Nursing a season-long leg injury, Eastern York's Tierney Hiltz was given a choice by Golden Knights girls' track coach Joel Jacobs going into his teams showdown at York Suburban, which decided the YAIAA Division B title.
The conversation last week went something like this:
Jacobs: "You know if you run four events on Tuesday night counties (the YAIAA championships at Dallastown, May 8) is probably going to be in question for you
Hiltz: "It doesn't matter to me." (or something to that effect).
That was the key. Hiltz wanted to be there for her teammates.
And she came through big time winning the 100 and 200 dashes and running the anchor leg of a close, yet victorious 4 X 100 race, plus was second in the javelin throw.
"I haven't run all year. I wasn't in shape to run the 200," she said. "I was giving it all I could. I tried to zone out the pain and act like there was nothing else there."
"This is what it is all about. Her being a senior is exactly the kind of attitude you want from a kid," Jacobs said of Hiltz.
As a 1,000-career point scorer for the Eastern girls' basketball team, Hiltz was used to being on the court at crunch time.
Yet on Tuesday, all she could do was watch the Knights 4 X 400 relay team in the meet deciding race against the Trojans.
"All you have to do is cheer your team on. Have faith in them that they can do it," she said. "Our 4 X 4 team is amazing. It was a nice way to end it. These are the best meets, watching your teammates pull through for the win."
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