Category: Track & Field

The DGS girls track & field team opened up the 2019 season in exciting fashion on Saturday at Hinsdale Central. The Mustangs took on the host Red Devils as well as defending state champion Naperville North, Proviso East, and Chicago Westinghouse. The meet was not scored, but that didn’t stop DGS from flexing some early season muscles.

On the varsity level, the Mustangs were led by a trio of juniors. Ariel Johnson won both the long jump (15-10.5) and the triple jump (33-9.5). Johnson also ran a leg on the winning 4x160m relay team (1:29.3) that included seniors Lauren Hodge, Gianna Lucacik, and Clarice Maes. The 800m run was won by Erin Reidy in a fast 2:18.2 time. Reidy also anchored the first place 4x400m relay team (4:21.5) that included seniors Becky Versaskas, Olivia Duax, and Alisha Macas.  Junior, Maddie Pucillo won the pole vault with a height of 7-0. Lily Dempsey (Sr) also cleared 7-0 to finish in 2nd place.

In the varsity field events, Alyssa Gawron (Sr) placed 3rd in the shot put with a throw of 26-3 and Alexa Flores (Sr) placed 5th (21-8). JaTaeja Herring (Sr) placed 4th in the triple jump with a jump of 28-0.  Senior, Clarice Maes led a strong showing by the DGS sprinters with her 2nd place finish in the 300m (45.14). Maddie Puccillo (Jr) and Gianna Lucacik (Sr) placed 2nd and 3rd respectively in the 55m hurdles (10.64 & 10.74).  Lauren Hodge (Sr) finished 3rd in the 55m dash with a time of 7.84. The DGS distance crew ran some great 1600m times led by junior, Kennedy Warden’s 3rd place finish (5:16.9). Four other Mustangs all finished within 4 seconds of each other with Becky Versaskas (Sr) running 5:22.6, Olivia Duax (Sr) 5:23.1, Melissa Weidner (Sr) 5:26.1, and Rebecca Diddia (So) 5:26.5.

In the Frosh/Soph competition, the Mustangs had one double winner. Aamari Taylor (So) won both the long jump (14-8.5) and the high jump (4-6). Josephine Brobby (So) won the 200m dash (30.54) placed 3rd in the 55m dash (8.04).  Both Taylor and Brobby ran legs on the 2nd place 4x160m relay team (1:39.5) along with Dorota Wulw (So) and Gianna Villareal (Fr).  In the shot put, freshman, Natalie Olson took 1st place with a throw of 24-10. Nora Coonrod (Fr) took 4th place in the 55m hurdles. Freshmen distance runners swept the top 2 places in both the 800m and 1600m races. Kelsey Casella (Fr) won the 800m (2:32.1) with Renee Kowalski (Fr) close behind in 2nd place (2:34.4). Alex Spang (Fr) and Sophia McNerney (Fr) went 1-2 in the 1600m with 5:37.4 and 5:37.6 respectively. Madison Wies (So) and Gretchen Scheck (Fr) placed 4th and 5th in the 800m. The F/S 4x400m relay team (Kelsey Casella, Maya Scheck, Renee Kowalski, and Alex Spang) finished off the day with a victory in 4:48.4.

Individual DGS results and splits can be found HERE. The Mustangs will compete again at 9:00am on Saturday, February 16th in a home meet vs. Benet, St.Ignatius, and Westmont.

  

The DGS Girls Track & Field team traveled to EIU in Charleston last weekend for the IHSA State Championship meet. The Mustangs competed in 3 events, earning top 9 finishes in 2 of them. The team scored 10 points and finished in 37th place overall.

  

Maddie Manganiello (Sr) competed in the long jump for the 4th straight year in a row. On Friday, her prelim jump of 15′ 8.5″ earned her 38th place and unfortunately did not advance her to the finals. After finishing 7th in the state a year ago, this was a somewhat disappointing finish to this season, but Maddie had already cemented her position as one of the DGS all-time greats. Her school record jump of 19′ 6″ will likely stand for a long time. We are very proud of Maddie!

