Kaneland's Gierke stepping out of the shadows
Lindsay Gierke was determined not to leave Charleston empty handed for a second straight year.
The Kaneland sprinter and hurdler qualified for the Class AA girls state track and field finals with three head-turning performances at the Ottawa sectional to duplicate her same feat as a freshman.
Advancing out of the preliminaries had been elusive, however, as Gierke lined up in the blocks for the 300-meter hurdles, one of most mentally and physically demanding events in the sport.
"I was thinking about getting to finals and not being worried about how tired I was," Gierke said. "When I ran my 100 (dash preliminary) and didn't do so well, I wanted to run my hardest in the 300s. I ran a really good time."
Egle Staisiunaite would become the eventual state champion in the event, but Gierke was right behind the Downers Grove South speedster to gain entry to the finals as well as an at-large qualifier.
Gierke broke through the following day, adding to the extraordinary richness of the sophomore class in girls track and field that is ready for even greater success this season.
As the outdoor season commences, Gierke is poised to prove her sixth-place finish in the hurdles event was no fluke.
The Kaneland junior is ready to add her name to the burgeoning legends on the local girls track and field scene who have attracted so much attention.
Natalie Tarter and Shakeia Pinnick dominated the headlines last season, leading their respective schools, Batavia and Waubonsie Valley, to new heights as well as combining for six top-five finishes at the state meet.
The nascent Western Sun Conference has already left an impression with its galaxy of young talent, and Gierke is a major reason.
"Unfortunately, (Gierke) is in the same conference as Natalie Tarter," said Glenbard South coach Mark Tacchi. "It's easy to see how the Gierkes and the O'Briens (Glenbard South two-time all-state 400 runner Libby) get overshadowed to an extent by the Pinnicks and the Tarters. (Gierke) is right there with the best of them. If we were to put together an (all-Western Sun) Conference team, we could compete with any (other league) in the state."
"It's nice for our girls to go out there and get pushed and see what it's like to see a Tarter, a Gierke, an O'Brien -- you know those girls are going to bring it," Geneva coach Peter Raak said. "From the way I see (Gierke), she is a true competitor. It seems as though she truly enjoys track and field."
Gierke is taking a cue from Tarter as she continues her unrelenting training regimen in preparation for another multiple-state-qualifying season.
The Knights' standout, who holds the school record in four events, plans to run all of them -- the 100 dash, 100 hurdles, 200 meters and 300 hurdles -- this season.
"I'm going to do all four this year," Gierke said. "If you're in shape, it's not the worst (combination of events)."
In a sport where competition is critical to maximizing performance, Gierke is the first to admit the ever-looming presence of Tarter, the Batavia wunderkind who was second in the 100 hurdles, third in the 300 hurdles and fourth in the 100 dash last spring in Charleston, cannot be ignored.
"She is really good, obviously," Gierke said. "It's a good thing we do the same events. She is my main competitor right now."
"I think we all work together and help each get better," Tarter said of Gierke. "When you have a race with a lot of good girls, it's fun to watch."
The road back to Eastern Illinois' O'Brien Stadium began last summer for Gierke, and it involved a painful decision.
Gierke went to an intensive camp at the University of Wisconsin, where the emphasis was on hurdles, and elected to forgo a third consecutive season on the Knights' varsity basketball team to concentrate exclusively on track and field.
"It was pretty hard (skipping basketball)," Gierke said. "I had played my whole life."
The first test for Gierke this season comes this weekend at the unofficial indoor state championship -- the Prep Top Times -- at Illinois Wesleyan University.
Gierke qualified for the two 55-meter events -- the dash and hurdles -- and the first of many epic showdowns with Tarter could commence in the hurdles race.
It is only a preview of what is to come this spring when the emphasis moves outdoors.
"I really didn't know what I was doing," Gierke said of her first introduction to hurdles during a camp as a fourth-grader.
Times have certainly changed over the last seven years.
"I have been getting letters (from prospective college programs), but I am going to see how I do at state this year to see what kind of offers I can get," Gierke said.
Tarter, Gierke and St. Charles East's Lizzy Hynes are the three all-state performers and the heart and soul of the junior-rich girls track and field ensemble.
Tarter, orally committed to Wisconsin, has designs on the gold in the 100 hurdles, where she was runner-up to future collegiate teammate Egle Staisiunaite of Downers South last spring.
"I really like running the 100 (dash) and 100 hurdles back to back," said Tarter, who was fourth in the 100 meters. "The 100 hurdles is so much about technique."
The Bulldogs' supremacy in Kane County will be tested, but the squad has three brilliant performers in Melissa Norville, Kathryn Warner and Alexis Sampson to complement the incomparable Tarter. If coach Chad Hillman elects to combine the four in the Bulldogs' mile relay, a state title is reachable in the event.
The budding rivalry between St. Charles East's Hynes, third and second, respectively in the mile the last two years at state, and Steph Strasser, third at 3,200 last year, figures to be a central storyline this year.
The stakes were raised when St. Charles East coach Jim Little announced that Hynes would be showcased in both the 1,600 and 3,200 meters this spring. Strasser is primed to do both events as well. Whether the gifted runners will do both races in the state series remains to be seen.
St. Charles East was impressive during its Upstate Eight indoor conference championship, and the Saints' Maya Rittmanic could very well emerge as a major player on the local scene.
"If the indoor conference is any indication, we should do pretty well," Little said.
Geneva and West Aurora made tremendous inroads, and the schools' influx of freshman talent were unveiled in the respective league indoor races. Geneva captured the Western Sun, and the Vikings will be interested to see how their Class 3A cross country state championship lineup of almost all freshmen can translate on the track.
Geneva also showcased depth and excellence in the field in the indoor season.
"We're definitely looking to open some eyes with our field-event girls this year," coach Peter Raak said. "That's a component that has been missing in recent years."
The Blackhawks, on the other hand, have mined a sprinter-rich group of talented underclassmen. West Aurora had its highest indoor finish -- third -- since joining the DuPage Valley a decade ago.
"It's going to be a challenge to figure where best to use (the newcomers)," West Aurora coach Teresa Towles said. "I think we should have a pretty strong season this year."
The controversial multiplier has elevated Aurora Central to Class AA status this spring.
"Here's the positive side -- we've always run a AA schedule with the idea that we had nothing to lose," coach Troy Kerber said. "It will help us get to a higher level. There's no margin for error with our top athletes (to qualify for state)."
Aurora Christian followed its runner-up Class A team performance from two years ago with a three-way tie for seventh last spring.
"We'd be tinkled pink to crack the top 10 at state this year," Aurora Christian coach Dr. Jeff Schuett said. "I'm not sure if we're going to have the points to get into the top 10."
Mary Beth Nolan/mnolan@dailyherald.com
Natalie Tarter runs the 55-meter during the indoor season at the Western Sun Conference meet at Glenbard South.
Mary Beth Nolan/mnolan@dailyherald.com
Alli Pace is one of Geneva's top athletes in the sprints and pole vault.
Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com
St. Charles East's Lizzy Hynes is coming off a third place finish in the 1,600 at last year's state meet in Charleston.