It’s a sunny and breezy afternoon at Neuqua Valley High School for the DVC Girls Track and Field Outdoor Championship. DeKalb joins all five Naperville area schools for this conference showdown. Neuqua Valley looks to add an outdoor DVC title after winning the indoor crown earlier this year. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.

Naperville North’s Alyse Hoffman flies to first in the high jump

We start with the high jump, where Naperville North’s Alyse Hoffman clears the bar at 1.50 meters. She feels a cramp as she lands, but it doesn’t slow her down — Hoffman still takes first place!

On to the long jump — Neuqua Valley’s Olivia Dalson soars 5.41 meters to secure second place in the event. She also grabs third in the triple jump at 11.15 meters.

Gabi Karvelis starts the DVC Girls Track and Field Championship with a first-place finish in the long jump and triple jump

Her Wildcat teammate, Gabi Karvelis, tops the long jump leaderboard with a mark of 5.44 meters and also claims first place in the triple jump with a distance of 11.79 meters.

Over to shot put — Waubonsie Valley’s Serenity Bennett throws 9.40 meters to finish third overall.

Naperville Central’s Jai Lara steps into the circle and launches a 9.94-meter throw, good for second place. DeKalb’s Angela Gary takes the win with a toss of 11.16 meters.

Wildcats take the first two races at the Girls Track DVC meet

Now onto the track for the 4×100 meter relay — it’s a battle between Naperville Central and Neuqua Valley. The Wildcats pull away with the team of Lillian Jaglin, Ava Belle, Olivia Dalson, and Gabi Karvelis, clocking in at 49.66 seconds — just under half a second ahead of the Redhawks.

The 3200 meters is the longest race of the night, featuring runners from all six DVC schools. Early on, Naperville North’s Shania Tandon leads the pack alongside Waubonsie’s Katherine Heap, Neuqua’s Elizabeth Hall, and North freshman Georgia Karstens.

Midway through, it’s a tight race between Tandon and Hall up front, with Karstens chasing in third. DeKalb’s Alexandra Schwantes leads the next group.

Elizabeth Hall pulls away down the stretch, winning by over 10 seconds with a time of 11:12.06. Tandon and Karstens go two-three for the Huskies.

Metea Valley’s Arianna Hammons and Waubonsie Valley’s win events on the track

Next up, the 100-meter hurdles. Metea Valley’s Arianna Hammons flies to the win in 15.47 seconds, setting a new season best. Neuqua’s Corinne Williams finishes second, followed by Waubonsie’s Kyla Akins in third.

Moving to the 800 meters, Naperville North’s Emma Berres and Neuqua’s Fabiola Gipson break out early, with Redhawk Eloise Graft and Husky Sophia Schulz close behind. Berres pulls away to win in 2:18.23, with Graft and Schulz rounding out the top three.

On to the one-mile run — Naperville Central’s Lola Satre Morales, North’s Emma Berres, and Rianna Tandon jump out to a quick start. Halfway through, Neuqua’s Elizabeth Hall and North’s Tandon battle up front, while Waubonsie’s Lily Baibak and Central’s Satre Morales chase.

In the final lap, Baibak surges ahead and wins it with a season-best 5:11.12. Berres and Tandon take second and third, while Hall finishes fourth.

As the sun sets, it’s time for the 200-meter dash. Neuqua’s Ava Belle and Gabi Karvelis, along with Central’s Adeline O’Neill, are neck and neck down the stretch. Belle edges ahead to win in 25.85 seconds, O’Neill takes second, and Karvelis finishes third, just ahead of Metea’s Hammons in fourth.

Naperville Central girls track sets a school record in the 4×400 relay

And finally, it’s the 4×400 relay under the lights. Naperville North jumps out early, but the Redhawks chase them down. In a thrilling finish, Central’s team of Lola Satre Morales, Olivia Monteith, Keira Friant, and Sophia Dussias storms ahead to win with a new school record time of 4:06.93.

Neuqua Valley’s depth across all events helps them secure the DVC outdoor championship! Next up — sectionals. Metea heads to Rolling Meadows, while the rest of the conference teams compete at Downers Grove South.