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Here are previews of girls track and field teams from around the Record Newspapers coverage area.
Newark
Coach: Nina Sittler
Last year’s finish: First in Little Ten Conference
Top returning athletes: Tess Carlson, sr., pole vault/relays; Addison Ness, sr., triple jump/relays; Bella Creps, sr., relays; Olivia Smith, sr., high jump/mid-distance.
Top new athletes: Kyla Wesseh, fr., long jump/hurdles/relays.
Worth noting: Two-time state high jump champion Kiara Wesseh, who finished her prep career with an eye-popping 15 state medals, has graduated and is now a freshman at Baylor. But Newark still has a great deal of talent back. Carlson last year placed seventh in the pole vault at state and Ness was 10th in the triple jump. Carlson tied for third in the pole vault and Ness was seventh in the triple jump at the Illinois Top Times meet in the indoor season. They both ran on Newark’s 4x200 relay that placed fifth at state last year. Creps was on the state-qualifying 4x100 relay. Sittler said this group hopes to bring the Little 10 Conference title to Newark.
“Although we lost a strong group of seniors to graduation last year, this year’s seniors are stepping into their leadership roles with confidence,” Sittler said. “Throughout preseason these girls have brought experience and drive which will propel them to the top throughout this year’s season.”
Oswego
Coach: Nate Breed
Last year’s finish: 10th in Southwest Prairie Conference
Top returning athletes: Destiny Hicks, so., sprints/sprint relays; Wyn Williams, jr., sprints/sprint relays; Bella Breed, so., sprints/sprint relays; Samantha Ventura, sr., mid-distance/ Kristin Soderlind, so., distance; Morgan Bradley, so., distance; Liz Anderson, sr., triple jump; Carma Adams, sr., high jump; Hailey Nass, jr., pole vault; Natalie Pope, sr., throws; Daniella Pruitt, sr., throws; and Anisah Ali, so., throws; Alexa Gonzalez, so., throws; Alyssa Parker, sr., sprints.
Top new athletes: Aaliyah Roldan, sr., 200/400; Sophia Padilla, fr., 1600/3200; Leona Bateman, so., sprints; Evelina Vaccaro, so., sprints; Amiah Roberts, so., sprints; Addisyn Roberts, fr., sprints; Araceli Desimoni, fr., sprints; Alivia Kath, fr., sprints; Ana Cemortan, fr., sprints; Ava Spivey, fr., sprints.
Worth noting: School 300 hurdles record holder Lauren Broome has graduated, but Williams and Hicks are back from Oswego’s state-qualifying 4x200 relay. Hicks was sixth in the 200 and ninth in the 55 at indoor conference. Roldan joined the team in the latter part of indoor season and took sixth in the 400 at indoor conference. Bradley was fourth in the 3,200 at indoor conference and Nass was sixth in the pole vault.
“We expect Destiny and Wyn to team up with some sophomore returners and possibly some freshmen in the sprint relays,” coach Breed said. “Our team is very young this year. With over 60% of our team from the sophomore and freshman classes, we are planning to set a foundation this year that will yield high performances for years to come.”
Oswego East
Coach: Steve Ideran
Last year’s finish: Fourth at Southwest Prairie Conference meet
Top returning athletes: Layla Brisbon, jr., hurdles/sprint relays; Delia Akyea, sr., triple jump; Emma Berglnd, sr., relays; Keke Evans-Love, sr., relays; JJ James, sr., relays; Ava Karg, jr., pole vault; Avaya Kittling-Turner, so., relays; Kyla Moore, jr., relays; Olivia Van Denend, sr., relays; Mia Blankenburg, sr., distance; Julia Burney, jr., distance; Izzy Daguinsin, sr., distance; Kailynn Grinnell, so., jumps; Mckenzie Mann, sr., distance; Makayla O’Neal-Jenkins, so., sprints; Lia Paribello, jr., throws; Mae Robinson, jr., hurdles/distance; Annie Schiltz, sr., distance; Janae Taylor, sr., sprints; Alyssa Williams, sr., sprints.
Top new athletes: Audrey Cheney, fr., distance; Macy Dick, so., distance; Ashley Gumm, jr., distance; Addison Sims, so., sprints; Ma’kiyah Johnson, fr., sprints.
Worth noting: Oswego East won the Glenbard South and Batavia invites during indoor season, took third at indoor conference and had two relays and six individuals qualify for the Illinois Top Times Meet with the 4x800 relay setting a new indoor school record and the 4x200 relay running the second-fastest time. The Wolves sent three relays and four individuals to state last year and qualified the most athletes ever for the Top Times meet at the conclusion of indoor season.
Brisbon was indoor 55-meter hurdles conference champion, Akyea was indoor champion in the triple jump and third in the long jump, Karg second in the pole vault, Berglund fourth in the 800, and Van Denend third in the 1,600
“We have a strong senior class that has had success on the track and in cross country,” Ideran said. “Because of our depth, our relays should be strong again. We have a lot of athletes with big meet experience and expect to compete in each of the relays at our conference and sectional meets.”
