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Sports Magnificent McClune: Top Girls Athlete
Magnificent McClune: Top Girls Athlete
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Welcome to the world of Jess McClune. Four events, four victories, lots of athletes left in her asphalt-running wake. And as a result, this Elgin senior left the Pepsi Invitational at Union High as Girls Top Athlete. No pain, no gain? No pain, no gain. “Have you ever had a girl win four events in one day?” five-year Elgin coach Chad Peck was asked. “Yeah,” he said, followed by a laugh. “Jess before.” “Jess has done it before last year and a couple of times her sophomore season.” There was a pause. “Other than her, no I haven’t.” Here was the first-place round-up for Magnificent McClune: 100-meters (12.95); 100-hurdles (16.10); 300-hurdles (46.81); Long jump (17-feet, 2-in.). Most impressively, perhaps, was her 300-meter hurdle race, when she distanced herself by nearly five seconds from second place. Sprint. Leap. Swing. Ahead of the pack. Sprint. Leap. Swing. More ahead of the pack. And 300-meters later, there she was, across the finish line, ahead of everyone, blood pumping, lungs heaving, taking in this pain leading to her fourth victory of the day. No pain, no gain? No pain, no gain. “It feels like a little guy’s going off in my head, saying, ‘push a little harder, push a little harder,’” McClune said. “I’m thinking, ‘300-meters and I’m done.’ “Leave it all on the track.” If she would’ve left anymore on the track, it would’ve been transformed from its black coloring to her Husky purple. Big Bad Wolf? Nah. Big Bad Jess. She huffed. She puffed. She blew her opponents away. What’s her secret? Blazing speed. Graceful technique. Strong work ethic. All of it’s instilled in this Elgin senior, and all of it left her walking out of Union as the Girls Top Athlete. Big Bad Jess. “You feel a sense of accomplishment,” McClune said. “But also just a good feeling inside of you.” |
