Some of Conant's champions paraded around the home track Monday afternoon during a junior high meet at the school.
Orchestrated by Cougars coach Bob Borczak, the intention was to celebrate his athletes. But he also used the event to recruit new girls to the program, which loses senior standouts Toni Graham, Brianna Millar, Destiny Arps and Emily Quinones.
"I had my girls come out wearing the medals, showing off a little bit," said Borczak. "We're hoping to spark some interest."
Two days before, the senior foursome won the 4x200-meter relay at Charleston's O'Brien Stadium in a program-record time of 1:38.96. They captured Conant's first running title after Cougars previously had won three field championships, most recently by Stephanie Benight in the discus in 2002 .
"It's going to be tough to reload," said the coach. "It's like having a machine gun and going to a BB gun. It's going to take some building."
For now, though, Borczak is enjoying the moment. So are Graham, Arps, Quinones and Millar.
"I was laughing and crying at the same time," Millar said. "I've never been that happy. I don't know how to explain it, but it's better than I expected."
As Arps, the third leg, sprinted toward Graham, Millar knew the trophy was the Cougars to take home.
"I started getting happy then," Millar said. "Toni just exploded; she was gone."
Conant, which took fourth as a team last year, finished tied for third with 34 points to capture the Cougars' first girls track trophy. East St. Louis, which ran the fastest 4x100 time (46.23) in state history to edge out the second-place Cougars (school-record 46.47), earned the team championship with 65 points.
"We all wanted it so badly, especially after coming in second in the 4x100," Millar said. "We all wanted a gold medal the last time running together."
Graham capped her four-year prep career with second-place finishes in her two individual events. The Alabama-bound speedster finished the 100 in 12.06 and the 200 in 24.32. Graham, second to East St. Louis' Ronecia Nash in both, leaves Conant as the record-holder in each.
"It's very satisfying as a coach for all those kids to get what they got," Borczak said. "For Toni, who's been our best, it's especially nice."
While Graham will continue running in college, Millar, whom Borczak called the glue of the relay teams, doubts she will pursue the sport past high school. But her legacy will live on at Conant. Millar's younger sister, freshman Jamie, plans to remain on the track team next spring instead of playing softball.
"I'm pretty sure she's running track," Millar said. "She said she's going to start lifting and practicing."
One recruit down.
HAWKS ON HIGH: Altrese Hawkins saved her best for last.
The Hoffman Estates senior finished seventh at State in the long jump with a career-record leap of 18-feet-1.5.
After a disappointing mark at sectionals, Hawkins went to Charleston with an underdog mentality.
"I felt like I had something to prove," she said. "I had to show I deserved to be with the best competition."
Teammate Ashley Chervinko tied her own HE record in the shot put with a toss of 40-10.5 to end up ninth. The senior narrowly missed out on the finals in discus.
Hawkins also ran on the team's qualifying 4x100 and 4x200 relays with Cindy Allen, Katie D'Amico and Jada Stotts. While the Hawks didn't advance to Saturday, their preliminary times of 49.52 and 1:44.67 broke program records.
FINAL LAPS: Schaumburg freshman Karen Lesiewicz took 10th in the 800 (2:16.34). She and her 4x800 teammates missed out on the finals. ... Elk Grove's Gina Erbacci, the school's lone representative at State, finished 22nd in the 3200 (11:28.15). ... HE's Sarah Ahn placed 28th in the 3200 (11:33.71).
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