Carolina dreamin’
O’Connor track relay stars head to national meet
by Jason Stone

NORTH VALLEY – School might have finished a few weeks ago, but for four Sandra Day O’Connor girls track stars, there is still work to be done.

While other students are hitting the pools and working summer jobs, Lindsay Prescott, Camille Olson, Aleina Eisenhauer and Dani Hunt are trying to do something that they hope will stand the test of history.

The foursome is heading to Greensboro, N.C., this week, where it will compete in three relays at the Nike Outdoor Nationals meet, an event made up of the best track runners in the nation.

The girls, who already own the fifth best time in the nation in the 4x800‑meter relay as well as the No. 1 mark in Arizona, will compete in that relay, the 4x1‑mile and the distance medley, which consists of legs of 400, 800, 1,200 and 1,600 meters, but in random order.

If not for Flowing Wells’ Tara Erdmann, O’Connor would have finished 1‑2‑3 in the mile at the 5A‑Division II state meet last month. That kind of depth has the team feeling they have their best shot at nationals in the 4x1‑mile event.

“If we all run the time that we want to run, we can win,” said Olson, who is one leg of three relays the girls will attempt at the three‑day meet June 14‑16.

If there is anybody who doubts that O’Connor can win, it’s someone who hasn’t been watching track over the last few years. While most O’Connor’s sports slowly worked their way up to competitiveness as the school became established since opening earlier this decade, the girls track and cross country teams took off quickly.

Junior‑to‑be Prescott has been a major reason for that emergence. The 17‑year‑old secured two Northwest Region championships this spring, plus three second places at state and a win at the Meet of Champions a week after state.

Prescott usually sets the pace for the other O’Connor runners, who often finish right behind her.

“Her leadership is what makes her great,” Olson said. “She has set the bar high trying to be the best.”

Olson has grabbed a piece of that leadership mantle and passed it down as well. The recent graduate, who will be attending Arizona State University on a part academic, part athletic scholarship, has been right on Prescott’s tail all season and has even outrun her on occasion.

Eisenhauer, who also recently graduated, has been right there too, usually finishing right behind her two teammates in the big meets this season.

Hunt specialized in the 800 during her sophomore season, but her help in the relays is what set the Eagles’ girls team apart in 2007.

“We came from an unknown team to where people were like, ‘Who’s O’Connor?’” Eisenhauer said.

The answer to that question came hard to opponents from across the state when the distance team’s depth translated into a second‑place finish at the 5A‑II meet.

Now they’ll try to spread the O’Connor name on the East Coast. But don’t think they’re nervous about their opportunity.

“We’re just treating it like a normal track meet,” Eisenhauer said. “We haven’t been intimidated yet.”

The girls said their goal is to finish in the top three in the mile relay, while placing in the others. In the distance medley, Olson will start out with the 1,200, followed by Eisenhauer (400), Hunt (800) and Prescott (1,600).

No matter what happens, though, the runners said they’re proud of what they’ve accomplished so far.

“It’s nice to be the first state champions and to set the bar high,” Olson said. “Now they have to reach higher so other (O’Connor) teams can follow suit.”

After this week’s meet, the long season is over for the girls, who have been training for six months straight. If you don’t count the month off between cross country and track seasons, they’ve been going at it since last summer.

With the break comes time for other pursuits. Eisenhauer is going to take time to concentrate on college preparations. The 18‑year‑old will attend Utah Valley College in Orem with plans to major in marketing or advertising. She said she wants to work for Nike or Disney one day.

“And she’ll do it, too,” Olson said. “You watch, in 20 years you’ll see her on TV.”

Unless O’Connor’s track team does something amazing at nationals to get on TV this weekend.