Over the last decade, the Minooka girls track and field program has been near the top of the list of the best teams in the Southwest Prairie Conference. Unfortunately for the Indians, they had not won a conference title since 2017.

That changed Wednesday night, as Minooka cruised to the championship at the Southwest Prairie Conference meet, finishing with a total of 171 points. They were followed by Plainfield East (95), Plainfield North (92), Oswego East (92), Yorkville (49), Oswego (47), Joliet West (45), Plainfield South (33), Joliet Central (31), Plainfield Central (21), Bolingbrook (16) and Romeoville (7).

Junior Natalie Nahs played a huge part in Minooka’s victory, as she ran the anchor leg in both the winning 4x400- and 4x800-meter relay teams and won the 800 meters, edging Joliet Central’s Madison King, 2:17.10 to King’s 2:17.73.

“I’m a little tired,” Nahs admitted after her anchor leg in the night’s final event, the 4x400 relay. “It’s a tough night running all three of those races, but I wanted to do whatever I could to help the team win.

“It was really a full team effort today. Everyone did well. It’s great having so many really good athletes on the team. We push each other hard in practice because everyone is trying to improve. Winning this meet was one of our goals this season and we got it. Now, we have to go out in the postseason and get some more goals.”

Nahs was hardly the lone success story for Minooka, as they put their imprint on nearly every event, whether it be distances, sprints, throws, jumps or relays. Melinda Torres won the 3,200 meters, the 4x200 relay of Chelsi Heyob, Zoe Moxley, Lydia Michalesko, and Chrishawna Clark took first, as did the 4x400 team of Paige Joachim, Moxley, Kennedy Carroll and Nahs and the 4x800 team of Joachim, Clara Getsoian, Carolina Jorge and Nahs.

In field events, Mya McClelland won the shot put, Rory Moxley was third in the high jump, Alexia Ramirez was third in the discus, Penelope McCullom was second in the pole vault and Carroll was second in the long jump.

“We were good in all of the disciplines,” Minooka coach Kevin Gummerson said. “We have a special team this year. In a meet like this, you need not only your No. 1s in each event to step up, but also your No. 2s, and we had a lot of events where two girls scored. That’s how you win a championship.

“Obviously, nothing is perfect, but everyone ran well. It helps when I can put Natalie Nahs in three events. She is a special kid, and she ran a great leg in the 4x800, had a great race with Madison King in the 800 and then ran the anchor of the 4x400. That’s a tough night, but she was more than willing to do whatever the team needed.”

Oswego East saw Avaya Kittling-Turner and Addison Sims finish first and third, respectively, in the long jump, Kailynn Grinnell and Sims take first and fifth, respectively in the triple jump, Layla Brisbon finish third in the 100 hurdles and seventh in the 300 hurdles, while Audrey Chaney was fourth in the 800, Julia Berney was sixth in the 1,600, and Lia Parabello was second in both the shot put and discus.

“I thought we had a real solid meet,” Oswego East coach Steve Ideran said. “Our senior class was outstanding. Layla Brisbon has been an all-conference performer several times, Julia Berney was all-conference in the 1,600, Kailynn Grinnell and Avaya Kittling-Turner did great in their jumps and the 4x100 and 4x200 relays did well.

“We have a lot of depth, and it showed tonight.”

Plainfield East freshman Camryn Cargo won the 100-meter dash, while teammate Brisline Lankah won the 200, Briyah Beatty won the 400, the 4x100 relay of Haley Anderson, Beatty, Cargo and Lankah won. Londyn Hendry took second in the high jump and Rhyann Pierce was third in the long jump.

For Plainfield North, Marlie Czarnewski won the 1600, while Ayla Czarnewski was fifth, Aniya Poindexter was second in the 100 and third in the 200, Tessa Russo was second in the 400, Olivia Eager was third in the 3,200, Shyi Harris was second in the 100 hurdles and Karmah Lawrence was fourth in the discus.

Oswego’s Kenna Brereton won the 100 hurdles, took second in the triple jump and was fifth in the 300 hurdles.

Joliet West’s Ava Offerman won the pole vault, while Plainfield Central’s Shania Davison won the 300 hurdles.