine. But Bizosky did the math and figured his varsity club finished third and the JV squad took fourth.
“We would’ve taken second (to the host school’s varsity) had we competed our regular lineup,” he said. “We held back; we’ve been very protective.”
On the schedule: Libertyville competes in the Lake County Invite at Grayslake Central, beginning at 4 p.m. today.
