Eagleston prepares to end high school career strong

Olivia Zellner | The Chronicle

After over eight years of sprinting and hurdling, Mason High School (MHS) senior Lily Eagleston currently finds herself ranked first in Ohio for the girls 100 meter hurdles with a time of 14.29 and in reach of the goal she has carried since freshman year — breaking the 100-meter hurdle school record.

Eagleston said she first fell in love with hurdles the summer before fifth grade, after pointing to the track and telling her mom that was the sport she wanted to pursue. That same summer, she met her hurdling coach, Pat Doyle, the person who would eventually guide her from her first strides to the cusp of breaking 14 seconds.

“I started working with the Mason Track team about eight years ago,” Doyle said. “And during the summer when I was working there in Track Club, I came across this little girl who wanted to be a hurdler, and that was Lily. I’ve watched her grow from this spindly little thing up in sixth grade up into a really great athlete. Along the way, we’ve developed this relationship that’s really more like a grandfather and granddaughter.”

Doyle said he takes great pride in Eagleston’s ability to reach the milestones that she has, adding that she has always had the work ethic and mindset to accomplish it.

“Lily has always been one of those athletes who is willing to put in the time, no matter what,” Doyle said. “She’s driven, for one thing, but she also wants to be perfect. That can be a hindrance for some people, but I think for her it’s been what made her improve so much.”

Doyle said that as he has watched that mindset take shape over years of practices, meets and challenging moments. But to Doyle, it wasn’t just Lily’s improvement that stood out, it was the impact her journey had on him as a coach, even after decades in the sport.

“For me to be the age I am now, 71, and to be coaching someone like her is just so fulfilling, I can’t even tell you,” Doyle said. “I feel like what she has achieved happened partially through my wisdom about the event, and her persistence. As a coach, that’s such a great feeling.”

While Doyle found purpose in helping guide her, Eagleston said she found purpose in being guided. The relationship between the two has shaped much of her high school track career, not just in form and technique, but in the belief that she could do something great.

“He’s kind of the reason I did hurdles to begin with,” Eagleston said. “He fulfilled the dream. He basically said, if you want to do it, go for it — and we’ve worked together ever since.”

Under Doyle’s guidance, Eagleston’s growth has been marked by consistency, technical progress and a fierce desire to improve. During a typical peak-season week, Eagleston said she lifts twice a week and trains hurdles on both Tuesday and Thursday, splitting focus between long and short distance races. But the 100-meter hurdles have been her event of choice since the beginning. Her current personal record leaves her within striking distance of the sub-14-second mark she said she has had her eyes on for three years.

That drive carried her through what she said was her most difficult season yet — her senior indoor season, where she struggled to PR (personal record) and left each meet feeling frustrated. For someone used to seeing progress year after year, Eagleston said it was a mental battle more than anything.

“I really had a lot of rough practices,” Eagleston said. “I did not have a personal best that season, and it was really defeating for me, especially seeing other girls on my team excel. I am so proud of them, but personally, that was hard.”

But even as the times did not fall the way she wanted, Eagleston said the motivation never left. Every practice, every rep, every early morning warm-up came with the reminder of the goal still within reach.

“I’ve been chasing that record for so long,” Eagleston said. “I want so badly to run under 14 seconds. It’s always kind of in the back of my mind — it’s what I’m thinking about at the start of every race.”

For Eagleston, her goal is about more than just time. It is also about legacy. If she breaks 14 seconds, she will become only the second athlete under Coach Doyle to ever do so — the first being his own daughter.

“It’s just cool that it’s kind of a full-circle thing,” Eagleston said. “I’ve been with him since I started, and to be the second girl to do that would be unbelievable.”

But she is not chasing it alone. Eagleston said she credits her teammates as one of the biggest parts of her high school track journey. Whether it is keeping each other motivated before a meet or just keeping the team’s spirits up, Eagleston credits fellow senior and teammate Kate Hartley as someone who makes the sport better.

Eagleston also said this sense of community will extend far beyond her high school team. She trains with a club in Columbus during the winter, where she has built friendships with athletes from all over the state. She said one of her proudest memories came at the state meet last year, when she stood on the podium surrounded by six girls from six different schools — all teammates through the club.

“The only thing that’s brought us together is really our love for the sport and the drive that we all share,” Eagleston said. “So it was awesome just being up there with my teammate’s arms around each other, just having this proud moment together at the end of a great season. It was just an amazing moment for us as a team and to represent our schools, but also show that our schools come together through track.”

Though the rest of this season her goals are still centered on high school, Eagleston plans to continue her track career at Ball State University. Even now, with college on the horizon, she said her relationship with track has never been about outside pressure. Her parents support her goals but never push, and Eagleston said that freedom is what has kept her passionate all these years.

“I truly love this sport,” Eagleston said. “And I feel like if I ever stopped loving it, I’d be okay walking away. But right now, I really want to see where it takes me.”

Looking back on her athletic and personal growth over the years, Eagleston said the lessons she has learned from track extend far beyond the lanes.

“You have to learn how to deal with pressure — block out who you’re competing against and focus on your race,” she said. “That’s something you take into life. Like in a job, you’ll face big projects, and you’ve just got to relax, focus on what you know, and trust yourself.”