By Bobby Narang –
Neuqua Valley High School senior sprinter MiKenna Robinson is pointing toward a strong finish in May. Led by the dominating performance of Robinson at the Glenbard North Weber Invitational April 25, the Wildcats won the eight-team girls invitational with 99 points. Waubonsie Valley placed second with 93.5 points, and host Glenbard North took third with 88 points.
Robinson, a University of Texas recruit, won the 400 meters in a personal record time of 57.80 seconds, took first place in the 100 meters in 12.44 seconds, and she snared a second-place medal in the 200 meters with 26.26 seconds. Robinson helped the Wildcats add 10 more points with a strong leg in a first-place performance in the 400 relay at 49.88.
“MiKenna had a great day with a breakout performance,” Neuqua Valley assistant coach Bruyn Yunk said. “This was definitely her best night. She had a rough indoor season, but she’s fighting and knows what she’s capable of and driven.
“We’re looking forward to the rest of the season as a team because we know we haven’t put our best performance together on the track. We still have more goals and more in the tank.”
• The Glenbard East girls soccer team is building toward another State run. After a memorable run to the State tournament in 2016, the Rams improved to 14-4-2 following a 7-1 victory over Streamwood Monday.
Senior forward Lindsey Novak, a North Central College recruit, led the way with three goals on Senior Night. Novak had 16 goals and nine assists this season through Monday.
“She’s just a force,” Glenbard East head coach Kent Overbey said of Novak. “She’s really embraced the game, on and off the field. She’s gotten so much stronger and you don’t want to get into a 50-50 with her. She has a great motor and never gets tired. She’s a great leader and captain. It was great to send off the seniors with a bang. You can’t beat that. It’s awesome.”
• The Naperville Central boys tennis team is on the right track in the DuPage Valley. The Redhawks notched a signature 4-3 victory over Neuqua Valley April 23.
“We knew coming in that Neuqua Valley would be our toughest competition in the DVC (DuPage Valley Conference) this year,” Naperville Central head coach Dan Brown said. “They are so deep and have a strong lineup. A lot of our strength is at the top of our lineup. We had some close matches.
“Our second doubles team has been playing great all season long and now had two big wins. I’m looking forward to the next couple of weeks to see where we will stand in the DVC tournament.”