For Jenna Wexter, returning to Illinois Wesleyan for the Prep Top Times indoor meet was a return to a scene of triumph.
The Lincoln-Way Central standout won the pole vault as a junior, and repeated Saturday as a senior, matching the 12-foot height she cleared in 2007.
"It means a lot," Wexter said of winning, crediting family and coaches for their support. "I was having some troubles getting over 12 feet this year."
For Wexter, whose only area rival is pal and cross-district foe Megan Wellar of Lincoln-Way East, there's one major goal remaining: a state title. She finished second in the Class AA finals last year as a junior, clearing 11-6 while winner Melissa Gergel of Marian Catholic, a senior in 2007, soared to 12-6.
Saturday's victory was by a full foot over Pia Goodman of Chatham Glenwood and Meghan Court of Glenbard North. Each succeeded at 11 feet, but couldn't make it over 11-6, which only Wexter cleared. (Goodman was awarded second on the basis of fewer misses at earlier heights.) She then cleared 12 feet, and went for a personal best of 12-7, but ticked the bar on all three attempts.
"I'd been jumping really well in practice, and I thought on my second attempt that I had it," Wexter said. "I got pulled up all the way on the pole. I could feel it."
Wexter was one of two repeat winners in the girls field events. Daniella Bunch, a junior shot putter from Mahomet Seymour, was the other.
The Griffins' depth was proved at Saturday's Prep Top Times meet, where they posted victories in the 3,200-meter run, the 1,600 relay, and nearly won the 55-meter dash.
In that, Nic Neuman lost to Jacob Mitchell, of Springfield Lanphier, by an eyelash, Neuman posting a time of 6.47 seconds to Mitchell's 6.49.
The Griffins ran the 1,600 relay in 3:24.13, beating Thornwood and Evanston to the finish line. And they dominated the 3,200, with Nate Troeser and Myles Scott-Stirn finishing 1-2, while Ron Revord came in fifth. Troeser ran the distance in 9:11.02, 11.01 seconds after than Scott-Stirn.
Those results, plus a third-place showing by Derek Severson in the high jump, gives coach Charlie Breedlove a good feeling going into the outdoor season.
"This gives us a benchmark to see where we are compared to the other schools with our more elite athletes," Breedlove said. "We can see how deep other teams are and how deep we are. In distances, we're pretty solid."
Troeser, Scott-Stirn and Revord withdrew from the 1,600 run to concentrate on the relay, the last race of the meet, and it paid off with a team victory.
"After the 2-mile, that would have been brutal," Breedlove said of also running the 1,600 individually. "Now we start with conference and get right back into the swing of things."