CHICAGO MARIST TRACK AND FIELD

On Saturday, April 7, 2007, the Northside College Prep Womens Track & Field Team traveled to River Park Track on North Park University's campus for the 7th annual Mather Invitational. With temperatures near 20 degrees, the Mustangs set up a Team Tent complete with walls to protect the athletes from high winds, and drank hot chocolate in addition to gatorade and water. The Long Jump and Triple Jump were canceled due to the sand pit being frozen. Despite the conditions, the Mustangs had one of their best meets of the season. In 2006, the Northside Women placed 12th at the Mather Invitational. In 2007, the Northside Women brought home the Third Place Team Trophy!!! The Mustangs went from 12th to 3rd place in one season, and were by far the most improved Team in the meet. Medals were awarded to the top six athletes in each event. The scoring scale for the meet was 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1. Lane Tech won the meet with 108.50 points, Mather placed second with 76.50 points, NORTHSIDE COLLEGE PREP placed third with 67 points, and posted victories over Whitney Young (54), Steinmetz (42), Julian (39), Seton Academy (36), Fenger (27), Jones (27), Walter Payton (25), Prosser (25), Foreman (15), Clemente (9), Von Steuben (9), South Shore (6), Schurz (2), and others (0). In the open Mile, Northside parent David Parks (Father of Anna Parks) came prepared to race, and wore his high school jersey (Carroll high school, in Washington D.C.) and medaled by running an outstanding mile time of 5:41. Parks went through the first 400 meters in 70 seconds, and was at 2:34 for 800m, and 4:11 for 1200m, and 5:41 for the Mile. Northside Freshman Jessica Tapia ran a 7:46 in the open Mile. Freshman Mahaim Haider ran a time of 7:53. Andrea Buiser ran a time of 8:24. Sophomore Alice Thatcher ran a personal best time of 8:58. In the Discus, Kelly Varney won it with a NEW SCHOOL RECORD throw of 72'01! Kelly Varney was awarded a Medal for winning the Discus. Kaitlin Renkosiak placed fourth in the Discus with a throw of 56'02. Renkosiak was awarded a Medal for placing fourth overall in the Discus. In the Shot Put, Kelly Varney placed fifth overall with a personal best throw of 24'02.25. Kaitlin Renkosiak placed sixth overall with a personal best throw of 23'10.00. In the 4x800m Relay, Monica Laytham ran a 2:58 800m split on the first leg of the Relay. Jaye Gardiner ran a 3:00 800m split on the second leg of the Relay. Amy Perez ran a 2:58 800m split on the third leg of the relay. Junior Rachel Kittaka anchored the relay to third place overall with a 2:51.90 800m split, for a total time of 11:47.90. Monica Laytham, Jaye Gardiner, Amy Perez, and Rachel Kittaka were awarded Medals for placing third overall. In the 4x100m Relay, Karen Li ran a 16.17 100m split on the first leg of the Relay. Amy Perez ran a 15.76 100m split on the second leg of the Relay. Maria Zdunek ran a 15.67 100m split on the third leg of the Relay. Gayatri Satam anchored the Relay to a eighth place finish overall, with a 16.06 100m split, for a total time of 1:03.66. In the 3200m run, Jessica Galang finished in ninth overall with a time of 17:17. Galang ran the first mile in 8:04, and finsihed with a 9:13 mile. In the 100m Hurdles, Senior Amy Perez finished in fifth place with an outstanding time of 22.95. Perez was awarded a Medal for placing fifth overall. Sophomore Alice Thatcher scored vital points for the Mustangs by placing seventh overall with a personal best time of 25.17. In the 100m Dash, Sophomore Adaora Achufusi placed 19th overall with an outstanding time of 15.56. Senior Amy Perez, in her