Hilltoppers' Mission For Medals

This weekend, the Hilltopper girls' track team is on a mission for medals.

Coach Kelly Hass has set the bar high for as the team prepares to make the three and a half hour road trip to Eastern Illinois University in Charleston for the state meet.

“Clearly the goal is to go get everything on the medal stand,” she said. “The potential is there. We’re going down there and kind of our motto is to take care of business. The goal is two good days in a row, that’s what we want.”

Wheaton Warrenville South edged out the Hilltoppers by two points to take last Thursday’s Glenbard North sectional team title, but both squads are deep and talented. Don’t be surprised if these next-door neighbors are in the thick of the race for the Class 3A state team championship.

Once again, as she has the past two years, senior standout has qualified for state individually in three events: The 300-meter low hurdles, the 100 high hurdles and the long jump.

Pickett owns the third-best qualifying time in the state in the 300 lows--44.56-seconds. Meanwhile, she’s got the sixth best time in the 100 highs (14.9 seconds) and the seventh-best distance in the long jump (17 feet, 11 inches).

If these times and distances stand, Pickett will medal in each event. Last year, she was all-state in both hurdles races.

Hass said Pickett’s bouts with inconsistency are a thing of the past. Simply put, Pickett is focused and ready to go.

“This year, she’s a lot more mature in her approach, and it’s paying off, that’s for sure,” Hass said. “At the risk of sounding smug, we want her on the stand four times. She’s running fast right now and four medals would be great for year.”

If Pickett is able to achieve all-state in four events, that other medal will have to come in the 4x100 relay. Pickett, who has never run the 4x100 until this season, teams up with senior Bridget Flanagan, and juniors Caroline Maloney and Kinn Badger. All are returning state qualifiers.

Badger also has qualified individually in the 100, where she’ll face a competitive field that features defending state champion Aaliyah Brown of Lincoln-Way East.

Brown leads a contingent of six sprinters who have clocked in under 12.28 seconds. But the way Hass sees it, Badger could get a berth in the finals because she’s among a slew of qualifiers who have posted times between 12.4 and 12.5 seconds.

“She’s got a shot,” Hass said. “That’s a tight race.”

Strictly based on qualifying times, the best shot Glenbard West has for a state championship in any event is with the 4x400 relay. Maloney, Badger, Flanagan and sophomore Emma Reifel make up the 4x400 contingent which boasts the second-fastest qualifying time in the state at 3:53.49—just 1.80 seconds behind No.1-ranked Evanston.

The same quartet also runs the 4x200 relay, which has the fifth-best qualifying time (1:42.51).

Reifel runs with freshman Madeline Perez and juniors Katie Born and Maddie Nagle in the 4x800 relay. This squad owns the state’s No. 7 time of 9:26.40.

“We are expecting to get medals in all of our qualifying relays,” Hass said. “That’s our goal.”

Nagle also qualified individually in the 1,600. Her time of 5:10.69 would put her in line for an all-state medal.

“Maddie ran awfully well Thursday night, and she ran real smart,” Hass said.

Sarah Dau, a senior, earned a trip to state after finishing second in the shot put at sectionals with a toss of 40 feet, 5 inches. Even though Dau’s distance isn’t among the top eight, she stands a good chance to earn a medal, as well.

“Sara really has a pretty cool story,” Hass said. “She came out her sophomore year for track. For her to hit 40 feet at sectional is like pushing through a glass ceiling. She’s a great kid, she’s one of our captains and it’s nice to see her having that success.”