Three LHS sophomores competed in the IHSA girls track State Finals on May 19-21.
Haley Becker, who has only competed for two years, participated in high jump. She jumped 5'5" (her season record) and ended up tying for 7th in State. No one was more astounded than Becker herself.
“I did better than what I thought I was going to. I couldn’t be happier with how I did. I just wish I would have gotten 5 feet 6 inches,” Becker said.
Carly Stewart competed in the 800 meter run. To earn her spot at State, she beat the all-time school record for a half mile run at Sectionals. Stewart ran a 2:18.6 at the State preliminary round, which gave her 22nd in State.
“I was happy with my results. My time was four-tenths of a second slower than my best. You can't really ask much more than being the 22nd best in the state of Illinois,” Stewart said.
Julia Smagacz made it to State through her 17'3" long jump, a personal record, at Sectionals. At State, Smagacz jumped a 15'10" to her disappointment. She was, however, happy to have made it to the top 30 in the state.
"The experience of going to State, in and of itself, was my favorite part. Being able to say that I made it to State was awesome," Smagacz said.
The intensity of the competition at State put a lot of pressure on the runners to perform their best. Contrary to what one might think, the runners didn't just compete in their single event and move on quickly. The entire weekend was spent training, preparing and ulitmately competing in each event, which is a strenous process in itself.
"The most challenging part for them is the length of the days. It's a long and tiring process. It's two and a half days, and they can get pretty tired," Head Coach Tom Bizosky said.
All three athletes agreed that the support given from coaches, team mates, friends and family was crucial to their performance at State. Stewart’s teammates even gave her a massive group hug after she crossed the finish line.
“Having that much support behind you gives you a boost that no amount of muscle, strength or endurance can give you,” Stewart said.
Stewart plans to train hard in the off season in the hopes of becoming an All-State runner next year, and Smagacz is aiming to conquer her nerves for another trip to State next season. As for Becker, she’s just focused on getting that extra inch of air.
Photo courtesy of H. Becker