OPRF seniors Julia Brown and Bella Brauc appropriately ran their final high school girls track and field races together on Saturday. Even better, they finished as a top-nine, Class 3A all-state medals pair.
Brown took second (54.51 seconds) and Brauc eighth (57.11) in the 400-meter state finals at Eastern Illinois University – both lifetime bests.
“When Bella qualified for finals, it made me so excited. I feel like all through high school we’ve pushed each other and then I wanted to do good together,” Brown said.
“[Having Brauc] made me more relaxed. Tt would be our last race together, so it would be exciting and fun and happy.”
The two earlier joined Amelia Hammersley and Blaire Brown on the all-senior 4 x 100 relay that was an all-state sixth (47.94). Brauc also was 15th in the high jump finals. Somewhat rushed by the upcoming 400, Brauc missed the opening height of 5-foot-1 after clearing a season-best 5-3 in Friday’s preliminaries.
Brown [Illinois State] and Brauc [Northern Arizona] will compete collegiately. Brauc finishes with four all-state medals after taking ninth in the 400 (58.83, 57.40 prelims) and tying for ninth in high jump (1.60m/5-3) in 2024. The other seniors earned their first medals.
“Honestly, if you would have told me this is what would have happened freshman year, I never would have believed you,” said Brauc, a four-year state competitor. “[For the 400], just being able to warm up with a teammate and know your teammate’s there no matter what you do is the most amazing feeling ever. I made the finals alone last year and honestly it’s so much more to have someone with you.”
Julia Brown’s second place is the highest 400 finish in OPRF history. With 60 meters left, she still was fourth before a great final surge, behind only Homewood-Flossmoor junior Mariyah Robinson (54.17) and just ahead of Lincoln-Way East sophomore Alaina Steele (54.86), a season-long competitor. Brown’s previous best of 55.58 would have placed sixth.
“It was really exhilarating. It was like all adrenaline. Definitely that’s the only 400 where I felt like I gave it my entire everything,” Brown said. “I was like, ‘I’m not going to have any regrets,’ so I just gave it everything I had left.”
Brauc beat her personal-best 57.21 from prelims. Just .12 from seventh Saturday, Brauc collapsed upon her finish.
“That last 10 meters, that’s when I realized I have nothing left. Because I couldn’t go, I just started leaning forward as much as I could,” she said. “[Personal records] two days in a row in this event is pretty hard so I’m really proud of myself. I placed higher than last year so that’s all I can ask for.”
Hammersley and Blaire Brown also peaked as seniors. This was the Huskies’ first all-state 4 x 100 relay since 2015.
“We’re all seniors and have worked so hard. I just love these people and I’m so excited I’ve gotten to be in finals,” Hammersley said.
“As seniors, we really wanted to go out with a bang and I feel like we really did that (in the 4 x 100),” Blaire Brown said. “All I’ve got to say was it was exhilarating and I’m so glad we can go home with a medal but also with all of these memories. These are great people.”
The Huskies’ other state competitors were junior Oliwia Slezak (15th in discus, 36.63m/120-2), Julia Brown (16th in 200, 25.07), the 4 x 800 of sophomores Lucy Stein and Lillian Harmon, junior Violet Schnizlein and senior Nora Butterly (17th in season-best 9:31.81), senior Alana Gerona (25th in 3,200, 11:27.00), the 4 x 400 of Brauc, Hammersley, junior Chloe Kozicki and Schnizlein (30th, 4:03.96) and Hammersley in the 200 (41st, 26.42) and 100 (43rd, 12.69).
In 2A, Fenwick qualifiers were sophomores Juliana Gamboa (3,200 in personal-best 11:25.09) and Maeve Bonakdar in shot put (16th, 10.58m/34-8 1/2) and discus (37th, 27.36m/89-9), senior Mia Menendez (17th in 800, 2:21.32), freshman Avani Williams (25th in high jump, 1.50m/4-11), the 4 x 400 (Williams, Gamboa, sophomore Teresa Urso, Menendez in 4:13.97) and freshman Molly Madden (39th in discus, 24.24m/79-6).
Menendez graduates a three-time all-stater in the 800. Her highest state finish was sixth in 2024 with a school-record 2:16.18.
Trinity junior Molly McGreal was 19th in the 3,200 (11:34.91) and scratched from the 1,600.