Track and Field: Yorkville girls, Oswego East boys take titles at Matt Wulf Invitational

YORKVILLE – The 2024 Yorkville High School Matt Wulf Invitational occurred again at Campbell Field, the Foxes’ home field. A windy night did not stop athletes from competing at their best.

Yorkville’s girls varsity team took home first place out of eight teams with an overall score of 174, while the boys finished second with 138. Oswego East’s boys team took home the first-place plaque with 174 combined points.

In the night’s final race, the boys’ 4x400 event came down to the wire. Oswego East’s anchor runner, junior Austin Ward, and Yorkville sophomore Owen Horeni were neck and neck in the final 100 meters. The Foxes took first, edging out the Wolves 3:30.18 to 3:30.4.

“I knew that I needed to go and get in that first position as soon as possible and just hold that,” Horeni said.

The night got underway with the girls 4x800 relay. The Foxes team of senior Ava Galloway and juniors Julia Hosu, Anita Werderich, and Jayda Stewart placed first with a time of 1:53.02.

This wasn’t the only event Yorkville coach Lauren Vriezen had her team winning. Senior Allegra Triner took first place in both the 400 meters and 800 meters in her final Matt Wulf invitational.

“They know the importance of this whole meet, and they’re just trying to put their best foot forward,” Vriezen said. “It definitely takes a bit of good cohesion to form a good relay team and a lot of just trusting that the three other girls out there with you are going to do their job and put the team in the best position.”

Senior Janiya Lucas took first place in the women’s 100 meters and 200 meters.

Rockford Guilford senior Madison Harmsen captured first. In the 3,200 meters, the Yorkville duo of Sophia Keeler and Annabelle Reeder placed first and second.

T.F. South took the 4x100 relay, and Yorkville took first in the 4x200. Seniors Stephanie Bonga, Janel Reed, Paige Phillips, and Trinity Stewart ran intense times, getting a much-needed place in the event. The final event for the girls’ side was the 4x400, which Bradley-Bourbonnias took.

For the boys’ side, senior Jaidyn Nguyen took first in the 100 meters for Rockford Guilford. Bradley-Bourbonnias Tyran Bender took the 100 meters and 400-meter events to get Bradley up in points.

Horeni, with a time of 1:58.87, cruised into first place in the 800 meters. Senior Brandon Lawson and Rockford Guilford grabbed the 1600-meter event.

Oswego East’s junior Eddie Bozett won the 3,200-meter race, with Jake Younger of Yorkville took second, finishing five seconds behind Bozett.

Nigel Grisby led the pack for the Wolves in the 4x100 meter event.

“I just really work hard and put my head down, and at every, I don’t take my foot off the pedal,” Grisby said.

In the boys’ 4x800, Bradley-Bourbonnais’ only first-place relay finish was with seniors Jeremiah Lanum, James Lazaro, and Ebenezer Gideon, with freshman Sullivan Westover taking first.

The Foxes again had a successful afternoon at Campbell Field as the outdoor track and field season began.