Western’s girls track and field team celebrated a Kokomo Sectional three-peat on Tuesday night as the Panthers edged Northwestern for the championship in the 11-team meet at Walter Cross Field.

The Panthers posted a score of 139 points while the Tigers closed with 135.5 points. Lewis Cass was third with 93, Kokomo (82) was fourth, Maconaquah (32) was seventh, Eastern (14) was eighth, Tipton (9) ninth, Tri-Central (6) 10th and Peru (4) 11th.

The sectional title is Western’s fourth in five years and fifth all-time. Northwestern was shooting for its first title since 2023.

The top three finishers in each event qualified for next week’s regional at Lafayette Jeff.

The Panthers struck first in the meet by winning the 4x800 relay. Gretchen Raab, Kendall DePoy, Lucy Schave and Sophia Dechert won in a time of 10:20.26. Northwestern was second in 10:27.35.

From there, the Panthers won four more events. Dechert, a freshman, won the 1,600 run (5:18.27) and the 800 run (2:30.05) and Ball State-bound Ellyse Walden swept the throws with winning distances of 140 feet, 6 inches in discus and 47-8.25 in shot put. Teammate Ellie Kretz took second in the shot put.

Walden went 4 for 4 in winning the sectional shot put title in her career and swept the throws in each of the last three years.

The Panthers had runner-up finishes by Gracie Shade (400 dash), Raab (800 run), Norah Ewing (200 dash) and their 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams. Ewing was third in the 100 dash and Shade was third in the 200 dash.

Zoie Schieffer, Bryella Lefforge and Emma Baker led Northwestern with a win apiece. Schieffer won high jump (5-0), Lefforge was tops in long jump (17-2) and Baker repeated as the pole vault champion (11-9.25).

Baker was second in the 100 dash and Schieffer was second in the 300 hurdles and third in the 100 hurdles. Also for the Tigers, Alaina Dubbels was third in the 400 dash and Lauren Fischer was third in high jump.

Aftin Griffin led Cass’ charge as the King senior won the 100 dash (:12.58), 200 dash (:26.03) and 400 dash (:58.77). The IU Indy commit is a four-time sectional champ in the 400 and two-time champ in the 200. Overall, she has won eight individual sectional titles over her career.

For good measure, Griffin also helped the Kings won the 4x400 relay. Anna Hedrick, Brystalin Gillem, Hope Rush and Griffin clocked 4:12.21. Individually, Rush won the 3,200 run (12:02.80).

Kokomo was led by its dynamic 1-2 punch of Giyanna Thornton and Jhazlyn McKay. Thornton won the 100 hurdles (:14.59) and McKay was second and Thornton won the 300 hurdles (:46.99) and McKay was third.

In addition, Thornton and McKay teamed with Eliana Stewart and Tia Williams to win the 4x100 relay (:50.43).