Girls track and field: Holze, WW South run through field at Neuqua Valley
Jenna Holze was grateful to be back on a track Friday evening in Naperville.
"Last season I tore my hamstring," the Wheaton Warrenville South senior sprinter said.
"I missed virtually the entire season. Just to be back - when I haven't since my sophomore year - I was so happy to be racing."
When Holze crossed the finish line at the Neuqua Valley Invite of the event-concluding 1,600-meter relay, it marked the third consecutive title for the Tigers in a sprint relay.
The Tigers' excellence in the relays was the difference in claiming the eight-team girls track and field championship with a 117-94 victory over Minooka.
Oswego East was third with 93 points, followed by Neuqua Valley (84), Plainfield North (70), Benet (46), Waubonsie Valley (42) and Metea Valley (12).
"The focus is always team," WW South coach Rob Harvey said. "We haven't had a night (weather-wise) to run relays. We wanted to see what we had going into conference and the sectional. We wanted to see where we were and we got a pretty good idea tonight."
Holze and Mykaila Humphrey-Gentry were members of all three victorious sprint relays.
But the Tigers also received critical contributions from Claire Haas (the 400 and 1,600 quartets), Hannah Tran (400, 800) and Mikaela Cooper (800, 1,600).
Holze was both thrilled and relieved.
"It felt so good to sprint healthy, to be around people I have known for the last three or four years," Holze said. "Our four-by-one was .03 off state (qualifying). Our four-by-two was a PR. I don't know about our four-by-four."
The Tigers' Tanjalaya Yarbar won the shot put with an effort of 36 feet, 3.5 inches; the senior was runner-up in the discus with a throw of 109-4.
Freshmen sensations are commonplace in girls track every spring.
Riley Ammenhauser looks to join the ranks of past Neuqua Valley vertical-jump state champions Jennie Whitman (2002) and Jackie Coleman (2006).
"I am aware of them," Ammenhauser said after becoming the only two-event individual champion with wins in the triple and long jump. "I was pretty confident of my marks (coming into high school). I prefer triple jump over long jump, because I think that's my strongest event."
Ammenhauser soared 37-6 to win the triple jump after earlier claiming the long jump in 17-3.5.
The Wildcats' Corinna Pena and MiKenna Robinson won sprint titles at 400 and 200 meters, respectively.
"Being very diverse in my choice of events, it has helped me improve," said Robinson, who won in 25.55.
The Butler-bound Pena was timed in 60.92 in the 400.
"I feel like I'm a very competitive person," Pena said.
Benet junior Jessica Jugovich teamed with the all-freshmen trio of Elisabeth Camic, Emily Spellman and Delaney Smith to win the 3,200 relay in 9:44.74.