Alivia Henkel running 400m hurdle homestretch
©Steve Woltmann

Women's Track and Field

Henkel Highlights Cardinals’ Day at Chicagoland Championships

Contact: Taiah Gallisath, Associate Director of Athletics Communications, 630-637-5302

Results

ELMHURST, Ill. & PLATTEVILLE, Wis. (April 19-11, 2026) - Powered by standout performances from sophomore Alivia Henkel and senior Gwen Berenyi, the North Central College women's track and field team closed out the three-day Chicagoland Outdoor Championships on Saturday with a pair of event titles. Henkel captured the 400-meter hurdles win while Berenyi topped the field in the pole vault. Overall the Cardinals produced 10 top-five finishes in the loaded 28-team meet. 

Henkel clocked an impressive 1:01.23 time in the 400m hurdles, nearly four seconds faster than her next closest competitor. Her time is the second fastest in Cardinal history and ranks fourth in Division III this season. Ellie Logsdon finished third in the event in 1:07.38.

Berenyi added a win in the pole vault, clearing 3.86m (12'8") on her third attempt. It marks Berenyi's third pole vault competition win of the outdoor season. 

North Central had three advance to the 100m hurdle finals, including Julia Kelly, Isabella Valentin, and Charlotte Rossi. Valentin posted the top Cardinal finish of 14.86 seconds, good for a third-place finish in the meet, and is the ninth fastest time in program history. Kelly finished seventh (15.65), and Rossi was eighth (15.84). 

Arielle Manas turned in a second-place finish in the 10,000m run with a finishing time of 42:23.69.

Cali Minkie clocked a season best of 57.85 seconds to finish fifth in the 400m run and came back as part of the 4-by-400m relay quartet alongside Kenel, Schmidthuber, and Cire Smith that finished second in the field with a season best of 3:53.92. The time currently sits 12th in Division III this season. 

Schmidthuber and Logsdon joined Kyla Spencer and Nicole Luken for the 4-by-100m, where they finished fourth in 50.06 seconds to kick off the day. 

Elsewhere in the field, Jillian Beneke turned in a top-five finish in the javelin throw, hitting a mark of 33.24m (109'). 

North Central heads to Rock Island, Ill., next week for Augustana College's Meet of Champions, Friday and Saturday, April 17-18.
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Players Mentioned

Gwen Berenyi

Gwen Berenyi

Pole Vault
Junior
Cali Minkie

Cali Minkie

Sprints/Jumps
Senior
Jillian Beneke

Jillian Beneke

Pole Vault
Freshman
Alivia Henkel

Alivia Henkel

Sprints/Hurdles
Freshman
Nicole Luken

Nicole Luken

Freshman
Charlotte Rossi

Charlotte Rossi

Hurdles
Freshman
Isabella Valentin

Isabella Valentin

Hurdles/Jumps
Freshman
Arielle Manas

Arielle Manas

Distance
Freshman
Julia Kelly

Julia Kelly

Jumps/Hurdles
Freshman
Ellie Logsdon

Ellie Logsdon

Sprints
Junior

Players Mentioned

Gwen Berenyi

Gwen Berenyi

Junior
Pole Vault
Cali Minkie

Cali Minkie

Senior
Sprints/Jumps
Jillian Beneke

Jillian Beneke

Freshman
Pole Vault
Alivia Henkel

Alivia Henkel

Freshman
Sprints/Hurdles
Nicole Luken

Nicole Luken

Freshman
Charlotte Rossi

Charlotte Rossi

Freshman
Hurdles
Isabella Valentin

Isabella Valentin

Freshman
Hurdles/Jumps
Arielle Manas

Arielle Manas

Freshman
Distance
Julia Kelly

Julia Kelly

Freshman
Jumps/Hurdles
Ellie Logsdon

Ellie Logsdon

Junior
Sprints