It’s not quite mission impossible, but go ahead. Catch Patrick Hilby if you can.
It doesn’t seem likely, however.
The Aurora Central Catholic senior has moved his status to leader of the pack in the state for high school boys track in his specialty, the 800-meter run. It’s a two-lap race in outdoor track.
Earlier this month, Hilby extended his reach even further, going to Boston and winning the New Balance Nationals Indoor title among high school competitors in the event with a personal record of 1:48.47 over four 200-meter laps.
“It’s hard to make moves indoors, so I wanted to go out fast and I got a great PR,” Hilby said in an interview after the race of his time, which was a six-second improvement. “The big jump is super exciting going forward.”
He believes it will set the stage for improving his current outdoor record of 1:48.81 since it’s so early in that season.
“I don’t know of anybody from Aurora who’s won a national individual title like that,” ACC coach Troy Kerber said. “Maybe we have. That puts it in perspective, though, and shows the magnitude.
“Patrick is a prizefighter, man. You’ve gotta go 15 rounds with him to beat him.”
How special is the Chargers’ pacesetter?
“As a person, student and athlete, he’s a one-in-a-trillion kid that comes to any coach,” Kerber said of Hilby, who started out as a three-sport athlete at ACC by playing football and basketball.
“Two years ago, I feel he made a big decision in terms of his athletic career when he decided to make a full commitment to track and then run cross country, where he was also all-state, That year-round development has really helped. I think it started pushing him to a higher level.”
His ascension began with Hilby winning the Class 2A state title in track with a record time of 1:50.49, which was faster than the winners of the other two classes and fourth fastest in state meet history.
Five days later, Hilby went to St. Louis and finished second in the HOKA Festival of Miles. He ran an outdoor personal-record 1:48.81, second to the 1:48.59 posted by Class 3A state champ Dan Watcke, a Hinsdale Central senior and Oregon recruit.
The performance earned Hilby an invitation to the New Balance Nationals Outdoor later in June in Philadelphia, where he finished fourth in the division for top high school competitors.
Those two meets were the first Hilby competed in following ACC’s season but there will be more.
In the meantime, he has committed to a scholarship offer from Wisconsin, one of several schools that began recruiting him last April following his 800 win in the Palatine Distance Night.
The Badgers won out over Iowa State, Notre Dame and North Carolina.
On April 6, Hilby will cap his spring break by traveling to Arcadia in California for another high-level race against competitors in the fastest section.
Ranked second in the nation entering his final outdoor season, Hilby is likely to end up facing the top-ranked 800 runner in Tyler Matthews of Red Mountain, Arizona. Matthews’ outdoor PR tops Hilby’s mark by .09 of a second.
“He’s run a 1:48.47, and actually, I think he’s got a 1:47 in him right now,” Kerber said of Hilby. “He wasn’t pushed at nationals, taking the lead from the start. He ran a little relaxed in the middle laps because he could see the guy behind him on the big video screen during the race.”
Last weekend, Hilby decided to forego the 800 at the Illinois Prep Top Times meet but won the individual 400 and anchored ACC’s winning 1,600 and 3,200 relays.
“He’s a world class person, coachable, humble, and a great leader for our program,” Kerber said. “He takes his teammates with him.”
Hilby’s ability to perform at a high level in a great range of races from the 100 to cross country makes him dangerous at the next level, according to Kerber.
“The 800 can get physical — it’s fun to watch,” he said. “Patrick has really made it the marquee event in Illinois right now, and there’s been a lot of great 800 runners in the state’s history.
“Patrick is one of the all-time greats right now, and he’s not done yet. There’s unfinished business for him before college.”
Rick Armstrong , 2024-03-28 19:16:24
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