McAuley relying on twin talents

Mother McAuley's identical twins, juniors Beth and Meg McGreal, led the Mighty Macs to the Oak Forest Invitational title on Friday and could do the same thing at Saturday's GCAC championship meet at Loyola Academy. While the hosts are talented, the McGreal sisters are close to unreal.

In Friday's 1,600, Meg McGreal and Marist's Dana Martin ran neck-and-neck for the first 850 yards. Then McGreal kicked into high gear, and by the end of the backstretch on the third lap, she was 20 meters ahead. She led Martin across the line by about 80 meters, or 5 percent of the race's distance.

Beth McGreal's win in the 3,200 wasn't as dramatic, but she posted a personal best of 11:41.85, the seventh-best time in the area this year.

McAuley also has a good 200 and 400 runner in senior Meg Sterk, who qualified for the Class AA finals in the 400 last year, plus a fleet hurdler in Kamille Ferguson, and just enough depth to be a threat in most relays.

For the McGreals, the question is exactly how coach Stan Bartecki will arrange the lineup when next week's sectional rolls around. Meg McGreal ran the 800 and 1,600 at Oak Forest. Beth took a 400-meter leg on the 1,600 relay squad and ran in the 3,200.

"I'm more a middle-distance runner," Meg McGreal said.

During the season, they've been all but interchangeable - and probably confusing to their opponents, given their identical features, especially when they've run in the same race.

Ferguson might have doubled in the hurdles at Oak Forest, but tripped over the second hurdle in her heat of the 100 highs and didn't qualify for the finals, though she did pass two runners after getting up. She ran away from the field in the 300 low hurdles. With a pair of wins from her, the exploits of the twins, and success in the relays - Sterk and the McGreals formed three-quarters of last year's state-qualifying 3,200-meter relay squad - the Macs could romp at conference.

Chicago Christian relies on relays

Unlike last spring, when Jodi Hoekstra carried the torch, it may be difficult for Chicago Christian to get any individuals downstate this year, but the Knights still have a shot at advancing a pair of relay teams.

This weekend's Private School League championship meet - the last PSL meet - is their last tuneup. There seems to be no question that the Knights will get their 3,200-meter relay team to Charleston, given that its season-best time of 10:07.97 is about 16 seconds ahead of the Class 1A qualifying standard. It'll be a close call for the 1,600 squad. Its best time of the year, 4:16.28, accomplished by Kirsten Harms, Stacey Kamp, Jaclyn Workman and Justine VanDyk, is barely ahead of the 1A standard of 4:16.50. Thus, that quartet will have to repeat its performance of last Friday in next week's sectional meet to make the big show.

Weekend watch

Girls teams are in conference play, but there's a week's worth of boys meets remaining before they plunge into conference action. Eisenhower, Shepard and Stagg are among the teams at Richards this afternoon, while Stagg hosts its invitational. Saturday, Evergreen Park leads a parade of Southland squads to the Lisle Invitational, while Brother Rice is at the Thornton carnival.

Tim Cronin can be reached at tcronin@southtownstar.com or (708) 633-5948.