Byline: Kevin McGavin Daily Herald Correspondent
On Saturday afternoon at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, the Class AA award-winners will stride to the victory stand, many for the last time as high school athletes, and be presented with their medals.
Dispensing the awards will be none other than Sue Pariseau, whose three-decade tenure as the Glenbard West girls track coach will come to an end with the completion of the two-day state finals.
Pariseau, with the exception of one semester at a now-defunct LaGrange junior high, has spent her entire career teaching at the Glen Ellyn school as well.
After spending her first 17 years in the physical education department, Pariseau will conclude the last of her 16 years teaching math at the end of the school year.
'I will miss it tremendously. I love being with kids, having the ability to mold an athlete into something good,' Pariseau said. 'On the other hand, I think you know when it's time (to retire).'
In the aftermath of Title IX, Pariseau was more or less conscripted into duty, given two choices.
'Because I taught physical education, the athletic director said I could coach gymnastics or track,' she recalled. 'Silly me, I choose track. I think I made 200 dollars the first year.'
The stipend has grown immeasurably, but it pales in comparison to the commitment and dedication Pariseau has logged since assuming the job at the beginning of the 1973-74 school year, in the second season of the program.
Even more remarkable, the coach, unlike many educators attracted to the profession by previous athletic pursuits, had no background at all in the sport.
'My students always ask me what sports I played in high school,' she said. 'When I tell them that there were no sports for girls, they are kind of dumbfounded.'
Times have certainly changed, and Pariseau has been at the forefront, not only relishing the opportunity to guide high school girls but also keenly aware of its historical significance.
'To be in one the ground floor in the state of Illinois was very exciting,' Pariseau said. 'When we start getting children from former (female) athletes, we will come full circle. We're still getting girls whose mothers were not athletes.'
To her many admirers and counterparts throughout the western suburbs, there is a widespread sense the Class AA finals will mark the coaching end of a true pioneer.
'This year has really been a real cap on her career,' said Kelly O'Brien, whose fiance, Paul Hass, will take over the Hilltoppers girls cross country program in the fall. 'The kids had such high expectations for themselves because Sue transfers that right to them.'
O'Brien, the one-time head girls coach at West Chicago, will take the reigns from Pariseau next spring. In addition, the longtime Glenbard West outdoor invitational will be renamed in her honor.
'I couldn't have asked for a better mentor,' said O'Brien. 'The woman knows more about track than any person I know.'
As a member of the vaunted West Suburban Silver, a league with few peers in girls track, the sentiment is equally strong.
'I think she has been a great role model for all the girls at Glenbard West,' said Hinsdale Central coach Pat Richards. 'She is very disciplined, and I have nothing but respect for her and what she has done.'
Glenbard West won the Class AA Elk Grove sectional last Friday, the fourth of her illustrious career, and the Hilltoppers won the Silver six times.
'(The weekend) is going to be fun,' said Pariseau. 'I'm really looking forward to it.'
Individual outlook: While Morgan Park goes for a fifth consecutive state team title this weekend, there are a number of area individuals with renewed optimism and equally high expectations.
Neuqua Valley senior Jennie Whitman, possessor of five individual sectional victories the last two seasons, is the top seed in the triple jump by more than a foot.
Not far behind Drake-bound Whitman is Willowbrook senior Jynika Craig, the third-seed, who uncorked a 36-11 effort last Friday. Craig is also the top-rated 100-meter area performer in the field.
Benet sophomore Jenny Weizeorick is seeded 11th in the long jump and 27th in the triple jump.
Lauren Anders (West Chicago), Kara Saternus (Downers Grove South) and Lauren Oleszkiewicz (Hinsdale Central) are also in the mix for the 100 hurdles.
Whitman will also compete in the 300 low hurdles, where Walton is the sixth seed with a time of 45.74 seconds. Bubinas, fifth a year ago in the 100 hurdles, duplicated the sectional hurdles sweep of Whitman last Friday, and the senior will run in the Hilltoppers' medley and mile relays as well.
'I want to make it in three events to finals and try to get in the top three in the 100 hurdles,' said Bubinas, a one-time soccer player.
