Naperville North reigns at sectional

Naperville North sophomore Claire Hamilton was practically singing about the rain.

"It felt really good just running out there in the rain," Hamilton said after winning the 1,600-meter run at the Class 3A Naperville North girls track and field sectional. "... Whatever's happening is good running conditions. You can't change it, so you just gotta embrace it."

Hamilton and her teammates also happily embraced the sectional team championship plaque. The Huskies scored 75 points, edging cross-town rival Naperville Central, which had 73. Neuqua Valley placed fifth with 63.67. Waubonsie Valley was 10th with 19 points.

"Absolutely amazing, breathtaking," Huskies coach Joanna Wilson said. "Obviously, battling some up-and-down conditions, but I was so ridiculously proud of all the girls who competed as well as qualified."

Hamilton got the track finals started on the right note for the Huskies, running the first leg of the 3,200-meter relay and handing off a big lead that teammates Jenny Gibson, Elly DeTurris and Emory Griffin handled with care.

"Our team did awesome, really kept up what I started off. We work well together," Hamilton said.

They won in 9:20.00.

"Obviously, our distances are so strong, ridiculously strong," Wilson added, noting the Huskies won the state cross country championship last fall.

Hamilton led the whole way in the 1,600 also, with DeTurris by her side the first three laps. Hamilton won in 5:06.66. DeTurris took fourth in 5:08.60.

"I knew the times I had to go," Hamilton said, motioning to the watch on her wrist. "I was a little off of them. I think I got a little confused about what they were supposed to be. Elly was obvious really helping me. We knew we had to work together."

Naturally, the Huskies won the 3,200 run also. This time it was junior Judy Pendergast doing the honors in 10:34.55, with freshman Sarah Schmitt earning third-place points.

Naperville Central got a boost down the stretch when junior D'Jenne Egharevba won the 200 in 25.42.

"The start was really key," she said. "I knew had to get out really hard, then keep it up. Then the last 100 I had to see where I was at. I knew there was a girl right on me. I knew I had to pick it up."

She also placed second in the 100 meters, qualifying in both.

"I really, really wanted to qualify for this. I've been trying for the past year," she said. "... I feel really great actually. I feel happy. That's why I let my hair out. I said if I qualified I'd finally let my hair out so the team could see it."

But what about the rain?

"I could care less right now. I'm just really happy," Egharevba said.

The qualifiers head to next weekend's state meet at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

"This is the fun part," Wilson said. "Now you're done and you head down to that blue track and this is the fun part where now you get to just put it all out there and you really have nothing to lose and everything to gain."

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