Kendall County Board honors Newark and Yorkville athletes

The Kendall County Board celebrated the achievements of area high school athletes with an awards ceremony at its June 7 meeting in Yorkville.

Members of the Newark High School Lady Norsemen track team won or placed in numerous events at the recent Illinois High School Association championships at Eastern Illinois University.

Kendall-Grundy Regional School Superintendent Chris Mehochko and county board Chairman Scott Gryder presented plaques for the students.

Accepting the awards on behalf of the team, which took second place in the IHSA Class 1A State Cross Country Championship, were freshmen Addison Ness, a runner, and pole vaulter Tess Carlson.

Excelling at the state meet was senior Megan Williams, who took first place in both the long jump and the triple jump, as well as third place in the 100-meter hurdles.

Williams also ran on the second-place finishing 4x200-meter relay squad, which included Ness, senior Lindsey Hatteberg and sophomore Kiara Wesseh.

Also capturing second place in the high jump, Wesseh ran into third place in the 100-meter dash and sixth place in the 200-meter hurdles.

Senior KJ Friestad participated in the shot put and is the school’s record-holder.

Other team members include seniors Peyton Eike, Kellie Snyder, Isabella Creps and Madison Sittler, along with sophomore Brooklyn Hatteberg and Julia DiClementi.

The team’s coaches are Jeff Schutt and Jason Carlson.

Mehochko and Gryder also honored Yorkville High School shot-putter Kyle Clabough.

For the second year in a row, Clabough is the IHSA Class 3A shot put champion.

Clabough won the state championship with a throw of 18.76 meters.