The Fox Valley Conference championship will remain with Huntley.

Whether it was in the relays, the individual races or the field events, the Red Raiders showcased their balance throughout Thursday night’s girls track and field competition. Huntley won nearly half of the 18 events and despite pushes from runner-up Hampshire and third-place Cary-Grove, the Raiders earned their fifth straight FVC title.

“It’s five in row at varsity and it’s eight in a row at the JV level,” Huntley coach Jason Monson said. “I think that has a lot to do with it. When you’re successful at both levels, it’s a lot easier to continue into the next year when you lose those seniors because you know those girls who have big-meet experience are ready to come in and step up.”

Huntley finished with 153 points, taking three of the four relays and three individual races. Rachel Hogan sprinted to victories in both the 100 (12.54 seconds) and the 200 (25.88). The speedy sophomore also aided the Red Raiders to a winning time of 48.62 in the 4x100.

“I just wanted this to happen,” said Hogan, who won the FVC’s 60-meter indoor title and the 100-meter title at this year’s McHenry County Meet. “Throughout the season, I trusted the process and that’s why I got first. I thought I got off the blocks well and that’s been my whole goal, to work on my acceleration on my blocks.”

Addison Busam, who raced in the 4x100, leapt to a victory in the long jump, landing a mark of 5.43 meters (17 feet, 9 ¾ inches). Busam, who finished eighth in the Class 3A state long jump competition last season, was one of Huntley’s two field-event winners. Emma Garofalo cleared 3.40 meters (11 feet 1 ¾ inches) to take the pole vault.

“I’ve had a tough outdoor season, so to come back after a few weeks off and pull that off was really special,” Busam said. “I’ve really been working this season on my penultimate step, so getting a little low before I take off to get that power so I can get up and out.”

Huntley opened and closed Thursday’s meet with victories, winning the 4x800 relay in 9:38.36 and crossing the finish line in 4:00.47 to claim the 4x400 title. In a photo finish, Haley Rahman slipped past Burlington Central freshman Addison Davis to take the 800. Rahman (2:16.71) beat Davis (2:16.76) by five one-hundreths of a second.

The Whip-Purs brought home a pair of event victories on Thursday. Ava Garcia, a senior, set a personal-best time of 58.65 to win the 400. Hailey Homola, another senior, shined in the shot put, notching a personal-best heave of 11.88 meters (38 feet, 11 ¾ inches). Homola, who took eighth at state last year, was seeded third for the FVC meet.

“Today was an all-time PR,” Homola said. “My coach and I were really talking about staying back in a big arm. I knew that throw was going to be good because I really felt like I did was I was supposed to do. Today was about trying to keep my shoulders and arms back.”

While Jacobs finished fourth with 70 points, the Golden Eagles won a trio of events. Two of those victories came from freshman distance star Lennox Szymonik, who cruised to a winning time of 10:49.49 in the 3,200 before clocking in at 4:59.86 during the 1,600. Szymonik won the 3,200 by nearly 30 seconds and the 1,600 by 18 seconds.

“I’m really excited that I got the opportunity to be here,” Szymonik said. “Usually, when I double up on the distance events, I take the 2-mile a little more conservatively at the beginning and then the last half-mile, I take it faster. That leaves me more gas for the mile.”

Carly Uehlein, a state runner-up in discus last year, won the discus with a mark of 43.83 meters (143 feet, 9 ½ inches) and was nearly seven meters beyond Huntley’s runner-up, Elena Fetzer. Fetzer (11.82) and Uehlein (11.79) took second and third in shot put.

“This past week, I’ve been working on technical things and getting ready for sectionals and state,” said Uehlein, who won the FVC discus title last year. “Getting my focal to the back of the ring and having a stronger block in the front have been my main focuses right now. It wasn’t there completely today, but we’re starting to see progress.”

Cary-Grove’s Olivia Parker swept the hurdle events on Thursday. The senior’s day started with a winning time of 15.39 in the 100 hurdles. She quickly turned around and posted a runner-up time of 12.66 in the 100 before edging out Jacobs’ Brylan Lemon in the 300 hurdles. Parker (46.42) topped Lemon (46.62) by two-tenths of a second.

“One of them is a shorter distance, so my form has to be sharper, quicker and I need to really shorten my steps,” Parker said. “For the longer distance ones, you have to get your strides out. It still takes the same principle of getting out fast, but it’s just not the same.”

C-G won the 4x200 in 1:42.81, handing runner-up Huntley (1:43.07) its only relay loss of the night. Burlington Central placed fifth with 63 points and earned a field event victory from LaRaiya Cunningham-Duncan, who soared to a mark of 11.42 to win the triple jump.

Crystal Lake Central‘s Ryleigh Mazzacano cleared a height of 1.67 meters (5 feet, 5 ¾ inches) to take the high jump for the Tigers, who tied for ninth place. Prairie Ridge (27 points), McHenry (21), Dundee-Crown (18) and Crystal Lake South (10) rounded out the field.