St. Bede’s Lily Bosnich clears all hurdles along the way

Lily Bosnich is such a dynamic athlete, she could walk away from a sport she’s excelled at and played since the fifth grade and still have a school year worthy of high all-around athletic achievement.

Bosnich gave up basketball this year to focus more on training for track. She did a lot of leg workouts to “get my legs stronger out of the blocks and push harder,” some arm workouts and “a lot of conditioning.”

That decision paid off with a record-breaking season that saw her net state runner-up finishes in both the 110 and 300 meter hurdles in Class 1A.

At the same time, the junior also was a key figure for the St. Bede softball team’s sectional final run, earning Illinois Coaches Association All-State honors.

Along with playing volleyball for the Bruins and for all of her accomplishments this spring, Bosnich is the 2024-25 BCR Female Athlete of the Year.

After watching Bosnich smack a home run to spark the Bruins’ to a 3-2 sectional semifinal win over Sherrard, St. Bede coach Rob Ruppert said Bosnich brings a dynamic that’s unmatched on the softball diamond.

“The kid can do everything, can’t she? She can hit the ball. She can bunt. She can hit for power. She steals bases. She can play defense,” he said. “I think I can put her at any position on the field and she could play it well. It’s an intangible most teams would love to have with a kid with that much athletic ability.”

“Bos” was indeed the spark plug at the top of the order for the Bruins. She led St. Bede with a .472 batting average, seven home runs and 18 steals along with 15 RBIs. She was an ICA Class 2A All-State third-team member and a unanimous Tri-County Conference selection.

However, it was on the track where Bosnich shined most.

The BCR and NewsTribune Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year set not one but two Bureau County and Illinois Valley records. She qualified for the state track and field meet in four events, placing second in the 100 and 300 hurdles. She also competed in the 100 and 200.

She was the BCR Honor Roll leader in all four events, setting Illinois Valley records in the 110 hurdles at 14.43 seconds as well as the 300s at 43.40. She also set the Bureau County record in the 100 (12.49) and made it a sweep atop the Honor Roll in the 200 with a time of 26.27.

“I’m really happy with the (track) season I had,” Bosnich said. “It was very hard for me to give up basketball since I’ve been playing it my whole life, but I realized that it was necessary, and the work I put in during the offseason really paid off.”

When it came to giving up basketball, having played a key role on the Bruins’ state tournament qualifier as a sophomore, Bosnich wasn’t initially sure if she made the right move.

“At first, I wasn’t sure because I would know my decision was the right one or the wrong one after my track season,” she said. “Almost after my first race, I was like, ‘OK, this time is already way better than my time last year. This was the right decision.’ ”

She will stick to that plan to prepare for track and opt out of basketball next year, although she said “the coach (Tom Ptak) has texted me a couple times.”

It’s a good thing that Bosnich is plenty fast because she often found herself running from one sport to another to compete for St. Bede’s softball and track and field teams this spring.

She said her mom keeps multiple calendars at home to keep her organized, especially when you throw in her travel softball season.

“My freshman year was really hard for me to get into a routine, but every year it’s gotten easier and I’ve learned more and more how to manage it. So, it’s really about mentality for me and just going about it with a positive attitude,” she said.

Bosnich will take aim at winning a state title or two in the hurdles next year. Lia Patterson of Tuscola, who beat Bosnich by only .04 seconds in the 100 hurdles and .24 in the 300s, has graduated, leaving Bosnich as the hurdler to beat. Patterson won the 300 hurdles state title three times and the 100 hurdles title twice.

“Hopefully (I can get) first in state, but I know I still have to put a lot of work in to it, especially in the 300s and get my time down in that one. I just want to keep doing my best and making the people around me proud,” she said.

Volleyball is what Bosnich describes as “kind of my fun sport.”

“Whatever I do I put my 100% into it. So I’m working hard in volleyball, doing what I need to do. Volleyball’s kind of a break from all of the chaos for me and just a fun sport,” she added.

No matter the sport she is playing, Bosnich is all in.

“I’m playing travel softball right now, so softball is my favorite. But once track starts, track will be my favorite. So it’s a constant back and forth,” she said.

Bosnich has already received some calls from colleges and would like to run track beyond high school and become an ultra sound tech one day.