Senior Sophia Maietta has progressed well for the Riverside Brookfield High School girls track and field team since adding long and triple jump last season.
On Saturday, the four-year team member added another new experience – winning at event at the program’s annual Bulldog Relays.
Maietta led off the all-senior 4×200-meter relay team with seniors Kira Hanson and Rebecca Dosek and junior Siri Streng (1:53.00) that won by .82.
“That was our first win this year and it felt really good,” said Maietta, who ran the first leg.
“It was a pretty exciting race. I was in second passing it off and then we made our way up. (Winning) was really nice. It was nice to see that they could finish it through and be tough competitors.”
The Bulldogs had five senior titlists and nearly won the team championship. They were a close second to Morton 83-81.
Dosek was a member of all three winning relays and senior Addie Vaia and Hanson two each.
Riverside-Brookfield’s Rebecca Dosek is greeting by her teammates, Elizabeth Moran, Natalie Moran & Adeline Vaia, after they won the 4×800 relay during the Bulldog Relays Saturday, April 11, 2026 in Brookfield, IL. (Steve Johnston/Riverside-Brookfield Landmark) 
Riverside-Brookfield’s Rebecca Dosek takes the baton from Elizabeth Moran during the 4×800 relay during the Bulldog Relays Saturday, April 11, 2026 in Brookfield, IL. (Steve Johnston/Riverside-Brookfield Landmark)
The 4×800 with Vaia, freshman Natalie Moran, Dosek and junior Elizabeth Moran (10:15.21) ran an impressive time well ahead of last season’s pace. The 4×400 with Hanson, Dosek, Vaia and senior Claire Shadduck won in 4:20.99.
Also taking second were junior Ava Alfaro in triple jump (9.05 meters/29 feet-8 1/4 inches), Natalie Moran (1,600 in 5:36.05) and the throwers 4×100 relay of seniors Renata Casey and Hannah Richter and juniors Avery Long and Erica Hill (1:13.55).
Finishing third were Maietta in long jump (4.59m/15-0 1/4) and triple jump (8.83m/28-11 3/4) and senior Carley Freeman in shot put (7.73m/25-4 1/2) and discus (20.00m/65-7). Sophomore Aileen Rivera finished third in high jump on a tiebreaker (1.32m/4-4).
“I just started long and triple jumping last year so I’ve definitely gotten a lot of experience,” Maietta said. “This year has been a really good year so far.”
Maietta and Alfaro both achieved personal bests in triple jump and Maietta added a season best in long jump.
The two also run cross country. RBHS head coach Lillian Holubek said they were encouraged to try jumping last year based on their sprinting. Maietta also was part of a fourth-place 4×100 Saturday.
Maietta started with long jump and added triple jump right before the 2025 Upstate Eight Conference Meet. She went a solid 28-9 3/4 and competed at sectionals (25-9 1/4), where she was 11th in long jump with her personal best of 15-9 1/2.
“I literally learned (triple jump) in a week and I marked all three (at conference). I was really proud of that,” Maietta said. “I want to break 5.0 meters (16-5) and maybe place at sectionals.”
Alfaro enjoyed her best mark in triple jump by beating her 27-2 1/2 three days earlier. Alfaro competes in long jump and oftentimes the 400 and was part of a fourth-place 4×800 Saturday.
Like Maietta, Alfaro began with long jump and gradually added triple.
“I would say we always encourage each other when we’re jumping and make sure that our marks and right before warmups,” Alfaro said.
“I still want to improve my 400. I still want to continue improving my triple, maybe around 9 meters (29-6 1/2). And especially at sectionals try to place.”
RBHS boys track and field
Senior Nick O’Connor and his fellow RBHS boys throwers ran unopposed in their 4×100 relay at the Bulldog Relays.
Their victory still proved to be sweet – and delicious.
By finishing in under 60 seconds, O’Connor, seniors Kevin Zuniga and Kaiser Zubek and sophomore Lucas Mota (56.04) were rewarded with a full pizza from the concession stand by RBHS head coach Travis Trevizo.
“He was going to give us two but most of us were full after one. Kevin could have kept going,” O’Connor joked. “(Trevizo) said he was really excited for the throwers relay. He really wanted to see us run.”
Riverside-Brookfield’s Emmitt Olson leads off in the 4×800 relay during the Bulldog Relays Saturday, April 11, 2026 in Brookfield, IL. (Steve Johnston/Riverside-Brookfield Landmark) 
Riverside-Brookfield’s August Favarula competes in the triple jump during the Bulldog Relays Saturday, April 11, 2026 in Brookfield, IL. (Steve Johnston/Riverside-Brookfield Landmark) 
Riverside-Brookfield’s Quinn Hendricks runs the anchor leg in the 4×800 relay during the Bulldog Relays Saturday, April 11, 2026 in Brookfield, IL. (Steve Johnston/Riverside-Brookfield Landmark) 
Riverside-Brookfield’s Levi Huffman competes in the 4×800 relay during the Bulldog Relays Saturday, April 11, 2026 in Brookfield, IL. (Steve Johnston/Riverside-Brookfield Landmark)
The Bulldogs finished fourth (52 points), 1.5 points behind third-place ACC.
The 4×200 relay with juniors Ben Weisman, Jayden Lee and Issaih Gaytan and senior August Favarula (1:38.11) and 4×400 with seniors Emmitt Olson, Clayton Dosek and Quinn Hendricks and junior Bryson Reum (3:39.67) both were second. Taking third were senior Cooper Sahlas (5.66m/18-7 in long jump), junior Kyle Haas (300 intermediate hurdles in 50.10), the 4×100 (Weisman, junior Bryan Rimpila, Lee, senior Jayden Karas in 46.63) and the 4×800 (Olson, Dosek, sophomore Levi Huffman, Hendricks in 8:46.22).
The throwers 4×100 ran their race with a heat of the girls 4×100.
“We wished some other teams brought enough throwers because while we were throwing, we were kind of realizing a lot of the teams had only two, three guys, not enough for a relay,” O’Connor said. “But it was still fun.”
An individual state qualifier in wrestling, O’Connor still is considering the sport in college while enjoying his final track season. His anchor leg was among the highlights of the race.
“Everybody was making fun of me, saying I was running weird,” O’Connor said. “I can admit, (my knees) were really high. My strides were short and my legs were moving really fast.”
Weisman is among the Bulldogs’ returnees from last year’s sprint relays at the 2025 sectional. Weisman, who was seventh in the 100 Saturday (12.60), was most encouraged by the 4×200 and his leadoff leg.
“There’s still things we need to improve on, but overall it was a good race,” Weisman said.
“It was the best race of the day for me. Towards the end, I usually die and but I think I finished strong. I think technique-wise, I’ve definitely gotten better coming out of the (starting) blocks and my handoffs have been doing good, too.”
Nazareth boys track and field
Nazareth senior Daniel Lewis of Brookfield was fifth in the 1,600 (4:36.78).
The Wisconsin-Eau Claire recruit is a two-time Class 2A state qualifier who finished 21st in the 3,200 in 2025 (9:57.96).
Lewis holds outdoor school records in the 3,200 (9:50.96) and 1,600 (4:31.98) from 2025 and indoor school records (9:26.61 and 4:32.49) from this past season. At the Illinois Indoor Championships March 28, Lewis’ 9:26.61 followed a 9:42.64 in his previous 3,200 Feb. 28.
“On this (banked) track, I think a 9:30 is doable. But 9:26, I’m so happy with this,” Lewis said afterwards. “The past cross country season was not what I wanted it to be. I was happy with that, a good start (for outdoors).”