Trophy caps spectacular Hoffman Estates run

Hoffman Estates’ girls track team is on a roll as it capped a spectacular three-year run with a third-place trophy in Class 3A.

Hoffman has won a total of 33 state medals in girls track. But in the last three years alone senior Precious Ogunleye, junior Emily D’Amico, and junior Haley Goers have combined to win 11 medals — including six last weekend.

Ogunleye finished with four state medals — taking fourth in the shot put and also securing her first state medal in the discus with a third-place finish this season.

Hoffman will miss the power Ogunleye brought to the team, but waiting in the wings is freshman Oginni Banke, who finished 12th in 3A for the shot put.

“I think we reached our potential as a team,” said Ogunleye. “We did everything we said we were going to do.”

Hoffman is hoping to do more next year and can count on the on the short and long game with the return of D’Amico and Goers. They definitely came up big at the 3A meet.

D’Amico proved last weekend she is one of the top sprinters in state with her finishes in the 100 (3rd) and 200 (5th). The junior is in a powerful group of sprinters that will be returning to 3A, led by Lincoln-Way East sophomore sensation Aaliyah Brown, who won the 100 and 200.

“I’ve pushed myself really hard this season and it feels really good,” added D’Amico who now has a total of four state medals.

Goers has three track state medals and two cross country state medals. The junior was a force in the 3,200 (fourth) and 1,600 (fifth) and had the top mark in Friday’s prelims for the 1,600 (4:58.43).

The three Hoffman stars have definitely set the tone the past three seasons in helping the Hawks to three consecutive second-place finishes in the Mid-Suburban League, three sectional titles and now a state trophy.

“It’s a great accomplishment and the kids are really excited,” said Hoffman coach Dan Andersen of only the ninth state sports trophy in school history. “A lot of people say you can’t win at Hoffman, but I think we proved them wrong.”

End of a special run at Schaumburg: Saturday brought the conclusion to a very special run at Schaumburg. Coach Jon Macnider was stepping down after leading the girls cross country program for 31 years and the girls track program the past two.

Macnider led the Saxons to three state cross country titles, including the final one last fall, and the girls track team also set school records in nine events the past two seasons.

It also marked the end of the line for seniors Karen Lesiewicz, Britten Petrey and Colette Falsey. The three combined to win 13 state medals the past three seasons in cross country and track, including the 3,200 relay title in 2009 and the 2010 Class 3A state cross country title.

Lesiewicz added a state title in the 1,600 in 2009, and had the top mark in 3A for the 1,600 (4:57.30) this season, but a left foot injury wiped out the Notre Dame-bound senior’s postseason.

“It’s been a great ride,” added Lesiewicz of the three-year run. “We’ve had our successes and our failures, but I never had better friends than these girls on the team.”

“I think our victories made our setbacks mean that much more,” added Falsey.

Petrey ended the ride by helping the Saxons secure sixth place in the meet-ending 1,600 relay on Saturday.

“We clicked,” said Petrey of the Saxons’ trio. “We left a legacy and that is what we came to do.”

And the three helped put an exclamation point on the Hall-of-Fame career for Macnider.

“So many great kids throughout the years and to end with the cream of the crop, it’s been special,” said Macnider, “I never dreamed this could happen, I’m still wondering what I’m going to be when I grow up.”

Palatine seniors also cap a special run: Senior Sarah McIntosh’s 1,600 title run on Saturday put the finishing touches on a spectacular run for the Palatine distance crew.

McIntosh, Courtney Brown, and Becca Sund combined to lead the Pirates to a cross country state title in 2009 and a second-place finish in 2010.

McIntosh and Sund helped lead Palatine to its seventh consecutive medal in the 3,200 relay last Saturday with a third-place finish.

The three combined to win 12 state medals in cross country and track the past four years.

“It’s a great way to end our senior year,” said Sund, who was a member of the 3,200 relay all four years.

McIntosh had seen her share of ups and downs. As a sophomore she took fourth in Class 3A in cross country. This year the senior had to deal with a painful heel injury during cross country, but she closed it out in top form this spring with a state title in the 1,600, a race she controlled from start to finish.

“I can’t believe this,” said McIntosh, who won four state track medals in her career. “This was the best thing ever; I just wanted to finish strong in my last race.”

Gorden finishes on high note: Sarah Gorden didn’t start seriously running the 100 high hurdles until her junior year. She had been a force in the 300 lows since her freshman year.

So it was a bit surprising when the DePaul-bound senior won the 100 high hurdles 3A title.

“It started at sectionals when I ran a completely different 100 high hurdle race,” said Gorden, who finished second in the 300 low hurdles. “My form definitely improved, but I was still surprised.”

Gastfield secures first track medal: Rolling Meadows senior Christina Gastfield had made her mark in cross country by finishing in the top 10 in Class 3A for three consecutive years, including a second-place finish in 2009.

The New Mexico State-bound senior capped a spectacular career by winning her first track medal — finishing third in the 3,200 in 3A Saturday.

“I came for one (first place), but three is good,” said Gastfield, who set a school record in the 3,200 with a 10:47.84. “That was my biggest goal, I’ve tried for three years and I finally got it.”

Other Bits and Pieces from State: The wow moment of the state meet came when Woodstock senior Kayla Beattie won the 2A 3,200 (9:56.96) and followed it up by winning the 1,600 (4:43.65). Both were state records previously held by Peoria Bergan’s Suzzie Tuffey set in 1984.

Beattie became the first Illinois runner to dip under the 10-minute mark in the 3,200, hitting the second-fastest time in the country this season and the fifth-fastest time ever in the event. Beattie, who set a state-record time in winning the 2A cross country title in the fall with a 16:22, completed the distance trifecta in style on Saturday.

“It was definitely a good day,” said Beattie, “I came into the state meet only thinking about the times and if I hit those times a win should come.”

Breese Central senior Jena Hemann and Carlinville senior Kelsey Card also had pretty special days in 1A.

Hemann won 10 state titles in her career and became only the second athlete since Morgan Park’s Alexandria Anderson to win four state titles in consecutive years.

“I started off good and I ended up good,” said Hemann, who won the long jump, triple jump, high jump, and 100 for the second straight year. “It shocked me. I never thought this would happen when I started as a freshman. It really means a lot to me.”

Card became the first thrower in state to win the shot put and discus four straight years.