A first for WW South: a DVC championship
The drought is finally over for Wheaton Warrenville South's girls track team.
The Tigers outlasted West Aurora on Thursday night for their first DuPage Valley Conference championship, edging the Blackhawks 106.2-104.2
"We've never won a conference championship - tied or anything," Wheaton Warrenville South coach Rob Harvey said. "This is a huge thing for this program."
According to Harvey, the Tigers' success lies in their workmanlike consistency rather than a string of dominating individual performances.
"We're not flashy, we're nickel and dime," Harvey said. "We're not going to win a lot of events, but we're going to get seconds and thirds and fourths and couple all those together."
With the outcome still very much in the air, Wheaton Warrenville South senior Caitlin Schwark anchored the Tigers to a strong showing in the 1,600-meter relay, the meet's final event, which helped ultimately tip the scales in her team's favor.
"Going into it, I had talked to coach and I knew we were only 2 points back," Schwark said.
The conference victory provided Schwark with a memorable sendoff.
"Four years, this program has done so much for me," she said. "It couldn't really mean much more.
"We've had some awesome teams, but on this team, everyone does everything for each other. This team is really unlike any other I've ever been a part of."
An injury to star West Aurora runner Kehlay Dunah helped derail the Blackhawks' quest for the conference crown, as did several other performances which weren't quite up to par.
"It was a rough meet," West Aurora coach Teresa Towles said.
In addition to losing Dunah, another Blackhawk false-started in the 100-meter dash, costing West Aurora more crucial points.
"We had some breakdowns," Towles said, "but that's the way the cookie crumbles."
Host Glenbard East took home third place with a team total of 97 points, followed by Glenbard North with 90. Naperville Central placed fifth with 58.2, followed by Wheaton North with 52, West Chicago with 30 and Naperville North with 20.4.
As for the Tigers, Harvey and company hope the historic efforts continue when Wheaton Warrenville South hosts its own sectional next Thursday.
"With this team you never know what we can do," a smiling Schwark said. "We're going to do as best as we can, and I think it'll go well."