Girls Track and Field: Hinsdale Central’s Catie McCabe takes second at IHSA state championship

CHARLESTON – Hinsdale Central senior Catie McCabe wanted to send a message to her fellow competitors at the two-day Class 3A state track and field finals.

But first, McCabe made a point to send several messages to herself.

McCabe scribbled several inspirational messages on both of her arms and forearms to motivate herself for the state meet.

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“My favorite [saying] is ‘Take a risk,’ ” McCabe said of her handwritten messages. “That’s one of the main ones. I did the same thing last year, but this year I went bigger and [my messages] were more noticeable.”

Her performance on the track mirrored her eye-catching messages.

McCabe wrote one more chapter in her family’s athletic legacy with a second-place clocking in the 1,600 at 4 minutes, 53.32 seconds. And she almost won the state title. Hersey senior Anna Harden made a strong push in the final 15 meters to win the event in a personal-record time of 4:53.14.

“The 1,600 was really exciting because I knew it was going to be a tough race after seeing all the times from Friday,” McCabe said. “I was really happy with the way it played out. I wanted to be in the front of the pack. I had a bit of a rough start, so it didn’t play out exactly the way I wanted in the beginning, but it came out nicely after the first 800. That definitely helped.”

Huntley cruised to the team title in 3A with 62.5 points. Hinsdale Central managed to collect 24 points for a 10th-place finish.

Led by McCabe in the final leg, Hinsdale Central notched second place in the 4x400 relay (3:56.75). Elyssa Chandler, Lily Hodneland, Sarah Skora and McCabe all ran great splits in the relay.

“I was really nervous for the relay, but after watching our first three girls come in, I knew we would be in a good position,” McCabe said. “I knew to keep my eyes on Prospect.”

In the 3A 300 hurdles, Hinsdale Central senior Elyssa Chandler earned a sixth-place medal in a time of 45.53.

Downers Grove North nabbed third place in the 4x800 relay and added a fifth-place showing in the 4x100 relay in a time of 48.55.

Glenbard South senior Gianna Huerta almost closed out her career with a stunning finish Saturday afternoon.

The Western Kentucky signee went into the Class 2A state finals aiming to win the 300-meter hurdles.

But she had one big hurdle in her way – defending state champion Emmi Scales of St. Viator. The Kentucky recruit was an odds-on favorite after winning both hurdle events at state last spring.

Huerta relied on a strong opening 150 meters to put herself into second place for the first two-thirds of the race before finishing in third place, blazing a personal-record time of 43.76 to earn her highest state medal. Lindblom senior Kennedy Ross passed Huerta in the final 30 meters to take second in a time of 43.63. The top four placers all recorded PRs.

“I just tried to push hard but she had me that last half, just like last year,” Huerta said. “The same thing happened last year. I was thinking I could catch up with [Scales]. I stutter-stepped too much. I had to be more confident in my steps.”

York senior Bria Bennis just missed a top-two placing, running a personal-record time of 10:24.08 for third place in the 3,200. York junior Katherine Klimek took eighth.

Glenbard West freshman Mackenzie Gilbert had a big day with an eighth-place medal in the 800 in a time of 2:17.65.

Also in 2A, Nazareth senior Colette Kinsella turned in a memorable showing on the blue track by snagging a fifth-place medal in the challenging 3,200 (10:51.62). She notched a PR in a race that was dominated by Richland County senior Tatum David.

After her race, Kinsella sported an ear-to-ear smile. A month ago, the Vanderbilt cross country/track signee had never run a competitive outdoor 3,200.

“It was so much fun,” Kinsella said. “It was definitely a competitive and super fun race. The wind on the backside was tough. This is my first year in track. I’ve only done the two-mile three or four times before, so I decided to pursue it this year. It was definitely fun. I never saw myself doing track in my senior year. When I made the decision, I knew it was right. I started to get the hang of it during indoor season.”

Benet junior Louisa Diamond earned her highest career placing with a third-place medal in the 3,200 (10:38.37) and notched a sixth-place finish in the 1,600 (5:08.48).

“I’m excited because I had a good high school,” Diamond said. “I just tried to run my hardest and it was a lot of good competition. My coaches really helped me a lot and were very supportive.”

Timothy Christian freshman Elizabeth Alex showcased her vast potential with a sixth-place effort in the Class 1A high jump (1.55).