By Bobby Narang
West Aurora High School senior Victoria Spagnola was a household name before she had even stepped on to the track in her freshman season.
Her older sister, Emma, was the most decorated athlete in program history, which put pressure on the younger Spagnola to achieve similar results.
When she was young, Victoria Spagnola witnessed Emma achieve incredible heights at the Class 3A girls State track and field meet at Eastern Illinois. Emma Spagnola won three State championships and netted seven top-three finishes, by winning the long jump, 100 hurdles, and 300 hurdles.
Three years ago, Victoria Spagnola started her high school career with great promise. On Saturday, in a one-day State meet that had two weather delays for a total of nearly five hours, the younger Spagnola added her name to the family’s State-title list.
Victoria Spagnola’s slight lean at the finish line of the 300-meter hurdles handed her the first State title in her career, by clocking a personal best time of 43.98 seconds to edge out Danville senior Hallee Thomas (44.02) in a photo finish.
Spagnola, set to attend the University of Minnesota similar to Emma, notched a third-place medal in the 100 hurdles (14.57) to spark West Aurora to a ninth-place team finish with 22 points.
“I’m glad that I was able to run my race,” Victoria Spagnola said. “I had to go, dig deep, go and get it. I stutter-stepped a couple of hurdles early that almost cost me. I knew (Johnson) as right behind me. It was my last 300 hurdles race.”
• Waubonsie Valley senior Itzel Garcia ran in a slow heat in the 100 meters but turned in a surprise performance by placing second (12.28). After a four-hour weather delay, the Millikin University recruit finished her career under the lights by taking home a fourth-place medal in the 200 (24.87).
“I was really not expecting to do that in the 100,” Garcia said. “I was tired, but I gave it my all because it was my last 100. I thought that was really cool to get fourth. It was also nice to be pushed in the 200. I came in determined to get at least one medal. It was amazing to get two.”
• One day earlier, in Friday’s Class 2A State meet, Rosary senior Annie Molenhouse was among the star performers. She won medals in four events to power the Royals to a third-place trophy in the final team standings. The Royals scored 46 points to notch the program’s first State trophy since placing second in 1985 in Class A.
On a steamy afternoon, Molenhouse managed to finish second in the 300 hurdles (45.92), sixth in the triple jump (10.81 meters) and eighth in the 100 hurdles (15.47). The Oklahoma State University recruit ran the anchor leg of the Royals’ second-place 1,600 relay team that posted a second place time of 4:03.71.
“It was a such a great experience and super exciting to be able to compete at State again,” Molenhouse said. “We all came back so much more motivated to have the opportunity to be back at State. This was a great way to finish my career. I just tried to run hard and overcome the conditions.”
• Sparked by a strong showing from senior Brooke Barkocy, Burlington Central recorded its second-best team finish in program history with a sixth-place trophy (32 points).
Barkocy, a Grand Valley State University recruit, was the second individual State winner in program history after winning the 300 hurdles in a time of 44.69. She added a third-place medal in the 100 hurdles (14.93) and ran a leg of the Rockets’ fourth-place 1,600 relay (4:07.87).
“It was rough and a long process and I just had to keep patient and I’m glad that I was,” Barkocy said. “I had to keep my head up and here we are now…This was amazing. I never thought I would do this well, especially after my last two State (trips).”
• Sandwich junior Claire Allen took second place in the shot put (12.47 meters) Friday.
“I was really happy because I was competing against all seniors, and I thought that everyone has had more experience with State, so they would be throwing further,” Allen said. “But I surprised myself. It motivates me a lot knowing that I beat a bunch of seniors as a sophomore. It showed me that I might be able to come out on top in the following years.”