Glenbard West senior Farah Jadran, a transfer from Glenbard North, is the fourth seed in the two-mile, which also features Benet junior Lisa Schroeck, York freshman Hedi Tucker, and a pair of West Chicago runners - Christy Adduci and Katy Kostal.
Of the 19 events in girls track, none has a better pedigree for area athletes than the half-mile and this weekend promises to have a cast of characters second to none.
Wheaton North senior Sammie Polock is the two-time defending champion, but the Illinois-bound middle distance queen is not even the top seed from the area.
That honor belongs to Hinsdale Central ace Jordan Laney, second to Polock last year, who tops the sectional qualifiers at 2:14.04. District rival Nicole Johnson of Hinsdale South posted a better time than Polock as well, and Downers Grove South star Megan Rossi, one of three tied for honors in the pole vault, is right behind Polock.
Ashley Bucher, Polock's junior teammate, just missed a top 10 seed, while Waubonsie Valley senior Cynthia Spearman is the top representative from Oswego. Glenbard North senior Kristin Whitezell qualified but is not expected to compete due to her desire to be fresh for the mile, where she has a legitimate chance to mount the top steps of the victory stand.
'There is a complete respect for what Sammie has done,' said Richards. '(Jordan) is going in with the mindset that she can win it.'
One cannot discount Polock, however, who had to exert herself to greater degree wanted to make sure the Falcons qualified in the two-mile relay, which should have a strong local flavor.
'(Sammie) has always that ability that if she can smell it, she'll get it,' said Wheaton North coach Ken Fasshauer. 'It's going to be Sammie's last hurrah at state. She doesn't like to lose.'
'More than anything, I think it's going to be one of the best races of the entire weekend,' said Richards.
Glenbard North, with Whitezell anchoring, is the second-seeded two-mile quartet, while foursomes from Wheaton North, Benet, York, Glenbard South and Hinsdale Central also vie for medals.
The trio of Whitezell, Jadran and Naperville North's Lisa Bonastalli - joined by York junior Vanessa Pfafflin - lead the area contenders in the open mile.
Willowbrook senior Kristen Sherman is the only area weight thrower to qualify in both events and has the same distinction, with respect to seed, in the shot put with an effort of 39-9 1/4.
The pole vault, in its third year as a state-sanctioned event for girls, has the elements for high drama as Yorkville's Meghan Voiland and Geneva's Sarah Landau join Rossi as top seeds with efforts of 11-0.
WW South qualified both participants in Ashley Korol and Carmen Meier, and Glenbard North's Tiffany Kubielewicz rounds out the area qualifiers.
'There is going to be a lot of jockeying in the pole vault,' predicted Glenbard North coach Gary Heilers.
West Chicago greyhound Laura Baumrucker placed last year as a sophomore at 400.
Hinsdale Central is the only area school to qualify all five relays.
Class A preview: Montini will be seeking a consecutive top-10 team finish as the sprint relays constitute the heart of the Broncos' attack.
In winning all four at Lisle, Montini has a fifth-seeded quartet in the medley, a pair of sixth-rated teams in the 400 and mile relays, and the 800 group is capable of placing.
The Broncos' sprinting corps is led by Machaela Casey, Whitney Kelly, Ashley Martin, Christine Nemec, Jessica Sippel and Joan Daluga.
Sippel will compete in the pole vault. The other individual Montini qualifier is sophomore Maggie Novotny in the two-mile.
'We're in the mix (to do well in the team competition),' said Montini coach James Workman. 'I can't be more proud of the girls.'
St. Francis has yet another quality half-miler as Natalie Lyzinski had the ninth-best time at Lisle.
The sophomore is the only individual qualifier, but the Spartans advanced the two longer relays that prominently feature Lyzinski and Mackenzie Murnane.
Kaitlin Thomas is competing in the discus for Immaculate Conception, and the Knights' 800-meter relay is also headed to Eastern.
For four-time state champion Timothy Christian, Larae Woudstra has able company in Brittney Dobbins, a double qualifier in the long jump and short hurdles.
The Trojans' two-mile relay should compete behind Jenny Loerop, Tami Wieringa, Wendy Zigterman and Jenny Zylstra.
Ashley Afman, who, along with Woudstra, is a former relay state champion, runs in the open half-mile.
'We're excited to see how it plays out for (the state finals),' said Woudstra, a three-sport star at Timothy.
