Life in the fast lane, with Melissa Lewis

Melissa Lewis is in hot pursuit of a specific number, and it includes a decimal point.

It has nothing to do with the 100-meter high hurdles, however, nor the 1,600 relay.

Lewis, Lakes' super athletic sophomore, is going all-out for a 3.5.

It drives her, so to speak.

"I got to keep a 3.5 (grade-point average)," she said.

Why?

"To keep my (driver's) license," explained the 16-year-old, who pocketed it over Spring Break.

Mom and Dad said so, so that's the rule.

Fortunately for Lewis, she posts good numbers not only on the track but in the classroom, too. She earned a 3.8 GPA last semester and takes Honors classes.

This spring she and Ariel Butzine helped lead the Eagles to the North Suburban Prairie Division championship and tie-for-second finishes at conference and sectional.

With she and a handful of her track teammates set to travel to downstate Charleston on Thursday for this weekend's state meet, Lewis took time after school Wednesday to take an Algebra II test.

She was semi-confident she did well.

"We'll see," she said with a slight shrug and soft smile.

Her next test on the track comes today in Charleston. At last Friday's Class AA Grayslake North sectional, she earned state berths in three events -- the 100 hurdles, high jump and 1,600 relay.

She nearly qualified in the 300 hurdles, too, clocking a time of 47.01 in finishing third. Nemesis and friend Erin Schoenfelder of Antioch ran 46.9 and earned an automatic state berth by virtue of her runner-up effort.

The state cut was 46.94 -- meaning Lewis missed the state cut by a long Melissa Lewis eyelash.

"It was a good night," said Lewis, who ran the high hurdles at state last year. "I'm glad I made it in three (events)."

Lewis successfully defended her sectional title in the 100 hurdles, but she barely advanced out of prelims.

She was leading her heat, but got caught and finished second. Which meant she had to sweat it out to see if her time was fast enough to move on.

"There was someone up on her tail," Lakes coach Tami Ribbens said. "And when she feels that someone is on her tail, she has this thing where she needs to look at them, and then she just kind of shuts down."

True, Lewis acknowledged.

"I just got psyched out," she said.

Not qualifying for the finals of the 100 hurdles potentially could have demoralized Lewis. That's her, unfortunately.

While she's undeniably strong -- with athletic legs and arms -- and despite being talented and athletic enough to be a varsity cheerleader and gymnast, she can sometimes lack confidence.

"Very nice girl," Ribbens said of the 5-foot-3 Lewis, who, technically, is the youngest of three children of John and Debbie, as her twin Matt is 20 minutes older.

"Once she gets her head in the game, she is unstoppable," Ribbens continued. "But it's the under-level classman type of mentality sometimes -- she's unsure about herself, even though she's great at everything that she does."

Take last year. Lewis could never beat the speedy Schoenfelder. Then she did -- at sectional, no less.

Lewis' up-and-down confidence soared.

"Like one little race can mess up my whole season," Lewis said.

"If I would have not made it in the 100 hurdles (last Friday), it probably would have ruined my night -- because that's my favorite race."

Added Ribbens: "We were like, 'Great, her day's going to be shot.' "

Not so.

After winning the 100 hurdles, securing a state berth in the high jump and nearly qualifying for state in the 300 hurdles, Lewis subbed for Kecia Morway (soccer commitment) on the 1,600 relay. On paper, the event realistically could have been won by no fewer than six teams.

Lakes finished first with Shanna Hertz, Tatianna Forney, Lewis and anchor-leg Butzine. They ran 4:06.35, the Eagles' fastest time in the event this season. It was only the second time all season Lewis sprinted 400 meters in a race.

She had extra incentive to run fast after Nicki Mede -- "her teammate that she's been working with all year," Ribbens said -- missed by less than a half second of qualifying for state in the 100 hurdles.

Mede would be an alternate on the 1,600 relay at state -- if it qualified.

"She was like, 'I've got to get this team downstate so Nicki can go down to state with us,' " Ribbens said of Lewis. "That was a lot of the driving force with the 4 by 4 (relay) with her."

"I just love Nicki," Lewis said. "I wanted to have her come down with us."

With her math test done, Lewis is focused on other numbers. She's aiming simply for career-best marks this weekend.

Her confidence is high, so who knows what will happen.

"She's got natural athletic ability," Ribbens said. "She can do flip-flops one after the other down the basketball court. Nothing fazes her.

"I think next year she wants to try pole vault."

The Eagle would probably soar in that endeavor, too.