Scouting Cook and Lake County girls track and field
The girls track and field season has moved from indoors to outdoors. Here’s a look at what to expect this spring from Cook County and Lake County schools in the Daily Herald coverage area.
COOK COUNTY
Barrington The Fillies placed second in the MSL last year, first at sectionals, and seventh in Class 3A. Co-head coaches Debbie Revolta and Dan Lowry have a two-time state champion back in sophomore superstar Mia Sirois (won 3,200 by 15 seconds, 2024 state cross country champion). University of Tennessee-bound senior Scout Storms placed third in both the 1,600 and the 4x800. Abby Lewis (800 qualifier) and Madison Miles also ran on the 4x800 team. Khloe Slatter (4x100/4x200) and Kaley Swanson (4x100/4x200) also ran downstate. Other keys are Yane JansenVanRensburg (pole vault), Sabrina Roach (distance), Briony Robinson (sprints), and Gianna Sledge (high jump).
Buffalo Grove The Bison placed 11th at the recent Nagel-Saylor MSL indoor meet. The team lost 100-meter state qualifier Martyna Ostrega to graduation. Senior Taylor Watson (triple jump/hurdles/sprint relays) is a key competitor for the team. Junior Gabriela Tybor (long jump) placed fourth at the indoor meet while sophomore Lana Smith (high jump) tied for fifth.
Conant The Cougars won the Hoffman Estates sectional and placed seventh at the MSL indoor meet. Two-time defending 100 hurdles state champion junior Daisha Brunson (sixth in 300 hurdles) is going for the three-peat. Senior Dori Lee just missed state in the 100-meter dash while two-event state qualifier Stella Richter graduated. Senior Sofia Wydra went downstate in the 300 and the long jump. Lee, Wydra, and senior Eden Ostrowski qualified in the 4x100. Two state qualifiers in the high jump also graduated.
Elk Grove The Grenadiers placed 10th at sectionals and fifth at the MSL indoor Invite. The 4x200 team of Lota Ugwu, Lindsay Bobowski, Lana Stevanovic, and Camille Fouche placed second at the MSL indoor meet. Stevanovic, Fouche, freshman Elena Bis, and senior Emma Somenek placed fourth in the 4x400. Bis, Somenek, senior Delaney Malone, and junior Reagan Malone placed fourth in the 4x800. Bobowski (triple jump) placed third while Ugwu (shot put) placed fifth.
Fremd The Vikings (eighth at sectionals, fourth in the MSL indoor meet) will focus on their relays. Sophomore Addie Dietrich was a state qualifier in the 4x400, and 4x800 last year. Juniors Isa Hasty and Sia Purohit were also on the 4x800 team downstate. Gwen Zimmerman and Kate Schillinger were on the 4x400 squad. Other key contributors will be Amelia Garthwait (long jump/pole vault), Vanessa Tasheva ( throws), Natalia Haupa (throws), and Sam Chapin (triple jump).
Hersey The Huskies took third at sectionals and placed second at the recent Nagel-Saylor MSL indoor meet. Senior Margaretha Grabske (800/4x800) went to state, but many state qualifiers graduated. Juniors Ndidi Iwuagwu (4x100) and Shannon Conroy (4x100) ran at state as did sophomore Sofia Donner (4x800). Sophomore Sadie Marks (discus) competed downstate while senior Madeline Bialko won the 3,200 at the indoor meet. Senior Cienna Morrow and sophomore Madison Fee are looking good in the shot put.
Hoffman Estates The Hawks placed seventh at their own 15-team sectional before placing 10th at the Nagel-Saylor Indoor Invite. State qualifier Erykah Lee (100) graduated. But sophomore Ella MacNider (3,200), and junior Nina Oliver (100 hurdles) both return from state. Oliver placed fourth in the 55-meter hurdles at the indoor meet. Junior Maya Zabiegly (1,600), and freshman Faith Boss (high jump) placed fifth.
Leyden The Eagles took 17th at sectionals and sixth at the WSC Gold indoor championships to open the 2025 season. Leyden's 4x400 relay team of Hailey Keeton, Delilah Rodriguez, Nadia Morawsky, and Najawa Jackson placed first in 4:20.29 in the indoor meet. Jackson added a second-place finish in the long jump with a leap of 5.25 meters, and a fourth in the triple jump.
