What Can Brown Do for L-Way East? Deliver the Goods in State Track Meet

Lincoln-Way East sophomore Aaliyah Brown believes she’ll compete in Rio in the 2016 Olympics. For now, though, she’s focused on this weekend’s trip to O’Brien Stadium in Charleston  for the IHSA girls track and field state finals.

Brown won the 100 dash (11.96) and 200 dash (24.21) during last week’s Homewood-Flossmoor Sectional, which was held over two days because of thunderstorms. She also qualified in the 400 relay (46.83) and 1,600 relay (3:58.28).

“Knock on wood, but if we keep our exchanges clean we should be coming home with three champions, the 100, 200 and our 4x100,” Lincoln-Way East coach Caroline Cunningham said. “They’re all ready. They’ve worked their butts off.”

Brown may only be a sophomore, but she’s been recognized as one of the elite sprinters in the nation for a few years now. Earlier this spring, she won the 100 and 200 at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational in California.

“It all started when my father saw me running up and down the field at a soccer game and decided to take me to an open track meet,” Brown said. “I was only 7 (years old) and ran better than people much older than me, and he signed me up to a track team.”

Running Down the Records

Brown hasn’t slowed down since.

“I am so pumped to run this weekend,” she said. “I look forward to redeeming myself in the 200 (false start disqualification in 2010) and want to break a record. Since day one, my goal has been to go out there and break records, and I’m going out there to do it this weekend.”

Brown will be sprinting toward her second consecutive 100 dash title as she won with a time of 11.57 last May. She believes she’s an even better sprinter today than she was at this time last year.

“My training has become more intense and I’ve dedicated more to watching my diet to get my track weight to where I want it,” she said. “I know that getting my time down a second is a big improvement, so I’m watching how I’m eating, exercising and doing the extra sit-ups.”

Although it’s Brown versus herself and the sprinters beside her, she’s also developed into quite the team leader for the Griffins. In addition to her individual efforts in the 100 and 200, East will be represented this weekend by freshman Dana O’Grady in the 400 (59.10), junior Nicole Nepote in the 800 (2:20.58) and senior Sarah Saffran on the pole vault (8-6).

Brown also will participate on the 1,600 relay team, as well as anchor the 400 relay team with O’Grady, Maria Perozzi and freshman Meghan Marias. The team set the state’s fastest time (46.83) last week in the Homewood-Flossmor Sectional.

“This is the most we’ve qualified for state and have never gotten a top-five trophy, which would be nice,” Cunningham said. “They just have to stay mentally tough. They are all positive girls, so it’s pretty exciting.”

And they’re ready for the wonderful experience of competing among the best track and field athletes in the state and will do their best to enjoy it.

“Track is fun in itself and then we have an interesting group of girls,” Brown said. “It’s all fun and laughs and a good time. No matter what happens, we have a good time and then settle down and get ready to race.”

Biggest Fan is Guardian Angel

For an intense competitor to go from laid back to serious very quickly is one of Brown’s unique attributes. While her talented contributions would be welcome on any team, so is her personality.

“She is the perfect teammate and athlete,” Cunningahm said. “She’s the first one cheering, and she’ll pump the other girls up. If she can’t pump them up, then it ain’t going to happen. I can’t say enough about her and her family.”

It’s only been a few years since Brown faced the unimaginable when her mother died of breast cancer. While the loss was devastating, it hasn’t affected Brown’s efforts on the track, and she continues to enjoy life as a normal teenager, except that she can outrun all of her peers.

“Her personality really tells who she is,” Cunningham said. “She works so hard and can have her headphones on and concentrating and then a minute later is the biggest goofball on the team. She’s something special.”

She expects to do something special at state this weekend, too.