GIRLS TRACK -- Timothy Christian senior Shannon McNeil believed her hopes of being all-state in the 100-meter dash at the Class 1A state meet ended with her preliminary heat May 21.
Finishing fourth in her race, McNeil was disappointed and discouraged but still had to compete in high jump. Just before that next event, McNeil entered the locker room at Eastern Illinois' O'Brien Stadium.
"There's this quote on one of the walls and it said, 'Don't let your head hang down, never give up and sit down and grieve, find another way,' " McNeil said. "I was like, 'I know I need to find another way to make it to finals.' It just really spoke to me."
McNeil took advantage of her second chance -- and then got a second chance in the 100 when she miraculously made the finals. The result was two all-state performances in the first three-class state meet.
McNeil was sixth in the 100 in a school-record 12.67 seconds fully automatic time and tied for eighth in high jump by clearing 5 feet, 2 inches. She became the 17th individual all-stater in Timothy history and just the ninth to earn more than one individual all-state (top-nine) medal in a single year.
"She just took that (quote) as a sign. That was God speaking to her that she was going to find another way to make finals because the 100 was what she really thought she could make finals," Timothy coach Kevin Hackert said. "She was ecstatic that she found another way."
After clearing 5-3 May 21 to join 15 other competitors in the high jump finals, McNeil returned to the team area to find out she also made the 100 finals. Only five non-winners advanced to the nine-person finals, but her 13.00 got the final spot.
"I was really excited that I placed in both. I'm more excited (about high jump) because I had to beat out (seven) girls to place," McNeil said. "I would say that I'm glad that it came to a close the way it did and I feel finally like all of my four years of hard work paid off."
McNeil also earned all-state medals with the 400 relay in 2006 and 2007 but none last year. She looked to have more fun this senior year and also decided to play soccer this spring. The Trojans play in the Class 1A sectional finals .
"It wasn't until halfway through the season that I started to enjoy track," said McNeil, who plans to compete in track at Wheaton College. "Track wasn't really my favorite sport but now it's up there because I've done well I guess."
Timothy's 400 relay of freshman Brittany Alston and Alexis Cameron, sophomore Krista Lodewyk, McNeil (13th, 51.29) and 1,600 relay of senior Elizabeth DeGroot, freshman Kelah Freeman, senior Samantha Goedeke and sophomore Lauren LeDay (17th, 4:12.37) ran season-best times. Freshman Tessa Bosman was 36th in the 3,200 (13:27.24), which was run in two heats Saturday, and sophomore Ashley Barak was 44th in discus (89 feet-6 inches).
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