Glenbard West junior adds three more state championships now at 10 titles

 

By Michael Newman

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Charleston, Ill --- The concentrated focus that had covered Glenbard West’s Katelynne Hart’s face for the past two days was replaced by a smile as she crossed the finish line in winning the Class 3A 1600 Meter Run at the IHSA State Track & Field Championships Saturday at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Stadium.

 

“It still has not hit me that I did it,” Hart said an hour after she accomplished her latest challenge.

 

Winning the 3200 Meter Run, 800 Meter Run, and the 1600 Meter Run at the State Meet in Illinois is a unique feat. Kelly Curran of Bloomington Central Catholic achieved this triple in the 1A State Meet in 2010. The Illinois state meet is set up with preliminary races on Thursday and Friday qualify athletes for finals on Saturday. Curran accomplished the triple by advancing to the finals of the 800 Meter Run and 1600 Meter Run on a Thursday, then a day of rest, and then raced on Saturday.

 

Hart  would have to achieve this with her prelim races on Friday afternoon and then come back the next day for her finals.

 

That’s five races in a 24 hour span. Some thought it would be tough, that it would be impossible. But we have seen the impossible come from Hart before.

 

Friday Prelims

The weather was warmer than these runners in Illinois were used to considering the spring track season has been cooler than expected. It was humid with the sun dipping in and out behind clouds with temperatures near 80 degrees. Hart stood on the line before the start of her preliminary heat in the 800 Meter Run not even looking at the stands, looking at her competition. She looked ahead at the blue track knowing she had a job to do.

 

Hart took the first 400-meters of this race out in 64.9 seconds. The pack had thinned out with only Lakes Community’s Olivia Schmitt with her. Schmitt had won the 800 Meter Run race at Distance Night in Palatine in April and was one of the race favorites.

 

Schmitt tried to pass Hart in the final 200-meters twice. First on the curve, then on the home straight. Hart would not allow it. It is seldom that you see this junior let someone have the lead.

 

It was like a battle of cat and mouse. Schmitt would try to make a pass and Hart would make a surge sizing up what she would have to deal with in the finals.

 

Hart won this heat in 2:11.87. Schmitt achieved a personal best of 2:11.84. As soon as the Glenbard junior crossed the finish line, she walked to get her water bottle, then out the gate and back to her team area still focused on what she needed to do.

 

About 90 minutes later, Hart was back on the starting line for her preliminary heat of the 1600 Meter Run. Fans in the stands were anticipating this race as it again pitted two of the race favorites Hart and Katrina Schlenker of Batavia. The freshman had a 4:51 personal best and was thought to be the one roadblock to Hart’s triple. It was thought to be a preview of what we would see on Saturday.

 

In her usual fashion, Hart had the lead after the first 100-meters of the race. Schlenker was right behind as Hart went through the first 400-meters in 69.9 seconds. Schlenker was just a few strides back.

 

Hart pushed the pace on the second lap separating herself from the freshman. Schlenker earlier in the day had helped her team to the finals of the 3200 Meter Relay with a 2:15.5 anchor leg. The effects of that race were starting to show on Schlenker as she dropped four seconds behind Hart’s 2:22 at 800-meters. The pack was closing in on Schlenker.

 

Hart opened up a lead close to nine seconds as the bell rang signifying the final lap of the race. With 200-meters left, she looked around and knew that her task was almost completed. She only needed a 76 second final lap of 76 seconds cross the line with the win (4:53.04). Brooke Stromsland of Lakes Community (4:57.00) and Samantha Poglitsch of Wheaton-Warrenville South (4:57.02) led the rest of the runners across the line. Schlenker faded on the final lap to finish in 5:01.05 missing a spot in the 12 runner final by one place and 13 hundredths of a second.

 

Hart followed with her routine, got her water bottle, and headed to the gate out of the stadium. This time she stopped to talk to Schlenker and console her. Schlenker was in tears. The two runners had roomed together at the Nike Cross Nationals.

 

“She is such an amazing runner and just had a bad race today,” Hart explained. “I just told her to keep her head up and have confidence in herself. This is just the beginning for her.”

 

Hart then left the stadium knowing what was ahead of her the next day.

