Hoffman Estates makes a statement
CHARLESTON — Hoffman Estates was aiming to join the state’s elite programs this year.
Consider it a mission accomplished.
Senior Precious Ogunleye, junior Emily D’Amico and junior Haley Goers lifted Hoffman Estates’ attack by combining to win six medals, and in the process the trio raised the Hawks to new heights as the sun broke through late in the day at Eastern Illinois’ O’Brien Stadium.
Hoffman Estates won its first girl track team trophy, securing third place in Class 3A with 36 points. East St. Louis won its 15th state title with 46 points.
Sophomore Aaliyah Brown won the 100, 200, and also anchored the 400 relay to first place in leading Lincoln-Way East to second place with 37 points, nipping the Hawks by 1 point. Brown led the Griffins to third place in the meet-ending 1,600 relay, which proved to be the deciding point.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Hoffman Estates’ coach Dan Andersen of the Hawks’ascent. “All season long we’ve been talking about coming down and winning a trophy. We stayed committed to that and it worked out.”
Senior Precious Ogunleye started things off by securing fourth place in the shot put (42-4.5). She tacked on a third-place finish in the discus (136-1).
Ogunleye entered Saturday’s finals in fifth place in the shot put, but the Central Florida-bound senior came through on her final throw in the finals to move into fourth place.
That 1 point proved to be huge as the Hawks were able to edge Homewood-Flossmoor, which finished fourth with 35 points.
“It just shows that every place counts,” said Ogunleye, who finished her career with 4 state medals, including 3 in the shot put. “We’ve been underdogs all year and it just shows what hard work does. We have a great team and family-type atmosphere.”
D’Amico kept the good vibes rolling for the Hawks, showing she is one of the elite sprinters in state by taking third in the 100 (11.69) and fifth in the 200 (24.91).
D’Amico shadowed Brown the whole way in the 100 and didn’t back down in the 200, either.
“Coming in we all knew we had to do really great things to secure the trophy,” said D’Amico, who did her part with two school records. “We just really wanted to represent our team and our school, and we did. We really just did what we’ve been doing all season and it came together.”
Goers was the final piece of the puzzle. She took fourth in the 3,200 (10:53.08) and fifth in the 1,600 (5:04.11) in the grueling distance double.
The junior took the lead briefly midway through the 3,200, and then came back to gut out an impressive time in the 1,600.
“It’s very exciting,” said Goers of the Hawks’ trophy run. “We all did what we were supposed to do and we all worked really hard. In the mile I gave it all I could and the last 200 meters I left everything on the track.”
“They took care of business,” Andersen said. “We did what we wanted to do.”
The only question remaining is if Andersen is satisfied. He’d earlier mentioned he wouldn’t be satisfied until he won a state championship.
The Hawks’ third-place finish may placate Andersen — for awhile.
“I want a state championship, but I’ll take a trophy to start,” he said.