"Friday will tell," said Vic Mead.
In his 20th year of coaching the Rosary track team, Mead doesn't know if his team can match the feat of the school's storied 1985 team and bring home a trophy from the state meet in Charleston. But the current Royals have already done something that team didn't do, win a sectional title.
"They finished second in state but didn't win a sectional," Mead said of the '85 team that was coached by Sandy Hipp. "We'd love to follow in their footsteps. I think they won the 400 and 800 relays (at state)."
A search of IHSA records shows they didn't, finishing third and fifth, respectively. But freshman Michelle Dumas did win the 400-meter dash and take fourth in the 100, helping that team score 35 points, second only to Teutopolis (51) in Class A.
Two years earlier, led by its state champion 400 relay of Diana Farraday, Mary Johnson, Julie Mills and Kelly O'Brien, the Royals finished fourth and just missed out on a trophy (awarded to the top three teams).
This year's Royals, competing in the state's new three-class system, captured last weekend's Glenbard South Sectional by scoring 123 points, beating the hosts by seven points for the team title.
More importantly, Mead's troops qualified athletes for state in seven individual events and three relays, the 400, 800 and 1,600.
Waubonsie Valley leads area 3A schools (see box) with qualifiers in seven individual events and three relays. West Aurora matches the Warriors' individual qualifiers and sends two relays. Plano (5 individuals, 2 relays) lead area 1A qualifiers, who open the meet with preliminary competition today.
The relays will be key for Rosary.
"I think our relays are very competitive," said Mead. "I think if we run just a little bit better when we get down there (in Friday's preliminaries), we can get to the finals."
The 400 and 800 units are comprised of the same four girls, sophomores Aly Rindone, Anna Deufel and anchor Amy Kus, along with junior Katie Petrando.
"Kind of a cool thing, nobody's a senior," said Mead.
In the 400 the group ran 50.27 at sectional.
"We'd like to go after the school record, which is 50-flat, on Friday," said Mead. "The shorter the race, the more critical the handoffs. But they're very familiar with each other. If we could break the school record it would put us in the finals.
"I think we can run a lot faster (than the winning sectional time of 1:47.37) in the 4 by 2 (800), too. We didn't hand off that well."
Kus, Petrando and Deufel join senior Nora Bowe in the 1,600, which qualified by finishing second to a strong Glenbard South team.
Kus and Bowe are also individual qualifiers, finishing 1-2, respectively, in the 300 hurdles. Bowe also advanced by winning the high jump (5-1). Senior Monica English returns in the discus and shot put, junior Meghan Gannon in the 800 and freshman Emily Launer in the 3,200.
"Monica has been down there before so nervousness shouldn't be a factor," said Mead. "I wouldn't say her throws at sectional will seed her as high as she could be. She's capable of doing even better.
"Gannon was a complete surprise since she was seeded third (at sectional but won). She took off like a bandit and held them off. She was totally gassed at the end but she guts it out.
"And Launer was running the 3,200 for only the third time. She's a swimmer who came out a little late but she's in great shape." Girls Track: State Meet Preview
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