GLEN CARBON - Father McGivney standout student-athlete Lilly Gilbertson recently completed an outstanding sophomore season for the Griffins' girls track and field team. Lilly is a Byron Carlson Petri & Kalb Father McGivney Catholic Female Athlete of the Month.
Gilbertson placed fourth in the IHSA Class 1A 400 meters at state with a time of 58.61 and also was a member of the Griffins' 4 x 400-meter relay team that was third with a time of 4:02.53. She was joined on the 4 x 400 relay by Kaitlyn Hatley, Jane Cummins, and Elena Rybak.
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Hatley, Cummins, Gilbertson, and Rybak were second in the 4 x 800 relay with a time of 9:35.35.
Gilbertson was ranked throughout the year in the top 5 in Illinois in 1A in the 200, 400, 4x400, & 4x800. She’s set new indoor & outdoor school records in all of those events this year and typically places first in those events at every meet the Father McGivney girls entered. She was also a conference champion, another of her strong accomplishments this track and field season.
Lilly said she had a P.R. time at state in the prelims of 57.96, which was very proud of as her goal all season was to break 58 minutes for the 400 meters.
"There were a bunch of fast girls in my heat," she said of the prelims. "I was ranked 10th in the 200 but I decided to scratch it and focus on the 4 x 400 because I thought I could help the team more get points. The 200 and 4 x 400 are back to back, which is difficult."
Lilly is only a sophomore, so she has considerable attention with colleges for her future. She is an outstanding person, track and field athlete, and an excellent person, her head track and field coach Jim Helton said this spring.
“I played volleyball the past two years, but I decided to stop doing that and focus on track the next two,” she said.
Lilly was uncertain if she would run on the cross-country team, but said she might and will likely train with them. She said she loves watching her teammates run and compete in all their races.
“They are really fun to watch,” she said.
The McGivney track and field sensation said she definitely wants to run in college but would like to stay somewhere in the Midwest close to her family.”
“I put in a lot of work in the off-season and I think it set me up for some great times indoors,” she said. “My coach had workouts for me to do over the winter. I think also working out with CrossFit in Edwardsville five times a week is a big part of my explosiveness in the sprints.”
Lilly has a 3.65 on a 4.0 scale in school and said she has thought about a physical therapy or athletic training career after college. She said her mom was a good cross-country runner and tennis player and her father was a soccer player and her aunts were solid runners. She is glad to follow the family line in athletics.
“I love the team here at McGivney and love competing in track and field,” she said. “I am hoping to break 57 seconds next season. I need to work on endurance in the summer and fall. I also love going to school at McGivney. It is a great school.”
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