Dorathy’s is a classic tale
KEWANEE – Alec Dorathy’s slippers weren’t ruby.
They were black with an orange Nike swoosh on the sides, and tiny spikes on the bottom.
The skipping down the yellow brick road wasn’t for him, either.
He preferred sprinting down a seven-lane track.
The singing was replaced by the ‘Wow!’ coming from Eric Bontz’s mouth.
Everything was different for this Dorathy except the ending, which was still happy.
On Monday, Dorathy, a Rock Falls senior, was the star.
“I knew he was fast, but I didn’t think he was that fast,” said Bontz, the Rockets’ track coach.
Bontz was referring to Dorathy’s performance in the 100 meters Monday during the NCIC meet.
His time of 10.5 seconds shattered the Lincoln Division record of 11.2. It also would have been good enough to win the Reagan title and set the record on the bigger side of the conference. Oh, and it’s also well under the Class 1A state-qualifying standard of 11.24.
“At the beginning of the 100, we were all really close,” Dorathy said. “Then I hit another gear that I didn’t think that I had anymore. It surprised me as much as it did anyone else.
“It felt great.”
And why should it not?
This was only Dorathy’s third run in the 100 this season.
This was one of the first times Dorathy had three events in one meet since his sophomore year. This was one of the first times Dorathy has been healthy enough to pull off such a feat.
“It really feels good, especially since I’ve been injured the last few years,” Dorathy said after winning his last event, the 200. “I have a lot more confidence after tonight.”
During his sophomore season, a nagging hip flexor problem forced Dorathy to the sideline. Last year, a tweaked hamstring kept him from featuring his talents at conference and sectionals.
If those two years of trials weren’t enough, Dorathy nearly was thwarted again this season.
“I missed about three weeks with my hamstring bothering me again,” he said. “This was the first time I had done three events because we thought that might have been the cause of the injuries in the past.”
Now, Dorathy’s journey has nearly reached its conclusion. Should he manage to stay healthy until Friday’s sectional, he finally wll have the opportunity to reach his ultimate destination.
All Dorathy needs is a good run at Friday’s Class 1A Sectional in Erie. Do that and it’s off to the blue track in Charleston, Eastern Illinois University, site of the boys state track meet.