Maine East The Blue Demons placed 16th at the Deerfield sectional before opening this year with a sixth-place finish at the CSL indoor meet. Senior Ashley Gaba looked strong at the indoor meet as she won the 800-meter run (2:22.72) and placed second in the 400. Sophomore Grace Vo took fifth place in the 200 at the indoor meet while senior Erviana Porter-Smith took fifth in the shot put.
Maine West The Warriors tied for eighth at sectionals and placed third in the CSL North indoor meet. They lost all-stater Amelie Mach (Purdue-Fort Wayne, high jump/300) to graduation. Senior Precious Akinsanya (sprints) is off to a great start this spring in the triple jump while senior Madison Story is strong at 400 meters. Senior Maya Woroszylo (pole vault) is coming off an injury. But if everyone stays healthy this season coach Greg Regalado hopes that his team can finish high at the CSL meet in May.
Maine South The Hawks placed fifth at sectionals and took second at the CSL South indoor meet. Senior Sophia Arcuri went downstate (800) and won the 1,600 at the indoor meet. Sophomore Sarah Mendoza went downstate in the 400. Arcuri, Mendoza, and senior Josie Hennes went to state in the 4x400. Senior Ally Seurynck and sophomore Tessie Bradley qualified for state in the 4x800. Senior Luisa Arcuri won the 3,200 at the indoor meet while junior Sarah Cull was on the first-place 4x400 team. Senior Natalia Dobrilovic won high jump and took second in pole vault.
Palatine The Pirates placed fifth at sectionals and fourth at the MSL indoor meet. Senior Aisha Kazeem won the state title in the 300 hurdles, and she took seventh in the 100 hurdles. Kazeem, junior Jolee Waddington, and sophomore Emily Sondergaard made state in the 4x100 and 4x200. Senior Julia Zygier and sophomore Megan Oleksak reached state in the high jump. Senior Abigail Jordan (1,600) went to state in 2023. Freshman Elizabeth Garrett (1,600), and Sondergaard (long jump) placed second at the indoor meet.
Prospect The Knights won state, sectional, MSL outdoor and indoor titles, and took first in the 4x800 (9:00.83) at state. Charlotte Deines (Dayton), and Lily Ginsberg (Missouri) are two of many graduated seniors. Returning state qualifiers include seniors Amina Hadziahmetovic (second in 300 hurdles/4x100), Veronica Znajda (sixth in 1,600/4x800), Anna Niebrugge (200/4x100/4x200), and Mary Laba (400/4x400/4x800). Juniors Meg Peterson (seventh in 800/4x400/4x800), Nikki Niebrugge (4x100/4x200), Samantha Skowronski (4x200/long jump), Dajana Skolimowska (400/4x400), and Brooke Neri (pole vault) are back from state. Senior Ireland Wildhart (distance) is a key as are juniors Julia Watychowicz (4x200), and Anna Zajac (4x400). Freshman Allison Kalkwarf (4x800) and sophomore Eva Lapys (high jump) are ready for varsity.
Rolling Meadows The Mustangs placed sixth at sectionals and eighth at the Nagel-Saylor MSL indoor meet. Sophomore Hazel Nadal advanced to state in the 200 and 400. But the squad lost Roisin Grandberry (third in shot put, 11th in discus) to graduation. Senior Nora De Maria (pole vault) also reached the state meet, and she won the pole vault title at the indoor meet.
Schaumburg The Saxons took fourth at sectionals and third at the MSL indoor meet. Seniors Kaylee Meyer (fourth in state high jump), and Amy Carhee (100 hurdles) competed at state. Meyer holds the school high jump record (5 feet, 8.75 inches) while Carhee has the 60-meter hurdles record (8.88 seconds). Seniors Annika Jessie (triple jump/100/relays), Khia Fletcher (long jump/sprints/relays), Bella Gale (pole vault), Mo Mazeikis (pole vault), Taline Abousamra (throws), Abigail Kilian (distance), Milana Pisto (distance), Oliwia Szpryngacz (hurdles), and Jpia Sodimu (middle and distance) are back. Carhee, Alexis Grigsby, and Serena Green went to state (4x200). Junior Daria Czapkowicz (jumps) is a key factor. Sophomores Emma Walz (distance), Claire Swiderski (distance), Iya Repple (middle and distance), Haylo Baylen (sprints), and Destiny Bickhem (sprints) are vital.
