Defiant WW South wins league title

Wheaton Warrenville South did not win its first DuPage Valley Conference girls track and field championship until 2010.

But the Tigers had a win for the ages - their fourth title in their last six attempts - Thursday night in Roselle.

"Our word this season has been 'defy,'" said WW South senior pole vaulter Heidi Nassos, who won the event on criteria at 11 feet and placed second in the triple jump. "We did defy the odds tonight."

Naperville North, just like the indoor championship, swept the three races between 800 and 3,200 meters as well as the two longest relays.

Naperville Central, the indoor league champion, had the 100- and 200-meter sprint champion in D'Jenne Egharevba as well as multiple runner-up finishes.

But in the end it was WW South that prevailed behind balance, depth and consistency - not to mention three added events to the outdoor season.

"We won the 4-by-1, 14 to 16 points in the (300) hurdles and 12 points in the discus," WW South coach Rob Harvey said of the additional events. "That was the difference."

WW South totaled 131 points; Naperville North edged its sister school by a point, 124-123, for runner-up status.

Glenbard North and Lake Park had conference-shattering performances by jumper Allison Wahrman and thrower Michaela Smith, respectively, to tie for fourth.

Wheaton North was the lone school not to crown at least one champion.

Alex Enright was the workhorse for the Tigers.

The senior trumped the three individual double winners with three championships: the high jump and both hurdles races.

"I got really lucky there," Enright said after both leaders in the short hurdles tripped in the waning meters. "I was thinking, 'I have to take this opportunity and take advantage of it.'"

Enright won the high jump at 5-5.

"It was kind of frustrating I didn't get to 5-7, but I have to take it," Enright said.

Tamera Patterson, Kaydee Snodgress and Sabine Fahey ran legs on the Tigers' victorious 400 and 800 relays.

Naperville North was a machine in the open 800, 1,600 and 3,200 runs.

Sarah Schmitt and Emily Hamilton began the Huskies' onslaught by sweeping the 3,200.

Missouri-bound four-year standout Elly DeTurris turned back Jenny Gibson to win the 800 in 2 minutes, 18.27 seconds.

Claire Hamilton and Judy Pendergast completed the Huskies' 1-2 verdicts in the 1,600.

"We have a big target for this meet," Claire Hamilton said.

"I love being able to run with (Gibson)," DeTurris said.

"It was Elly's last DVC," Gibson said. "We were going to (win the 1,600 relay) for Elly."

Egharevba won the 100 dash for the third time in as many tries and came back to claim the 200 in 26.46.

"It's been a long time since I won a (major) 200 (title)," Egharevba said. "It feels even better because it's DVC."

Wahrman had an astonishing night for Glenbard North.

The three-jump returning state qualifier overpowered the previous record of 37-3 in the triple jump by exactly 3 feet.

The Panthers' star then nearly hit the 19-foot barrier in winning the long jump.

The new standard in the long jump is 18-9.

"My goal was to hit 40," Wahrman said. "On the last jump, I tried as hard as I could. As soon as I landed, I could tell that I got to 40. I did not think (the winning long jump) was that good."

The 19-year-old discus mark now belongs to Smith, the Lancers' standout thrower who became the fourth multiple champion by also winning the shot put in 40-4.

"You have to keep working, keep training, keep lifting," Smith said of increasing her discus best to 145-07. "You can't stop."

Glenbard North junior Keina Suggs won the 400 dash in 59.66.

"I came out with a new mindset that I hadn't had before," Suggs said. "I wanted to be a leader."