  

  

On Friday, the 4x800m relay team of Kelley Hackbarth (Sr), Becky Versaskas (Jr), Gillian Thomas (Sr), and Erin Reidy (So) won their prelim heat with a time of 9:17.60 to advance to Saturday’s finals. This was a hard fought win as the Mustangs battled from behind for much of the race. Erin Reidy took the lead for the first time with 200m to go (much like Sectionals) and finished strong for the victory. The prelim time was a little slower than the school record time of 9:12.83 that the quartet set the previous week, but it was good enough to advance as the #3 time going into finals.

  

  

On Saturday, the 4x800m relay ran a slightly faster 9:17.20 time that earned them 3rd place in the State! Following the relay team was Brenna Cohoon (So) in the 3200m run. The heat and humidity was cranked up, but that didn’t stop Brenna from running a fantastic race that netted her a 7th place and All-State honors! Her time of 10:49.59 was a PR and sophomore school record.

  

  

All 5 girls that raced on the track, left with a medal and All-State honors! We are very proud of all of them!

  

On Friday night, EIU hosts a race under the lights. Traditionally all of the girls who come to support the team, and alternates for the state meet compete in the various races. As you can see, fun was had by all.

  

  

  

  

  

  

Thanks for a great track season!

The DGS girls track & field team competed at the IHSA Plainfield North Sectional on Thursday. The Mustangs qualified several individuals and a relay team to next week’s IHSA State Championship meet.

Maddie Manganiello (Sr) led the march to Charleston with a 5th place finish and state qualifying leap of 17′ 7.5″ in the long jump. Maddie has qualified for state in the long jump for 4 straight years. Last season she placed 7th in the state and will be looking to improve on that finish next week.  Brenna Cohoon (So) was the next individual qualifier for DGS with her 3rd place finish in the 3200m and a qualifying time of 10:54.34. Brenna finished 16th in this event at last year’s state meet. Kelley Hackbarth (Sr) finished in 4th place in the 800m run, but her time of 2:19..34 was under the qualifying standard which earned her a trip to state. She will be joined by 1600m qualifier, Erin Reidy (So). Erin finished in 5th place, but met the qualifying mark by running 5:08.81.

Both Kelley and Erin were also part of the DGS state qualifying 4x800m relay. They were joined by Becky Versaskas (Jr) and Gillian Thomas (Sr) as they took 1st place in the hotly contested event. The Mustangs battled with Hinsdale Central, Naperville North, and Naperville Central for much of the race. On the 3rd leg, Hinsdale Central took the lead with DGS close behind, but with both teams pulling away from the Naperville teams. Erin Reidy took the lead with about 200m left in the race and held on for the first place finish with a team time of 9:12.83. The Mustang quartet smashed the previous school record (9:21.84) that was set back in 1988 by Becky Mizener, Mindy Sick, Nicole Molzhan, and Tina Stec. Heading into the state meet competition, DGS currently has the fastest time in Illinois and the #16 time in the nation.

The Mustang distance runners had several other great performances at the sectional meet. Kennedy Warden (So) barely missed qualifying for state in the 1600m with her 6th place finish, while Melissa Weidner (Jr) met the same fate with her 6th place in the 3200m. Both girls ran PR times, but came up just short of the qualifying standards. Rebecca Diddia (Fr) finished 7th in the 800m run with a time of 2:25.28. Gillian Thomas (Sr) and Olivia Duax (Jr) finished 9th and 16th respectively in the 400m dash with season best times. The 4x400m relay team of Becky Versaskas (Jr), Kelley Hackbarth (Sr), Alisha Macas (Jr), and Erin Reidy (So) placed 5th and narrowly missed the qualifying time.

The sprint crew finished the season with several great season best races and top 6 finishes.  The team of Alexus Allen (Sr), Mya Rouse (Fr), Ariel Johnson (So), and Clarice Maes (Jr) placed 6th in both the 4x100m and 4x200m relays. Izzy Taylor (Sr) who was new to the hurdles, ran a great 300H race to finish in 6th. Kamile Dirzys (So) was not far behind her finishing in 10th place. Maddie Puccillo (Jr) and Gianna Lukacik (Jr) finished 10th and 15th respectively in the 100m hurdles.