St. Viator The Lions placed 14th at the Class 2A Carmel Catholic sectional. Junior Emily Walberg took first in the 800-meter run at the 13-team Lady Raider Invite in Bolingbrook. Walberg, senior Caroline Schermerhorn, junior Jada Baer, and sophomore Ellie McDonough took second in the 4x400 in Bolingbrook. Walberg, Baer, junior Allie Long, and sophomore Isabella Renguso took second in the 4x800 while Schermerhorn took third in the triple jump.
Wheeling The Wildcats placed 10th at the Deerfield sectional and 12th at the Nagel-Saylor Indoor Invite. Senior Katie Moser qualified for state in the triple jump and the long jump. Junior Lindsay Kane qualified for state in the high jump (sectional champ), but now she is recovering from an injury. Key seniors are Sheila Leon (400/4x400), Karen Luna-Gutierrez (mid-distance/relays/1,600), and Eanna Hauck (shot put). Sophomore Janice Vivar (200/4x100/4x400) should make a big impact.
LAKE COUNTY
Antioch The Sequoits placed fourth at the Lake Zurich sectional before winning the NLCC indoor meet with 101.33 points this season. Antioch got first-place finishes at the indoor meet from seniors Rosalyn Gonzalez (1,600 and 3,200), and Sydney Walker (high jump). The Sequoits' 4x200 team of Kainoa Akalaonu, Abbigail Fuesting, Adesewa Adegboyega, and Nora Cecchi, also captured first place.
Carmel Catholic The Corsairs took second in the ESCC and fourth at their own sectional. Senior Izzy Bing (sixth in 1,600) earned all-state honors in Class 2A. Carmel's 4x200 team of Ella Dicara (state qualifier in four events), Natalie Ferguson (state qualifier in long jump), Abby Hartzer, and Leanna Bell set a school record while placing seventh at state. Ashlyn Beattie (4x400/4x800), Sydney Krcmarik (4x800), and Addy Albanese (4x800) also qualified for state. Zubaydah Akorede (second in triple jump) is now competing at the University of Minnesota.
Grant The Bulldogs took sixth at sectionals before taking sixth place at the NLCC indoor meet this season. Senior Noelle Patrick (100/300) is a two-time state qualifier in the 100 hurdles with hopes of reaching the podium at state this year. Seniors Maddie Fredendall (throws), Malia Henriot (third at sectionals in triple jump), and Amelia Szopinski (800) have high hopes. Fredendall's first-place mark of 11.12 meters at the indoor meet was just shy of the state qualifying mark in the shot put. Szopinski was a Top Times qualifier in the 400 in 2023.
Grayslake Central The Rams edged Wauconda by .33 points to take second place at the NLCC indoor meet after taking 10th place at sectionals last year. The team will really miss Bella Domier (third in the state in the 800), who graduated. The team of Emme Cieslak, Ava Pietruszynski, Safiya Kane, and Jordan Sutter won the 4x400 at the indoor meet. Ellie Chevrier, Addison Messinger, Sarah Bianchi, and Emma Wentz won the 4x800. Sophomore Isabella Bergonio (9.94 meters) placed second in the shot put.
Grayslake North The Knights placed 16th at sectionals, and new head coach Matt Petersen said the team has grown to record numbers this season. Junior Daejonna Collins (sprinter) specializes in triple jump and long jump, and she is likely to set some school records this spring. Junior Madison Petersen (800/1,600/3,200) has already PR'd in all three distance events, and she has a shot at school records in all three events. Other keys are Renee Morris (jumps/relays), Rhianne Dressendorfer (pole vault/4x400), Yaremi Ramos (distance) Becca Hook (sprinter), Lilly Abney (100/400/4x400), and Isis Mitchell (sprinter).
Lakes The Eagles placed second in the NLCC, fourth in Lake County, sixth at sectionals, and fifth in the NLCC indoor meet. Senior Julia Blasinski qualified for state in the pole vault. Key seniors are Bri Gara (800) and Lily Greenfield (100 and 300 hurdles). Junior standouts are Makayla Williams (100/200), Vanessa Wild (sprints/jumps/relays), and Diksha Guganathan (400/relays). Sophomores Evelyn Belcher (sprints/jumps/relays), Hannah Salbilla (800), and Cayleigh Mathena (field events) are ready to step up. Freshmen Elizabeth Mecure, Mallory Crevier, and Megan Murray give depth in the field events.