fourth event of the day, placed 22nd overall with a time of 15.90. In the 800m run, Monica Laytham ran 83 seconds for her 400m, and was in ninth place with 300 meters, and passed four athletes in the final 300 meters to place fifth overall with an outstanding time of 2:52 (83/90). Laytham was awarded a medal for placing fifth overall. In the 4x200m Relay, Kaitlin Renkosiak, Karen Li, Adaora Achufusi, and Gayatri Satam, combined for a time of 2:08.45 to place sixth overall. Renkosiak, Li, Achufusi, and Satam were awarded Medals for placing sixth overall. In the 400m run, Freshman Jessica Tapia placed 14th overall with a time of 88.05. Freshman Mahaim Haider placed 15th overall with a time of 94.45. In the 300m Hurdles, Sophomore Maria Zdunek placed third overall with an outstanding time of 59.99. Zdunek came within one second of breaking the school record. Maria Zdunek was awarded a medal for placing third overall. Sophomore Alice Thatcher placed seventh overall with an outstanding time of 78.64. In the Mile, 2006 State Cross Country qualifiers, Whitney Young's Rachel Joravsky (5:36.8) and Devyn Thompson (5:40.41) placed first and second overall. Northside Junior Rachel Kittaka ran an outstanding race, 78 seconds for the first 400m, 2:47 at the 800m, 4:17 for 1200m, and a 5:47 Mile to place third overall. Rachel Kittaka was awarded a Medal for placing third overall. Sophomore Anna Parks in her first Mile race of her career, placed fourth overall with an outstanding time of 5:51. Parks went through the 400m in 81 seconds, and was at 2:53 for the 800m, 4:25 for 1200m, and a 5:51 Mile to place fourth overall. Anna Parks was awarded a Medal for placing fourth overall. In the 200m Dash, Sophomore Adaora Achufusi placed 12th overall with a time of 31.57. In the 4x400m Relay, Captain Rachel Kittaka ran a 74.58 400m split on the first leg of the Relay. Kaitlin Renkosiak ran a 75.22 400m split on the second leg of the Relay, and made a nice exchange to Sophomore Monica Laytham. Monica Laytham ran a 75.66 400m split on the third leg of the Relay. Freshman Karen Li anchored the Relay to third place overall, with a 76.51 400m split, for a total time of 5:01.97. Rachel Kittaka, Kaitlin Renkosiak, Monica LAytham, and Karen Li were awarded a Medal for placing third overall. The Mustangs will travel to Deerfield High School on Tuesday to face IHSA Sectional rivals Deerfield and Glenbrook North High school in a triangular meet. Senior Natalie Hanigan and Freshman Bessie Nolan will become the first female athletes in the history of Northside to Pole Vault at the Deerfield Invitational. VARSITY POINTS SCORED AT THE MATHER INVITATIONAL 1. Kelly Varney 14.00 2. Kaitlin Renkosiak 10.25 3. Rachel Kittaka 9.00 4. Monica Laytham 7.00 5. Maria Zdunek 6.25 6. Amy Perez 5.75 7. Anna Parks 5.00 8. Alice Thatcher 4.00 9. Karen Li 2.50 10. Jaye Gardiner 1.50 11. Adaora Achufusi 0.75 12. Gayatri Satam 0.25 2007 VARSITY POINTS LEADERS (7 Meets scored) 1. Kelly Varney 65.50 2. Anna Parks 56.00 3. Maria Torres 47.00 4. Julie Bujnowski 39.00 5. Kaitlin Renkosiak 34.00 6. Carmen Abelson 29.00 7. Courtney Konow 22.75 8. Rachel Kittaka 19.50 9. Amy Perez 16.25 10.Natalie Hanigan 15.00 11.Bessie Nolan 14.50 12.Monica Laytham 14.00 12.Jessica Galang 14.00 13.Jaye Gardiner 12.50 14.Maria Zdunek 11.25 15.Jennifer Kane 10.00 16.Meghan Schmit 8.00 17.Gayatri Satam 5.25 18.Adaora Achufusi 4.75 20.Karen Li 4.50 21.Jolanda Steier 4.00 21.Alice Thatcher 4.00 22.Mary Shelus 2.50 23.Amina Jambo 2.00 24.Stephanie Sotomayor 1.25 24.Jennifer Mensah 1.25 The above athletes have all earned a Varisty letter this season by scoring points in a Varsity meet.