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Girls track and field: Thrilling wins for Palatine's O'Brien, St. Viator's Drab

CHARLESTON - Palatine senior Kelly O'Brien has experienced highs and lows in running.

Entering this weekend, O'Brien had accumulated six combined state medals in both cross country and track.

But last fall, O'Brien sunk to a low, finishing last at 217th in the Class 3A state cross country meet. Then on Saturday in the Class 3A state track meet at Eastern Illinois' O'Brien Stadium, the Pirates senior rose to the highest of highs.

O'Brien passed Hinsdale Central senior Anne Zaher with 50 meters remaining to secure a state title in the 1,600 run, crossing the finish line in 4:56.37.

"Last to first place … I'm so excited," a beaming O'Brien said. "I didn't even realize what I was doing until it happened."

St. Viator junior Elizabeth Drab also dropped a few jaws this weekend. The Lions junior emerged from the shadows to earn the Class 2A fourth-place medal in the 100 (12.32) and third-place medal in the 200 (24.80), before putting a stamp on a fantastic weekend by winning the 400 (55.10).

Drab came from behind in the final 50 meters of the 400.

"It hasn't sunk in yet," Drab said after securing the first state girls track title for St. Viator. "I didn't take anything for granted at the end. They were all fast."

Lincoln-Way East stormed to its fourth consecutive Class 3A title with 83 points, with Alton taking second with 37 points. Hinsdale Central and Oswego East tied for third place with 30 points each.

O'Brien started her day by combining with senior Sam Lechowicz, junior Anna Buckstaff and junior Nadya Lloyd in pushing the Pirates to seventh place in the 3,200 relay (9:20.11).

O'Brien then stayed in control for the first two laps of the 1,600 run. O'Brien made a surge late in the second lap, but Zaher took the lead with one lap remaining.

O'Brien didn't panic, reeling in the Hinsdale Central senior with 50 meters remaining and staying in the lead.

"Just from her experience in the fall, she has learned so much," Palatine coach Joe Parks said. "It speaks a lot about her character and all the hard work she has put in. Once the confidence came back, it just drove her."

And it drove her right to the top of the podium.

"I means a lot," O'Brien said.

Drab didn't quite have the state resume that O'Brien had, but it didn't matter.

Drab was a state qualifier in the 400 last season. She dropped a second off her personal-best mark in the 400 in an early-season indoor meet and has never looked back, adding the 100 and 200 to her resume.

Meghan Carroll earned three state Class 2A medals for St. Viator in 2014.

"I'm not surprised. I worked really hard," Drab said of her 3-medal day. "I had to really push for it, and I'm happy to get the times that I got."

Prospect has been know for its distance events, earning 12 state medals in the 3,200 relay. On Saturday the Knights showed they have some speed.

Sophomore Annie Walsh, freshman Samantha Berman, senior Jes Skudlarek and senior Maya Mason powered Prospect to a second-place finish in the 400 relay (48.40). Mason anchored the attack and held off a hard-charging field to secure the Knights' highest state finish in the 400 relay. In 1998, Prospect finished fifth in the 400 relay.

"It feels amazing," Skudlarek said. "When we started to see the time earlier this season, we knew we needed to go to finals. Our goal was just to stay calm and relaxed and make our handoffs."

Mason also flashed her speed in taking eighth in the 100 low hurdles (14.71).

"It really feels great that I could back in my senior year and get two state medals," Mason said. "It was really exciting."

Prospect junior Brooke Wilson took fifth in the 3,200 (10:43.87). The junior worked her way from the back to secure her place.

"It was just a matter of how uncomfortable I was willing to get," Wilson said of her late surge. "I just wanted to push it."

Schaumburg finished sixth in the 3,200 relay last year. The Saxons rose to a higher level on Saturday.

Sophomores Lauren Kubinski, Madison Marasco and Racheal Vaccaro and junior Valerie Schackleton powered Schaumburg to a second-place finish in the 3,200 relay (9:11.77).

The Saxons hung tough the entire race before a late surge by Hinsdale Central.

"Getting on the podium was our main goal," Marasco said. "Sure, we would have liked first, but we are happy with second."

"I'm very proud of our performance," Kubinski said of the relay that shaved 10 seconds off its best time during the regular season. "We came a long way."

Senior Sara Kate Capel, sophomore Eleni Filley, senior Carley Horak and junior Kelsey McLaurin powered Barrington to sixth place in the 800 relay (1:43.36).

"It was a great way to finish," said Capel, who has run on the 800 relay since her freshman year. "It definitely feels like I have come full circle."

Sophomore Jocelyn Long also came up big for the Fillies, securing a seventh-place finish in the 3,200 (10:51.18). She came from the back pack to secure her state medal.

"I knew if I wanted a medal, I needed to push," Long said.

Fremd senior Nora Finegan took ninth in the 800 (2:15.48). She then came back to combine with senior Megan Benka, junior Cara Ogilvy and freshman Emma Schultz to secure sixth place in the 1,600 relay (4:00.99).

"We definitely gained more confidence throughout the season," Finegan said. "We've been building this relay all season."

Hoffman Estates senior Meagan Biddle capped her season by taking fourth in the 1,600 (5:00.11).

"It was really exciting to finish my senior season with a medal," Biddle said of her second state track medal. "I knew I had to stick with closing hard."

Wheeling freshman Alexis Knight capped a big debut season by taking seventh in the 400 (58.41). Wildcats junior Timber Terrell finished eighth in the triple jump (37-9.5). She came back from a groin injury to secure her state medal.

"The injury definitely affected my performance during the season," said Terrell. "But it was nice to finish on the podium."

Christian Liberty Academy junior Isabella Wolke continued to impress in Class 1A, taking fifth in the 3,200 (11:21.07) and sixth in the 1,600 (5:16.49).

"I really had to stay mentally focused," Wolke said. "The goal for today was to get two medals."

Images: Saturday at the State Final Meet in Girls Track & Field

  St. Viator's Elizabeth Drab pumps her fist after winning the Class 2A 400-meter dash during the girls track and field finals in Charleston on Saturday. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
  Prospect's Maya Mason crosses the finish line in the Class 3A 4x100-meter relay during the girls track and field finals in Charleston on Saturday. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
  Elizabeth Drab of St. Viator crosses the finish line in the Class 2A 100-meter dash during the girls track and field finals in Charleston on Saturday. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
  Fremd's Nora Finegan has the lead halfway through the Class 3A 800-meter run during the girls track and field finals in Charleston on Saturday. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
  Barrington's Carly Horak takes the baton from teammate Eleni Filley in the Class 3A 4x200-meter relay during the girls track and field finals in Charleston on Saturday. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
  St. Viator's Elizabeth Drab wins the Class 2A 400-meter dash during the girls track and field finals in Charleston on Saturday. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
  Palatine's Kelly O'Brien savors the moment after winning the Class 3A 1,600-meter run during the girls track and field state finals in Charleston on Saturday. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
  Palatine's Kelly O'Brien heads for victory in the Class 3A 1,600-meter run during the girls track and field state finals in Charleston on Saturday. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
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