In the field events,  Ariel Johnson (So) leaped to 7th place in the triple jump and finished 10th in the long jump. Lillian Dempsey (Jr) placed 9th in the pole vault and Brianna Johnson (Sr) placed 12th in the high jump.

The Mustang qualifiers will conclude the 2018 season next Friday and Saturday at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. Let’s bring home some hardware!

 

• Freshmen: Appetizers (eg. chips, dips, salads, cheese, crackers)
• Sophomores: Drinks 
• Juniors: Appetizers
• Seniors: Fruit 

• Freshmen: Appetizers (eg. chips, dips, salads, cheese, crackers)
• Sophomores: Drinks 
• Juniors: Appetizers
• Seniors: Fruit 

On Saturday, March 24, the DGS girls track & field team will compete at the Illinois Top Times meet. This meet (held at Illinois Wesleyan University) serves as the unofficial indoor state meet in Illinois. The top 12-15 athletes in each event are invited to compete in the final indoor meet of the season. The Mustangs were fortunate to have 6 individuals and 2 relay teams invited to compete.

Maddie Manganiello (Sr) was invited to compete in the long jump. Maddie struggled somewhat at the beginning of this season to regain her all-state form, But she has shown great resilience, and her jump at conference of 17′ 7″ was a huge boost in the right direction. Maddie is seeded 11th out of 13 jumpers, and expects to move up the list with an improved season best.

The DGS distance crew has had many outstanding performances during the indoor portion of the season that have earned multiple invitations to this prestigious meet. Brenna Cohoon (So) has a season best time of 11:10.65 in the 3200m run and is seeded 8th among the talented field of 15. Brenna is fresh off an all-state season in cross country and could challenge for a top 5 finish on Saturday.

The Mustangs had two athletes invited to compete in the 800m run. Both Kelley Hackbarth (Sr) and Becky Versaskas (Jr) will race among a loaded field of 12 runners. Kelley has competed as part of a relay at Top Times before, but her 800m time of 2:19.81 earned her first opportunity in an individual event. Becky’s time of 2:20.73 earned her a chance to compete in the 800m for the 3rd year in a row.

We also have two athletes competing in the 1600m run. Erin Riedy (So) is seeded 5th with her indoor school record time of 5:05.76. Kennedy Warden (So) completes the talented 15-person field with her time of 5:13.17. Both Erin and Kennedy expect to improve on their times and seed places. The favorite in the event is Katelynne Hart (Glenbard West) who recently won the HS mile national championship in New York.

DGS will compete in two relays on Saturday. The 4x800m relay team consists  of Becky Versaskas (Jr), Kelley Hackbarth (Sr), Rebecca Diddia (Fr), and Erin Reidy (So).  The Mustangs winning time from the Mustang Relays meet of 9:25.32 is seeded 1st among 12 relay teams. This team is definitely capable of breaking the DGS indoor school record of 9:23.10 or even challenging the meet record of 9:18.8. The 4x400m relay team will look very similar to the 4×800 with Becky Versaskas (Jr), Kelley Hackbarth (Sr), Alisha Macas (Jr), and Erin Reidy (So) all taking part. Their season best time of 4:07.15 gives the Mustangs the #7 seed among the 12 relay teams competing.

Illinois Top Times Schedule of Events

Class 3A Girls & Boys Meet Program

All of these athletes and those not competing will begin the outdoor portion of the season at home on Wed, April 4th. DGS will host the Mustang Invitational on Saturday, April 7th.

On Saturday, Feb.24, the DGS Girls Track & Field team traveled to Batavia to compete in a quad meet against Oswego, Glenbard North, and the host school Batavia. No team scores were kept as this was only the 2nd meet of the season, but the girls performed well and showed improvement over last week’s home opener.

