CHARLESTON — Colleen Zeibert had accomplished just about everything possible.
The Rochester senior setseveral school records in addition to being a state medalist in both girls track and field and cross country in her career. That includes a couple of state runner-up finishes not just in high school but also junior high.
The Illinois State University commit finally snagged that elusive state title in the Class 2A 4x800-meter relay at the state track and field meet at Eastern Illinois University's O’Brien Field on Saturday.
Even better is getting to share the gold medal with her younger sisters Brooke and Ashley as well as teammate Natalie Nichols.
They earned first place in 9 minutes, 33.45 seconds after Colleen summoned a late charge on the final leg.
She was certainly due for one.
“I've been searching for a state title forever,” Colleen said. “In junior high, I got second at state and high school, I got second at state, so going into this season, I said the one thing that I needed was a state title before I left, and I'm so glad that I got to do it with those girls.”
On the comebacktrail
It was anything but a guarantee.
Colleen trailed several runners when she received the baton from Ashley. That includedthe lead runner by about 75 meters.
“I knew if they were within 100 meters, it was in my capabilities to catch them,” Colleen said. “It was really fun to just pick people off one by one and it just kind of kept pushing me and I knew I really wanted this not only for myself, but for my team, too.”
Colleen topped her own school records in the 400, 800, 1,600, 3,200 and the 4x800 relay this season. She wanted to make those marks as hard as possible to beat for the rest of thatyoung crew.
Brooke is the next oldest as a sophom*ore while both Ashley and Nichols are freshmen.
“I had a lot of confidence in her,” Ashley said of Colleen. “I was definitely a little nervous handing off to her, but I knew she could do it because she’s such a great runner and an amazing person as well, and I’m so thankful to have the teammates that I do because we always push each other in practice.
“We worked really hard and it's just the beginning. We can't wait to improve ... so we definitely have big goals in the future.”
Heitzig raises the bar in the 800
Colleen also picked up second place in the 800 for a second consecutive season behind Lincoln junior Becca Heitzig.
Heitzig broke her own 2A state meet record with a time of 2:08.48, followed by Colleen in2:13.
Rockton Hononegah’s Courtney Clayton set the overall state record of 2:07.05 at the 2013 state meet.
Heitzig also earned second place in the 1,600 (5:00.44) and was eighth in the 4x400 relay (4:07.42).
It capped a spectacular year for Heitzig. She took third in the 2A cross country state finals and second place with the Lincoln girls basketball team in the 3A state finals — not to mention a 3A regional title in volleyball.
“It feels good because I don't want to be the person that was worse the next year,” Heitzig said. “I want to reach higher. I really wanted to get in the 2:07s or 2:06sthis season, but I guess it'll give me another goal for next year.”
Lehnen rebounds from injury
Chatham Glenwood sophom*ore phenom Katelyn Lehnen claimed third place in both the 200 (24.58) and 400 (55.87) in Class 3A. She was also fifth in the 100 at 11.94.
Lehnen won last year’s 200 in 24.75.She pulled her hamstring during the Illinois Top Times indoor meet in late March, however.
“It's definitely really exciting to be able to come back after that injury and just being able to place in such a high-level competition,” Lehnen said. “That's always just really exciting. You can't really compare it to last year's placings because I was a completely different runner. I had a lot more training going into the state meet, but being able to come out and compete with the little training that I had with the hamstring injury was exciting.”
She missed most of the outdoor season but set a personal record in the 400 (55.76) upon her return at the Central State Eight Conference Meet earlier this month while also breaking the 25-second mark in the 200.
“It's always nerve-racking to go back and start sprinting again,” Lehnen said, “because you always have that fear in the back of your head, 'Oh, what if it happens again?' So just being able to trust the process and trust the training that I had gone through that I'm going to be OK and that it's not going to happen again. I had a great support system with my coaches and everything, just kind of letting me know that it's going to be OK.”
Other top finishes
Lehnen’s teammate, sophom*ore Reese Wolfe, reached fourth place in the 3A pole vault. She climbed 12 feet, 1 inch.
In Class 2A, Sacred Heart-Griffin's 4x400 relay achieved second place in 3:58.56 and included Antonette Bartletti, Macie Rolf, Maggie Fleischli and Sterling Scarlette. They narrowly ceded to Kankakee on the homestretch.
In Class 1A, Pleasant Plains’ 4x400 relay garnered second place as well in 4:03.38 and included Teagan Morley, Megan Derrick, Teagen Galloway and Abigail Wolters.
Lutheran freshman Ainsley Johnson nabbed silver in the 100 in12.38 behind Macon Meridian’s Kaylin Moreland. Johnson picked up eighth place in the 200 (25.91) and high jump (4-11) to boot.
Litchfield junior Kendall Stewart raced to second in the 300-meter hurdles at 45.21.
Gillespie senior Emily Schoen was third in the shot put (38-4¾). In the discus throw, Carlinville sophom*ore Hannah Gibson was fourth (123-2¾) while Athens sophom*ore Addie Stadsholt was sixth (121-8¾).
Greenview junior Madison Kacevicius was fourth in the long jump (17-2¼).
Contact Bill Welt:788-1545.bill.welt@sj-r.com, Twitter.com/BillWelt.
