Naperville Central repeats as team champion at NCC Cardinal Girls HS Classic

By Michael Newman

Naperville Central ended February winning their third team tittle as in many meets. The Redhawks repeated as the NCC Cardinal Girls HS Classic champion scoring 95 points. Lincoln-Way East continues to look strong early in the season scoring 84.5 points followed by Metea Valley (55 points), Hinsdale Central (42.5 points) and Glenbard West (42 points).

There was pre-meet anticipation for the final section of the 55 Meter Hurdles where four top athletes in that discipline would face off. Expectations were definitely met. The top three finishers in the meet were separated by just two hundredths of a second. All three finishers established state leading bests. Lauren Broome of Oswego coming off a big race the week before at Batavia established herself as one of the top athletes in the state running 8.51 for a close race win ahead of Kyra Hayden of Lincoln-Way East (8.52) and Kyla Motley of Shepard (8.53). Brooke Sawatzky of Naperville Central ran 8.73 in finishing fourth.

Hayden had little time to celebrate her fast time in the hurdles. She had to back in the blocks for the 55 Meter Dash. Hayden did not get her best start but caught the pack in winning the event with a new personal best of 7.39 to finish ahead of Kyla Harris of Metea Valley (7.46) and freshman Destiny Hicks of Oswego (7.48). Leah Davis of Naperville North and Aria Henry of Lincoln-Way East both ran 7.50 tying for fourth.

Hayden also was a part of two winnings relays for the Griffiths. The quartet of Hayden, Henry, Jumi Aremu, and Grace Murphy ran 1:47.85 for the win ahead of Naperville Central (1:48.82) and Hinsdale Central (1:49.93). A strong anchor leg from Alaina Steele helped her team along with Hayden, Ava Conway, and Nora Keane to gain the win in the 4x400 Meter Relay (4:07.09, IL #2) holding off Minooka (4:09.86) with Lyons Township running 4:12.00 (IL #9) to finish third.

Another great sprint race came in the 400 Meter Dash. Kyla Harris had the lead heading into the final 50-meters of the race. Harris had to hold off Lincoln-Way East’s Alaina Steele to the finish. Harris ran 58.70 (IL #6) ahead of the freshman Steele and her 58.86 time (IL #7). Leah Davis of Naperville North commanded her section in the 200 Meter Dash winning the event in 26.03. Harris ran 26.49 to finish second.

The meet started with the 4x800 Meter Relay which produced the top five times in the state heading into Saturday’s meets. Glenbard West came from behind on the final leg with a strong anchor leg from Mackenzie Gilbert to give the Hilltoppers the win with a 9:39.44 time. Wheaton-Warrenville South finished second (9:47.04) ahead of Naperville North (9:50.52), Hinsdale Central (9:53.98), and Yorkville (9:55.91).

The top distance race came in the 1600 Meter Run. Liz Phillips of Naperville Central and Emma Berres of Naperville North both ran in the 4x8 at the beginning of the meet with Berres under 2:20 for her split. The two runners separated themselves for the third section of this event. Phillips had the lead throughout but could not shake Berres from her shoulders. It looked like Berres would catch her cross-town rival, but that did not materialize. Phillips hung on to run 5:03.30 (IL #7) for the win. Berres ran a huge personal best of 5:04.59 (IL #9) to finish second. Holly Johnson of Downers Grove South ran 5:15.91 to finish third. Alexa Novak of Glenbard West moved up to fourth in the final 40-meters (5:16.15) just ahead of Nicole Poglitsch of Wheaton-Warrenville South (5:18.21).

Ava Hendren of Naperville Central made her move in the final three laps of the 3200 Meter Run to run 11:17.91 to win ahead of Julianne Melby of Lyons Township (11:23.00). The finish was close in the 800 Meter Run as Marley Andelman of St. Charles East ran 2:18.92 (IL #7) holding off Lily Hodneland of Hinsdale Central (2:19.01, IL #8) and Lola Satre-Morales of Naperville Central (2:19.21, IL #9) for the win. Mackenzie Gilbert came back from the 4x8 to run 2:20.14 to finish fourth.

Jaiden Knoop of Lincoln-Way East cleared 11-7.25 to win the Pole Vault with Glenbard West’s Kendal Cullen clearing 11-4.5 to finish second. Annastasia Murphy of Metea Valley cleared 5-3.5 to win the High Jump. Brooke Sawatzky jumped a personal best of 37-8 (IL #4) to win the Triple Jump. Kyla Motley jumped 36-7.75 (IL #9). Motley came back to jump 18-1.25 in winning ahead of Aria Henry (17-6.75) and Brooke Sawatzky (17-0.25). Laila Richardson of Minooka achieved a new personal best of 40-0.75 (IL #3) to win the Shot Put. Courtney Clabough of Yorkville had a best of 38-4.75 to finish second.