Champions trio pace girls track to state runner-up
HUNTLEY — The Red Raiders girls track and field team received a heroines welcome at the HHS on May 18 after they finished runner-up at the Class 3A State Track and Field meet. The team had five events advance to finals with three taking home championships.
Dominique Johnson defended her championship in the triple jump while the 4×200 and 4×100-meter relay squads also brought home gold. Advancing to end on the podium was the title winning 4×100-meter relay team of Sophie Amin, Emmy Byers, K’Leigh Saenz and Vicky Evtimov and the first place winning 4×200-meter relay of Johnson, Byers, Saenz and Evtimov.
“Overall, the experience of the team at state was incredible,” Monson said. “We knew it would be tough to get on the podium with so many talented schools, so to finish second in the state is a great accomplishment for our girls. We are very proud of the way they responded and put the pressure on the other team. You have to tip your hat to Prospect They are a great team, and their girls responded incredibly well once we built a 17 points lead with four events to go.”
The final tally showed Prospect with 53 points to Huntley’s 50 and Chicago Whitney Young’s 49.
Johnson, a junior, had a big day at the Eastern Illinois University track. She repeated her championship in the triple jump, with an effort of 12.25 meters, 40 feet, 2.25 inches. She was third in the long jump at 5.62 meters. When the team returned to Huntley, Johnson had topped older sister Alex’s nine medals at the state meet with 10.
“It’s amazing,” Johnson said. “We’ve really put the town of Huntley on the map – we’re not just a small town.”
Athletes ended the season with impressive state meet totals. They were: junior Byers, three; senior Amin, three, senior Saenz, four and Evtimov, five.
The 4×100 relay team of Amin, Byers, Saenz and Evitmov edged Whitney Young with a 46.60 seconds time to become champions.
“When the 4×100-meter relay won, it was our first championship on the track,” Monson noted at a team awards night.
The 4×200 meters relay team of Evtimov, Johnson, Byers, Saenz won with a time of 1:38.14, edging Bellville East.
“It was kind of bittersweet,” Saenz said. She hopes to have a career in coaching as she will pursue an education major at Illinois State University.
Amin, a senior, ran a second in the 100-meter hurdles at 2:14.93, a personal best. Her courage in recovering from a career-threatening ankle injury at last year’s sectional meet won high regards. She will continue in track at the University of South Dakota.
Evtimov, a senior, who will run track at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee next year, finished 10th in the 200-meter run, 24.66 seconds. Junior Sienna Robertson took home fifth place with a discus throw of 38.84 meters. Addison Busam was 21st in the triple jump with an 11-meters effort. Frosh Elena Fetzer qualified for state and was 37th in the shot put throw, 42.29 meters.
The 4×800-relay of Sauber, Aspen Maldonado, Cori Klivinger, and Haley Rahman advanced to EIU and clocked a 9:32.83 for 20th place.
Just 48 hours after claiming second place and another state meet trophy, Monson addressed the big picture of the achievement. He praised the team’s culture it has achieved over the past three seasons with a fifth, first and second-place IHSA finish. More than 70 girls track and field athletes will return for November workouts for 2024-25.
“We’ve finished in the top five three years in a row,” he said. “You’ve created a legacy, a dynasty. We have a stranglehold on that and don’t plan on giving it up. We have a lot of athletes who work on track and field year-round. It doesn’t happen with just talent, but putting in all the hard work.”
Several individual awards were earned by HHS athletes:
the Jennifer Kearns Award, K’Leigh Saenz; throws MVP, Robertson; distance MVP, Morgan Sauber; sprint MVP, Vicky Evitmov; field MVP, Dominique Johnson; most improved, Ava Acevedo and triumph award, Sophie Amin.
