BURNT HILLS — High school is often a period of self-discovery and exploration, a time to figure out your passions and interests.
Allie O’Rourke, a junior at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School, experienced this firsthand. Initially, she was set on pursuing field hockey at the collegiate level. However, she found herself drawn to track and field, leading to a shift in her goals.
“Running was a challenge for me initially,” O’Rourke confessed. “I used to wonder, ‘Why would anyone want to run in circles all day?’ But after a series of successful practices, I discovered my love for it.”
In the spring season, O’Rourke was part of a 4 x 400 relay team that secured second place at the NYSPHSAA championships in early June. The very next day, they bounced back to clinch victory in the same event at the NYS Federation championships.
“The team faced disappointment one day, but they showed great resilience and determination the next,” praised Burnt Hills coach Matt Shell. “They didn’t resort to blaming each other, they simply acknowledged that they were outperformed that day.”
The following weekend at the New Balance Nationals in Philadelphia, O’Rourke secured second place in the 800-meter dash, and the Spartans’ relay team also came in second in the girls’ spring medley, which includes legs of 200, 200, 400 and 800.
“It was a tough decision, but a few weeks ago, I decided that I want to run in college,” O’Rourke revealed. “This realization came just before nationals. I thought, ‘Maybe this is what I should be doing.’ That was a pivotal moment for me.
“My parents, especially my Dad who was a runner himself, were very supportive of my decision to run track. They believed in my potential to excel in this sport.”
Despite the impressive performance of the team, which included O’Rourke, Addy Wood, Julia James and Cassidy Robleno at the NYSPHSAA and Federation championships, they haven’t been running together for a long time.
Due to other sports commitments and injuries that sidelined Sam Torres and Mia Paolino, Burnt Hills had to find replacements for the relay team.
“Sam couldn’t participate in indoor winter track due to her soccer commitments, so we had two alternates with Addy Wood and Julia James,” O’Rourke explained. “This outdoor season, Mia Paolino was injured, and we didn’t have Sam either. It felt like half the team was new, but Addy and Julia stepped up and performed exceptionally well.”
Wood, James, O’Rourke and Robleno clocked a time of 3:58.05 to win the Federation championship.
Torres was able to return for the New Balance Nationals, joining Wood, Robleno and O’Rourke to secure a second-place finish in the girls’ spring medley with a combined time of 3:56.73.
On an individual level, O’Rourke’s second-place finish in the 800-meter event at nationals was a significant improvement from her 11th-place finish at states.
“I told her, ‘You can’t expect to run your best race every time, it’s just not feasible.’ She expects to be competitive in every race, but she had a tough race,” Shell said of O’Rourke’s 800-meter finish at states. “Even the best have off days, and at nationals, she ran an incredible race against some of the toughest competition she’s ever faced.”
“I didn’t perform well, and after, my coach advised me to take some time alone and let it go,” O’Rourke recalled of the 800-meter run at states. “To move forward and know that the next race will be better.”
“She’s resilient and she’s got a unique talent,” Shell said. “She’s a determined runner with a lot of speed. Running those 400s and 800s are really challenging races to run, and she’s got this grit about her and can maintain her speed. … She has an incredible finish to her races.”
As O’Rourke prepares for her senior year, she will begin with her final season of field hockey — a sport that has significantly influenced her perspective on track and field.
“Field hockey has definitely shaped how I view relays and track as a team sport,” O’Rourke said. “I believe I perform better in relays than in open events, because I’m doing it for my teammates. They rely on me to perform well, so I have to deliver.”
I agree. She is a talented athlete who will excel in track and field.
She is sure to dominate on the track!