Palatine's O'Brien tests national stage at Brooks PR Invitational
For Palatine senior runner Kelly O'Brien a precipitous fall preceded a spring of growth.
O'Brien capped an eventful year by earning a golden ticket to participate at the Brooks PR Invitational on Saturday in Renton, Wash.
O'Brien won the 1,600 Class 3A title in girls track on May 21 and continued to excel in the postseason. The Pirates senior finished fourth in the Elite Mile race at the Magis Miles race hosted by St. Ignatius College Prep on June 2.
A field that consisted of mostly collegiate and professional runners pushed O'Brien to the second-fastest 1,600 time by an Illinois high school female, 4:46.30. Woodstock's Kayla Beattie is the only Illinois runner who has been faster, having clocked a 4:43.65 in the Class 2A finals in 2011.
That mark and some behind-the-scenes work by Palatine coach Joe Parks help to secure O'Brien's bid for the 1-mile run at the prestigious Brooks PR Invite.
"It was a really big surprise," said O'Brien who will be in a loaded field that includes California's Amanda Gehrich, who holds this season's top national high school mark in the 1,600 (4:41.39). "It's kind of cool to be able to compete against such an elite field."
It's a sweet conclusion, especially considering O'Brien admitted to being a bit burned out and mentally drained in the fall, culminating in a deeply disappointing finish at the Class 3A state cross country meet.
"Nobody wants to run their worst race at the state meet, especially after all the success she has had," said Parks. "But the way she bounced back this spring is just a testament to her character."
After a rather uneventful freshman season O'Brien exploded on the Illinois running scene, earning a combined total of eight state medals in cross country and track. She helped Palatine to a second-place trophy for cross country in Class 3A in 2014, and that same year her team was invited to run at the Nike Cross Nationals in Oregon. She holds the Palatine school record in the 1,600 and was selected Palatine Senior Athlete of the Year.
"Nobody in state, nobody in conference after her freshman year, really knew who Kelly O'Brien was," said Parks. "Everything she accomplished wouldn't be nearly as special if she wasn't such a good kid and such a good teammate."
O'Brien, always the team player, gave a nod to her coaches and teammates for all their support.
"I'm really grateful for coach Parks," said O'Brien of her successful partnership with Pirates coach. "There would be no reason to be on the state podium my senior year if it wasn't for coach Parks."
O'Brien added to a noteworthy spring by signing a letter of intent to run for Northwestern. The four-year honor-roll student found a perfect fit on the Evanston campus.
On Wednesday morning O'Brien completed her final workout on the Palatine High School track; she was joined on her final reps by the girls cross country team as it began summer training. For O'Brien, it definitely came full circle.
"I just feel very, very honored and grateful," said O'Brien of her four-year journey. "Having all the experiences of the past three to four years, figuring it all out, and being able to apply it to my senior track season - it kind of all came together."