Girl soccer and track teams shine in weekend tournaments

Three local schools left big marks on the weekend sports scene, with standout performances in soccer and track. First, Genoa-Kingston’s girls soccer team took home hardware by not letting opponents score even once across three games. Their goalkeeper, Maddie Swanson, kept everything locked down, while Olivia Leonforte scored the only goal in the championship match against Rochelle. Earlier, Ayva Hernandez and Xareni Jimarez each added a goal in a semifinal win, while Hernandez also chipped in a sharp corner kick to edge Hinckley-Big Rock in the opener. Three players—Dulce Ibarra, Bella Ortegel and Hernandez—were named to the all-tournament squad for their consistent contributions. On the track, Me’She Eubanks from DeKalb stole the spotlight at the Jill Holmes Invitational with wins in both the long jump and triple jump, pushing her team to the team title. DeKalb’s sprint and relay teams also turned in solid showings, landing multiple podium spots. Over at the Gebhardt-Worlene Invitational, Genoa-Kingston’s Emma James narrowly missed the top of the 1, 600-meter dash but helped her team secure third overall through strong relays. Guilford walked away with the team trophy, showing how close the competition can get even in smaller meets.Boys track squads hit the ground running too. At the Elmore McCornack Invitational, DeKalb’s relay teams grabbed silver medals, while Sycamore’s runners kept the Spartans competitive in the Kiwanis Invitational despite placing eighth. Hinckley-Big Rock’s Gavin Pickert turned in multiple top finishes on the same day in the long, triple and high jumps, while El Paso-Girdley dominated their meet with Caden Hageman finishing second in two distance races. Softball fans saw big runs and clutch hits. DeKalb’s Gabby Kenny went 2-for-4 with two runs in a six-run sixth inning comeback over Stillman Valley, while Alyanna Johnson scored three times and drove in one from third base. Over in Genoa-Kingston’s win against Woodstock, Emma Kuschel slammed a home run and drove in three, with Lizzie Davis and Brynn Bridger each adding key RBIs in the seventh to break a tie. Sycamore’s offense exploded in Cary Grove, blasting five home runs over two games and outslugging their opponent 30-3. Every Spartan had at least one hit, and Callie Countryman and Faith Heil each drove in multiple runs.