 

The Saturday Finals

The weather for the finals would not be conducive for fast times for distance runners. Temperatures were climbing into the 80’s with strong southerly winds gusty past 20 mph. This would be a day of competitive racing, not fast times.

 

Hart would not need a time under 10-minutes to win this race. All she needed to do was cross the line first to start her goal.

 

The race was basically over after the 400-meters as Hart passed that point in 72.1 seconds. The rest of the pack was at 78 seconds. Hart passed through 1600-meters in 5:05 and then did what she needed to do to finish in 10:24.33 for her third straight state championship in this event.

 

“I was not really ready for the heat. The conditions at sectionals (and during the season) were cooler,” Hart added. “That race took a little more out of me than I expected.”

 

Stromsland, who won the 2A XC state title in the fall, finished next in 10:45.77 passing Alex Morris of Naperville North in the final 20-meters (10:47.57). Brenna Cohoon of Downers Grove South finished the next pack through finishing fourth (10:52.16).

 

Same routine. Grab the water bottle and out the gate. Her toughest race was ahead.

 

The 800 Meter Run was unknown territory for Hart. She had been stuck on a 2:13 time for the first two high school track seasons. There was an indication that she might try this triple when she ran 2:10 to win at Illinois Top Times in March. She had run 2:11 in her sectional race with only 35 minutes rest after the 3200 Meter Run.

 

The pace was close to the same in the prelims as Hart led the pack through a 65.1 opening 400-meters. She had company as Janae Dean of Hoffman Estates, Schmitt, and Marne Sullivan of New Trier were close at hand.

 

With 200-meters left, Hart still had the lead, but Dean made what was thought to be a definitive move and passed Hart.

 

Hart had been passed. This was a novel concept. It was something that fans had not seen.

 

“I talking to Mrs. Hass (Glenbard West track coach Kelly Hass) and she said a younger me would have freaked out when that happened and sprinted or whatever,” Hart said. “I learned a lot more with Enyaeva (Michelin) last year in the mile and then the race at Foot Locker. I knew that it would be strategic. I knew the last stretch would be windy. I knew I had something left. I had to keep her (Dean) in sight but had to wait to make my move with 50-meters left. The race was special to me. I just ran my own race.”

 

The crowd was on their feet when Hart made that move. Dean was starting to fade but a pack of runners was closing on Hart. She crossed the line, pumped her fist, and mouthed “Yeah”. Hart has hardly showed emotion when finishing a race. For that little fist bump, that race had meant a lot. She finished at 2:13.11. Schmitt was next at 2:13.52. Erin Reidy of Downers Grove South moved from ninth in the final 200-meters to finish third (2:14.13). Hart’s teammate Audrey Allman made a similar surge to place fourth (2:14.11) with Dean finishing fifth (2:14.85).

 

Hart grabbed her water botte with a little smile on her face. Just one race to go.

 

It seemed like a victory lap for the nine-time state champion as she took the lead 20-meters into this 1600 Meter Run. The wind was still strong but that did not seem to matter to Hart. She went out in 69 seconds. The pack let her go concentrating on their own race.

 

At 800-meters to go, Hart’s lead had grown to seven seconds ahead of the pack. When the bell rang for the final lap, the lead was an incredible 11 seconds.

 

Emma Watcke of Hinsdale Central had started to surge away from the pack. In the sectional race, the Hinsdale junior had close Hart’s lead from six seconds to under three at the finish. This margin was too big.

 

Hart approached the finish to a standing ovation. She crossed the line with her a huge smile on her face.

 

She had accomplished the triple and her tenth state championship running 4:52.99. Watcke followed in 5:00.96.

 

Hart went to get her water bottle, then headed to the award podium. She earned this moment. She deserved this moment.

 

“I was so excited,” Hart said looking back at that moment. “I just had a lot of happiness and relief that it happened.”

 

Hart’s bib number for this state meet was “3334”

 

The first three was for the three state cross country championships that she has won.

 

The second three was for the third time that she had won the 3200 Meter Run and 1600 Meter Run at the IHSA State Meet.

 

The third three was for the triple that she accomplished on May 18, 2019.

 

The four? It could be what could be in store as Hart enters her fourth year of high school in 2019-2020 and what challenges she will find to overcome.

 

 

All Photos: ©2019 Laura Duffy