Do the math: IMSA's Farrell a rare find

Illinois Math & Science Academy track coach Robb Gill looks at his sophomore standout, Amber Farrell, and sees a special talent.

"She's the kind of kid (athletically) we see here once every five years or so," Gill told me last week as he prepared his team for the IHSA Class 2A Glenbard South Sectional.

"She came from a track background, has run summer track and is already one of the top five girls of all-time here at IMSA as far as track. She's also a very good student, just a multi-talented kid."

High praise for the sprinter/hurdler. Especially when you consider, age-wise, she's really a freshman. She was bumped up a grade coming out of eighth grade after being accepted at IMSA.

"Of the 600-800 kids who apply here each year, we take a class of 240-270," said Gill, who has coached at the school for 16 years.

"Of that group, as many as 20 percent might come from eighth grade."

In middle school in Bolingbrook Farrell said she took some advanced classes at the high school, so her mom, Celia, suggested applying for IMSA.

Making the transition, she said, hasn't been bad.

"It's not like going away to a boarding school," she said. "I'm able to go home almost every weekend."

Family includes her dad, Richard, and twin sister, Angel, a freshman who ran on varsity this spring at Waubonsie Valley.

Amber Farrell lived up to the hype last weekend, qualifying for state in three events. She won the 100 high hurdles in 15.39 seconds and the 200-meter dash in 26.62 and was second in the 400 in 58.96.

Among 2A qualifiers, her sectional times rank sixth in the 400, seventh in the 100 highs and 14th in the 200.

"I usually don't look at the ratings, I just run," the softspoken Farrell said before the meet. "I'm hoping to get some (season) best times at sectional, especially in the hurdles. I usually just try to do a little bit better than what I did before."

As for any sibling rivalry, she said, "We run different races, so it's not much of a rivalry. We're just pushing each other."

Both ran last summer with the Aurora Flyers.

"I didn't know how the 2A would be," said Gill. "But it was pretty much like Class A was under the old system, judging by the times."

He had Farrell withdraw her entry from the 800, deciding it would be too difficult a double since it was separated by the 400 by just one event.

"A time of 2:29 won (the 800 at Glenbard South) and second was 2:31," said Gill. "Amber has run 2:22 this season. I kept thinking back to last years (AA) sectional with Waubonsie Valley when there were seven girls who ran 2:20 or better."

He thinks she's capable of running the qualifying time in the 100, too, but thinks kids should run the events they like best.

"If everything goes right (in Charleston this weekend), she should be in the top five in the 100 hurdles and 400," said Gill.

And the Titans' program will continue to benefit for two more years.

"She's a Division I (track) talent," said the coach.

"To be a sprinter on this team you've got to be pretty dang good," said Waubonsie Valley coach Jim Braun, who had senior standout Shakeia Pinnick anchor both his 800 and 1,600 relays at sectional. She also qualified in both hurdles events.

Braun may tweak the lineups in his three qualifying relays even more this week in an effort to "maximize (team) points."

Look for freshman Morlake Akinosun to scratch from the 200-meters and run on the 1,600 relay, which could boost the unit into Saturday's finals.

• Senior Emily Kilacky, who leads off the Warriors' 1,600 relay, is in her first year of running track.

"She's a figure skater who decided to come out," said Braun, who was happy to have her on the team.

"She's one of the toughest kids we have. It's why her shins are so bad. She skates every night then practices track, too."

If all three Waubonsie relays can qualify for Saturday's finals, the Warriors could be in the hunt for a team trophy (top-three finish).

• Batavia, which tied for third in state last year, has been hurt by injuries. Defending 300 hurdles state champ, Wisconsin-bound Natalie Tarter, qualified in the 100 hurdles but has been hampered by knee and hamstring injuries.

All-state runners Kathryn Warner and Alexis Sampson have also been hobbled by injuries.

• And finally, a different twist on a competitor missing state. I've heard of kids missing the meet or leaving early to attend graduation ceremony, but this tops it. Sort of.

An Oswego East runner who was a member of the Wolves qualifying 800-meter relay won't be going to Charleston ... because she's going shopping in New York.

All I could think was, must be one heckuva sale.