DGN girls track and field won the West Suburban Silver Conference meet at Lyons Township High School May 8, capturing the Trojans’ sixth consecutive conference title, a new conference record.
DGN collected a total of 164 team points, finishing 52 points ahead of second-place York. The Trojans’ performance was highlighted by the field events, totaling 88 points before any track events began.
“Previously, our field events scored 83 points in the conference meet in 2021, and we thought that would never be touched,” head coach Matthew Maletich said. “Scoring 88 points is pretty remarkable, and it was a real tone setter.”
With field events commencing a day before track events, success can carry over for track athletes. According to junior Ava Flynn, it encourages her to perform even better.
“The winning energy really carries over to the rest of the meet,” Flynn said. “If I see them performing well over there, it motivates me to do the same.”
Rather than relying on a handful of stars, DGN consistently stacked points throughout the meet. The Trojans placed multiple athletes in scoring positions across throws, jumps, hurdles, and relays, allowing them to steadily separate from the rest of the conference.
“There have been many wonderful individual performances, but it seems like these individual successes encourage other girls to do the same, and it elevates everyone,” assistant coach Bob Calder said.
That depth was on display throughout the meet. The Trojans claimed first place in seven events, with 13 other top-five finishes and second-place finishes in the 4×100-meter and 4×200-meter relays. The team dominated the throws, where juniors Rylie Marshall and Sophia Solecki finished first and second in shot put, and first and third in discus.
“Our girls do such a wonderful job competing in big moments,” Calder said. “They put in the work to give themselves the best chance of winning at the end of the season.”
The Trojans were particularly strong in jump events. Senior Maya Nicholson won the triple jump and placed second in high jump, senior Mackenzie Maci won long jump while also finishing third in high jump, and junior Caroline Phillip added another conference title in pole vault. Junior Blake Weltler contributed additional points with a third-place finish in long jump.
DGN continued adding points on the track during the second day of competition. Junior Ava Flynn won the 100-meter hurdles and later finished second in the 300-meter hurdles, while Weltler captured a conference title in the 300-meter hurdles. Senior Aniya Hubbard and sophomore Anna Grapenthein added points in the 100-meter dash, and sophomore Macy Ermitage contributed with a fourth-place finish in the 1,600-meter run.
Maletich credited the program’s sustained success to athletes continuing to uphold the standard set by previous teams.
“You come into a program that’s done well, and you think it’s all just going to happen,” Maletich said. “These kids don’t; they take it upon themselves.”
The Trojans hope to continue their success throughout the rest of the season. Following the sectional meet May 13, DGN qualified 12 athletes across 12 events, with five athletes advancing in multiple events. The state meet will be held at Eastern Illinois University, May 21-23.