Plano
Coach: Bolaji Adeoti
Last year: Sixth in the Kishwaukee River Conference
Top returning athletes: Kaylee Klatt, jr., hurdles/sprints/relays; Luniah Gilford, sr., 400/relays; Allison Goodyear, sr., 800/1600/relays; Ash Armstrong, sr., 3200/1600/relays; Mia Salsbery, jr., sprints/relays; Mars Jennings, sr., throws; Kalia Young, sr., jumps./relays; Sanai Young, sr., jumps/sprints/relays; Stevie Young, so., relays/sprints.
Top new athletes: Corrine Kostelaz, fr., jumps/sprints/relays; Vivianna Cervantes, fr., jumps/sprints/relays; Brianna Torres, fr., distance/relays; Jayda Burau, fr., jumps/sprints/relays; Brianna Johnson, fr., 800/1600/relays; Aaliyah Bruns, so., jumps/sprints/relays.
Worth noting: The Reapers were sixth in the KRC last year and had two state qualifiers. Gilford, a returning state qualifier in the 400, is looking to repeat and also help Plano’s relays. Klatt and Stevie Young were both all-conference last year in the 4x200 relay. Plano aims to be strong again in the relays with a strong sprint crew led by Gilford and Klatt. Goodyear is poised for a breakout year in the middle distance races and Sanai Young has made her way back to help in the high jump and relays after missing last season with a shoulder injury.
“Our team is very young with more than half being freshmen, but we also have amazing leaders that are upperclassmen that continue to surprise us with their leadership skills,” Adeoti said. “We look to be one of the top teams in our conference come May while focusing on doing little things to stay healthy as a team.”
Sandwich
Coach: Michael Lee
Last year’s finish: Fifth in the Kishwaukee River Conference
Top returning athletes: Sunny Weber, jr., distance; Erin Lissman, sr., distance; Joanna Rivera, sr., distance; Londyn Scott, sr., throws; Scarlett Paul, jr., throws; Alayla Harris, so., sprints; Tegan Stryszyk, so., sprints; Kayla Kressin, so., distance; Hannah Treptow, sr., jumps.
Top new athletes: Shelby Webles, fr., jumps/sprints; Callie Kesseling, fr, jumps/sprints.
Worth noting: Weber continues to scale greater heights. The Class 2A champion in the 3,200 and runner-up in the 1,600 last spring is coming off a cross country season in which she won the state championship and set a new 3-mile school record. She ran a career-best 10:10.07 3,200 and ran a 4:50 1,600 at the Illinois Indoor Championships at Chicago’s Gately Stadium last weekend. “Going into this outdoor season, her determination to set new records and return to the state meet is evident,” Lee said. Sandwich’s varsity took fifth at conference last year, but its JV was conference champion, showing that its underclass athletes have a lot to offer over the next couple of seasons.
“This season, we look to improve on our success from last year and more. With all the incoming freshmen filling in spots where numbers were low and a great middle/upper class that already have their events down, there is no reason this season shouldn’t be any better than the last,” Lee said. “We are a well-rounded group of athletes, with talent all across the distance, sprints, and throws events. The girls and coaches are eager to leverage this talent as we enter the outdoor competition season.”
Yorkville
Coach: Lauren Vriezen
Last year’s finish: Fifth place at Southwest Prairie Conference meet
Top returning athletes: Courtney Clabough, sr., throws; Cassidy Madden, sr., high jump; Cassia Bonga, sr., jumps/sprints; D’Vine Wright, so., sprints; Hailey Kovaka, jr., high jump; Lily Camargo, sr., distance; Sophia Keeler, sr., distance; Jayda Stewart, sr., distance; Anita Werderich, sr., distance; Ashley Schraeder, jr., distance; Niah Kallan, so., sprint relays; Janae Stewart, so., sprint relays; Aaliyah Stewart, so., sprint relays; MaKenlee Clements, jr., sprint relays; Julia Hosu, sr., sprint relays.
Top new athletes: Athena Triner, fr., distance.
Worth noting: Kent State commit Clabough is looking to cap off a sensational high school career. The four-time state medalist was third in the shot put at Top Times. Madden, an Illinois Wesleyan recruit, is a two-time state qualifier in high jump and took eighth at Top Times. Bonga is a returning state qualifier in the long jump and triple jump but was unable to compete at state last year due to a knee injury and is looking to get back after a minor setback with the knee indoors. Wright broke the school record in the 55-meter dash twice indoors and finished ninth at Top Times. Triner qualified for Top Times in the 4x800 and open 800. The Foxes are looking to qualify their 4x800 for state again, and their 4x400 this year ran about a second slower at Top Times this past weekend than the fastest outdoor time last year. Yorkville tied for fourth at indoor conference.