The Mustangs finished the day with three 1st place efforts. Erin Reidy (So) placed 1st in the 800m run with an excellent time of 2:19.57. In a dual with an accomplished Oswego runner (Isabelle Christiansen), Erin took the lead on the 2nd lap and slowly pulled away for the victory. Brenna Cohoon (So) led a host of Mustangs to the finish line of the 1600m race. Brenna led from start to finish to win with a season best time of 5:24.22. The DGS distance crew dominated the race finishing with the first 6 places, all within 7 seconds of Brenna. The 4x400m relay team of Kelley Hackbarth (Sr), Alisha Macas (Jr), Erin Reidy (So), and Becky Versaskas (Jr) won the final event of the meet with a great time of 4:11.99.

The Mustangs also garnered several 2nd and 3rd place finishes. Maddie Manganiello (Sr) placed 2nd in the long jump with a leap of 16-7.5. Two DGS relay teams placed 2nd. The 4x200m relay team of Izzy Taylor (Sr), Asia Branch (Sr), Alexus Allen (Sr), and Clarice Maes (Sr) completed the race in 1:52.76. The 4x400m relay team of Kelley Hackbarth (Sr), Kennedy Warden (So), Melissa Weidner (Jr), and Alisha Macas (Jr) finished 2nd in 10:07.69. Becky Versaskas (Jr) and Kennedy Warden (So) finished close together in 2nd & 3rd places in the 1600m run with times of 5:26.76 and 5:26.81 respectively. Asia Branch (Sr) claimed 3rd place in the 55m dash with a time of 7.89 seconds while Clarice Maes (Sr) took 3rd in the 200m dash with a time of 28.38 seconds.

Full meet results can be found on the Athletic.net website. All DGS individual results and splits can be found on the Schedule/Results page. Pictures from the meet (courtesy of Laura Duffy) can be found on the Pictures/Video page.

The Mustangs will return to action next Thursday (March 1) at the 15-team North Central College Invitational.

2018 DGS Girls Track & Field

Excitement for the DGS track & field season begins with returning all-state jumper, Maddie Manganiello (Sr). At last year’s state meet, Maddie placed 7th in the long jump. She returns this season with aspirations of finishing in the top 3. Maddie will also join a relatively young sprint crew that looks to gain valuable experience and improve as the season goes along.  Other top returning sprinters & jumpers  include Clarice Maes (Jr), Mia Burgonio (Sr), Asia Branch (Sr), Katie Meyr (Sr), Hailey Rodden (Sr), and Izzy Taylor (Sr). There is a large freshman group of sprinters that will hopefully make contributions as they begin to learn their events and particular talents.

After a great cross country season (5th in the state), the Mustangs expect to once again have a strong distance contingent on the track. Several distance runners are returning with state track meet experience. Brenna Cohoon (So) qualified for state in the 3200m last season, and placed 16th. She is also fresh off a breakout cross country season where she earned all-state honors and set a new 3-mile school record.

Erin Reidy (So) qualified for state in the 1600m, and placed 24th last season. She was also part of a 4x800m relay team that qualified for state and finished 18th. Other returning members of the relay team are Becky Versaskas (Jr), Melissa Weidner (Jr), Alisha Macas (Jr), and Gillian Thomas (Sr). These girls, along with Olivia Duax (Jr), Kelley Hackbarth (Sr), Allison Calek (Jr), and newcomer Rebecca Diddia (Fr), provide the nucleus for a solid distance squad that will look to improve and return to the state meet in several events.

Hopefully, all of these athletes and the many not listed here will help the Mustangs achieve a successful season! You can access the Schedule/Results page to find our meet schedule, meet line-ups, and individual results.

The DGS Girls Track & Field team will open up the 2018 season at Hinsdale Central on Saturday, February 10. The Mustangs will be competing against Naperville North, Proviso East, Westinghouse, and the host Hinsdale Central team. The meet begins at 9:00 am with field events, and at 9:30 am, the running events will begin. The bus will leave DGS at 7:30 am (be here at 7;15 am).