Geary gears up for state

For Brigid Geary, a trip to Charleston has become a rite of spring. When she was in junior high, Geary made the trip to watch her older sister, Olivia, compete for four consecutive years (2002-05).

The next year, when Brigid was a freshman, she qualified for state in the 100. She hasn’t stopped since.

She made it in three events her sophomore and junior years. This year, it’s another three-peat. She’ll compete in the 100, 200 and 400.

“It’s a really good experience to go down there,” Geary said. “I just hope this year I can run really good in the prelims, make it to the finals and hopefully get a medal.”

Geary is in search of her first state medal, and is seeking a bit of redemption from a year ago. In the 100 preliminaries, she was the second of two athletes to false start in the same heat. Tess Shubert of Okawville jumped the gun, then a jumpy Geary followed suit.

“I wouldn’t have false-started if she wouldn’t have,” Geary said. “I think I just got nervous. [The referee] held the gun for a long time, I swear. There was a girl that took forever to get in her block. It wasn’t good.”

“I actually think she’s a little more tentative in the starting blocks because of that,” Polo coach Terry Jenkins said.

The diminutive Geary is better suited for short sprints. She holds the school record in the 100 with a 12.27 clocking at the Rock Falls Invitational during her sophomore year. Her best this season is 12.6, achieved several times.

“It’s been so cold this spring, my times haven’t been that good,” she admits. “Hopefully it’s going to be warm at state so then I can show what I can do.”

Geary is in exclusive company with her fourth consecutive state appearance. She’s joining Laura Reap (1981-84), Jennifer Bartelt (1994-97), Christine Hammer (1998-01), Amy Baker (2000-03), Rhiannon Coffey (2001-04), Margret Ebert (2002-05), Olivia Geary (2002-05), Terah Cheatham (2003-06), Emily Sorenson (2004-07) and Renee Deuth (2005-08) in that school club.

“She knows what the blue track is all about,” Jenkins said of the track at Eastern Illinois University.