Girls track and field: Naperville North rallies on final event to win own Gus Scott invite over Cary-Grove
As cliché as it is to say it’s how you finish rather than how you start that could be applied Friday to both Naperville North and the annual Gus Scott Invitational in general.
Alone, the Huskies were up against a competitive field. With everyone else, they were up against a stormy forecast, which required the acceleration of the meet’s pace in order to get all events in.
Not only was the meet completed, but the Huskies came from behind to win their home meet with a final score of 156. They never led until Jocelyn Jamrosz won the high jump — the final event of the evening — by clearing 1.55 meters, thus leaving Cary-Grove in second place with a 146 after it led much of the time.
“The effort they gave was really impressive,” said Naperville North coach Dan Iverson. “This was a tough night to run unless you were running only one direction. It was the 20-mile-an-hour wind all night (that) really made it a challenge, and it makes it a thing of effort over exactly what the end result is. And these folks understood that, and the effort was there.”
The Huskies also picked up wins from the 4x800-meter relay team with a time of 9 minutes, 49.73 seconds and Leah Davis in the long jump with a 5.08.
“I’m so proud of every single one of our girls today,” Davis said. “Everyone has been running so well, and everyone’s been doing so good. So I think everyone just staying strong and being so positive is key.”
Cary-Grove put itself in great position with two wins from Caelie Mendro in the pole vault (3.20) and triple jump (10.90) as well as a win from Olivia Parker in the 100 hurdles (14.93).
Waubonsie Valley and Wheaton Warrenville South both scored 134 points to tie for third. The Tigers were victorious in the 4x200 relay (1:47.13), and the Warriors earned second-place finishes in the 200 (Camille Crayton, 25.70), high jump (Emersun Garrett, 1.50), pole vault (Ella Buchenauer, 2.90) and triple jump (Emma Hummel, 10.53).
St. Charles East earned fifth (127) by crushing the sprints. Butler-bound Mady Piekarz was named the best female athlete of the meet after winning the 100 (11.88) and 200 (24.96), and Luca Ketter used the south winds to set a meet record in the 400 (58.78). For good measure, Nicole Mayer won the 800 in 2:16.11, and the 4x100 relay team won in 48:86.
“Success breeds more success,” Saints coach Bradley Kaplan said. “And they’re all competitive, and they kind of push each other. So in practice and then in meets, I think they see them all doing well, and it forces more out of all of them.”
Although Jacobs placed sixth with a 120, it dominated early events to take the overall lead at that time. Carly Uehlein used her arm to take the shot put (12.88) and then set a meet record in the discus (46.20), albeit with the wind helping her out.
“I think it shows that practice is paying off,” Uehlein said. “It’s a headwind, so that helps, but it is where if you don’t do it right, then you’ll see it, and it’ll die, which on the cusp of my throws, it did. So I just gotta keep working on not dropping my left foot off.”
Jacobs also got a boost from the endurance of freshman Lennox Szymonik, who took both the 1,600 in 5:10.97 and the 3,200 by clocking in at 10:46.49.
“Just my training definitely helps me,” Szymonik said. “And training with my teammates for sure. They’re always pushing me to be better, and I just love running with them.”
Benet had 105 points and finished in seventh. Gabrille Brown won the 300 hurdles in 44.49, and the 4x400 relay team was victorious with a 4:05.21.