Girls Track and Field Breaks Records at the Niles West Quad

By Suha Siddiqui, Opinions Editor • Feb 26, 2025

The girls’ varsity indoor track and field team competed in their first home meet of the season, the Niles West Girls Quad, on Feb. 19. Facing off against Niles North and Regina Dominican, the Wolves won 11 out of 14 events and placed first overall with a score of 84.5.

Across the board, the Wolves excelled in various events, including the 200-meter dash, 4×160-meter relay and pole vault. Several athletes set new personal records, such as senior Carissa Uy, in both the long jump and triple jump events.

“Setting new records in general is something I never thought I’d be able to do. So, breaking my own previous records was really surprising to me… I’m so proud of myself for getting here. It makes me feel good to see that the time and effort I put into the sport does actually pay off. Though my goals going into the season have definitely changed, my new goals are to reach 19 feet in the long jump and 38 feet in triple jump,” Uy said.

Early success has set a precedent for the rest of the team’s season. As they face stronger opponents, the Wolves are motivated to continue working hard and improving.

“We did have a lot of success during last week’s meet. Early season success is always great for the girls’ confidence as the season gets tougher and tougher,” coach George Howe said.

For most varsity athletes, the home meet was just one of many in their athletic careers. For others, it was their first time running in front of a familiar crowd and showing off the results of their training and learning.

“I didn’t know I won until I looked it up later because there were two heats, but I was happy. It wasn’t as fast as I wanted to go but it was still exciting to have placed out of all the athletes. This season… I’m learning a lot from my older teammates who have done this before. They are super supportive and hardworking,” freshman Bella Mohip said.

Although the indoor track season is only two meets in, the team has already earned gold medals and broke old records. With the support of their coaches, they will be reaching new heights and aiming to win the conference championship.

“Our goal for each girl is to provide them the best quality training for their individual success as that will help our overall team scores. Last year we were able to take 2nd place at an indoor conference and this year we’re aiming for gold,” Howe said.

The next girls’ track and field meet will be today, Feb. 26 at 4:30 p.m. in the field house.