Saturday, May 22, 2004

Hall, Trefz battle to the end

Women of Troy claim victory in dramatic race

By Susan Harman
Iowa City Press-Citizen

DES MOINES - Claire Hall and Nelle Trefz have to stop doing this. Just a month after a photo finish in the Drake Relays 4x800, the two rivals completed their 800 anchor legs in the distance medley relay by tumbling over each other at the finish.

Hall was so overextended at the end she collapsed and was sick for several minutes, leaning over a barrel near the finish line while being comforted by teammates. Finally about 15 minutes later she was carted off the field and out of the hot, humid weather to cool down inside the Drake Fieldhouse with ice and cold towels.

"She was a great warrior today," West High coach Mike Parker said. "I'm glad she's on my team."

"Before the race I felt a little dizzy, and I thought just make it through the race, you're going to be fine," Hall said. "It was definitely from (dehydration) and heat."

Trefz appeared dazed as well by the effort and stared straight ahead and wobbled slightly as her teammates congratulated her on her effort.

"I'm sure we both had the same goal of getting any part of our body across the finish line first, and in that situation you do whatever it takes to try to get across that line," Trefz said. "The race isn't over until 10 steps after the line. You can never count anything until after."

At the beginning of the 800-meter leg, Trefz was 15 meters behind Hall and in fourth place. Trefz knew what she had to do, but she didn't try to do it too soon.

"I didn't want to repeat districts where I went out and chased the girls down a little too quickly," Trefz said. "In a race of this caliber the last 60 meters are really going to count. I wanted to stay in contact but at the same time have enough left at the end."

With about 400 meters remaining, Hall, Dowling's Ally Thrall, Trefz and Pleasant Valley's Kelsey Bulat were bunched with Valley's Jessica Wiegert way back.

"Today I tried to go the first 600 really strong," Hall said. "In about 1:36, 1:38 and then just push really hard in the last 200 and hope I had it in me."

Trefz moved into second with 350 meters left. Hall then began her finishing kick with 200 left and looked strong until she began to falter in the last 50 meters.

"My legs started to go," Hall said. "In my mind I was just thinking 'Get to the finish. Don't fall before the finish.' My arms had been tensing up in the last 100 and then it got really bad. The last 50 I was just trying to hold on."

"I went up about 50 meters," Huntley said of her view of the finish. "I thought I saw the gap closing, and I was like 'Claire, you've got to get moving.'"

Parker said he couldn't watch at that point and put his head down and started praying.

Meanwhile Bulat was on the verge of catching Trefz as the three accordianed to the finish. With her last lick of energy, Hall fell across the line, and Trefz tripped over her. Bulat finished right behind. West's time was 4 minutes, 9.23 seconds, just .09 seconds ahead of City and .24 seconds ahead of Pleasant Valley.

"I don't remember falling," Hall said. "I know I hit, and then I saw her shoe hit right next to me so I knew we had won. I don't remember anything after that."

Huntley wasn't immediately sure her teammate had made it across first.

"I was 'Oh no,' but then everyone else started screaming, and I was like 'I think it's OK to celebrate,'" Huntley said.

The gutsy anchors were the dramatic final act but the storyline was established in the first three legs for the Women of Troy. Hall was given a 15-meter lead thanks to Amanda Judisch, Lisa Mellecker and Lizz Huntley. Too often in this race those legs are an afterthought.

Judisch got the team off to a great start. She said the goal of each member of the relay was to win her leg.

"Our coach told us we were the underdog and nobody believed we could do it," Judisch said.

Huntley's 400 leg cemented the lead for West.

"I try to tell myself, Claire is here and as long as we give her the baton in first there's no doubt that she's going to carry it home," a beaming Huntley said. "So it was like that's all I need to do. Take care of your part."