Lake Zurich The Bears won their sixth NSC title in a row, took second at sectionals,16th at state, and won the NSC indoor meet. Riley Betz (Miami of Ohio) was among the key seniors to graduate. Seniors Kendall Flournoy (long jump/sprints), and Sydney Lappin (sprints) went to state. So did juniors Polina Krupsky (800) and Alisa Kotelnikova (discus). Great depth will come from Anna Garrow (high jump), Celia Blaylock (distance), Avery Muhr (distance), Hope Rothas (pole vault), Summer Fabsik (distance), Sophie Botzer (sprints), Milli Hintermeister, (hurdles), Aris Monette (hurdles), Alexandra Fridlyand (throws), Hannah Pardun (jumps), and Ruby Nissen (distance).
Libertyville The Wildcats started 2025 with a fifth at the NSC indoor meet after they placed 13th at sectionals in 2024. Libertyville got second-place finishes from senior Rosemary Inga (400) and Makayla Boone at the indoor meet. Third-place finishers in that meet were sophomore Lillian Causemaker (60 dash), freshman Elsie Colin (3,200), sophomore Elizabeth Edmondson (triple jump), and junior Dejahnae Billups (high jump).
Mundelein The Mustangs tied for 14th at the Lake Zurich sectional before placing seventh at the NSC indoor meet to open this season. Mundelein's 4x800 team of senior Viviana Gonzalez, freshman Katelyn Tomas, junior Chloe Engelbrecht, and junior Precious Oyebanji took runner-up honors at the indoor championships. The Mustangs also got a third-place finish from sophomore Victoria Osei in the 200-meter run.
Round Lake The Panthers have some strong distance runners back after their 4x800 relay team placed sixth at sectionals and seventh at the Lake County Invite. Senior Miranda Espino returns from that 4x800 squad along with juniors Emily Torres and Ximena Arias. Senior Desiree Mendoza is another distance runner new head coach Chelsea Rimington will turn to. Round Lake is welcoming a huge freshmen class into their program with hopes of setting many personal records.
Stevenson The Patriots placed ninth at sectionals before taking fourth at the NSC indoor meet this season. Senior Sasha Baer stormed to first place in the 60-meter hurdles at the indoor meet with a time of 9.83 seconds. Stevenson's duo of Baer (1.57 meters) and junior Vera Jagasia (1.52 meters) were also impressive in going 1-2 in the high jump in that meet. The Pats also got a third place from junior Meg Arne in the 400-meter run.
Vernon Hills The Cougars (11th at sectionals, 2025 CSL North indoor champs) will have difficulty trying to replace Anna Lester (Eastern Kentucky), who reached state in the 800 and 1,600. Jori Ellen (distance), Nicole Lukinova (throws), Hailey Spytek (sprints), and Livy Tran (hurdles) bring senior leadership to the team. Juniors K.C. Griffith (sprints/long jump), and Julia Rausa (jumps/sprints) will be keys. Sophomores Natalie Hill (sprints), and Ella Ollinger (distance) will be counted on. New head coach Don Proft is hoping the squad can defend their CSL title and advance numerous athletes downstate.
Warren The Blue Devils took third at the Lake Zurich sectional before taking second at the NSC indoor meet to start this season. Warren got a first from junior Signe Scott (long jump), and a first from junior Anna Iwuagwu (triple jump) at the indoor meet. The 4x200 team of senior Heavan Adams, junior Kayla Elliott, freshman Kori Clay, and senior Sanaii Vaugh took first place in 1:48.94. Senior Enyonam Kuma took second place in the 60-meter dash. Carolina Martinez (third at state in 400) was a huge loss to graduation.
Wauconda The Bulldogs placed fifth in the NLCC, tied for 14th at sectionals, and took third in the NLCC indoor meet. Senior Abigail Plage qualified for state in the high jump. Seniors Kailyn Chappell (sprints), and Ruth Okedina (jumps) bring experience to the squad. Sophomore Lily Schubert won both the 400 and 800 runs at the indoor meet. New head coach Elaina Armata has newcomers Izzy Drozd (jumps/sprints), Kaliah Montley (throws), Teagan Kienzle (mid-distance), and Riley Blue (sprints/mid-distance) ready to go.