1988 Lady Steelmen track team ‘could and did’

The 1988 Lorain High Lady Steelmen track team finished tied for 15th in the Class AAA state meet.

But that’s only partly why they’re getting inducted into the Lorain Sports Hall of Fame on May 19 at German’s Villa.

Known as the “little track team that could and did,” the Steelmen had only 13 athletes on the team and still won the Division I District title by upsetting powers Elyria, Admiral King and Amherst. They became only the second Lorain High Steelmen girls team to win a district title.

Lorain started the season with 16 girls: Queen Young (4x400, long jump, high jump, hurdles, 4x200, 4x100), Angie Moye (100, 200, 4x400, 4x100, 4x200), Tanya Prescott (4x400, hurdles, 400, 4x100, 4x100), Lillian Saez (1x100, 4x200, 100, 200, 400, 3,200), Terri Kosztyo (1,600, 3,200, hurdles, distance relays), Angie Smith (4x800 relay, 800), Chris Nagy (800, shot put, 4x400, distance relays), Colleen McBennett (3,200, 1,600, distance relays), Gina DiFrancesco (3,200, 1,600, distance relays), Catrina Lewis (100 hurdles, 300 low hurdles, sprints and relays), Tammy Alecia (3,200, 1,600, distance relays), Steffi Weisenberger (shot put, discus), Rachael Jenkins (distance relays, 3,200, 1,600, 4x800), Dena Adkins (sprinter), Michelle Strickler (sprinter) and Lisa Rodriquez (high jump, hurdles, 4x100, 4x200).

By the time they got to the district meet, there were 13 — and three were freshmen.

That feat is still incredible in the eyes of their head coach Mark Robbins.

“We couldn’t afford no mistakes at that district championship,” Robbins said. “We had problems with Elyria during the season, and they were the only team that beat us. Our overall record was 7-1 in dual and tri meets, and 5-1 in the Erie Shore Conference behind Elyria. It was amazing, really amazing. We had to plead to the girls to be versatile, and we trained them that way. And we basically had sprinters running distances, and distance runners running sprints, some doing distance and long jump and so on.

“It was a pretty unique story.”

When Robbins got the call that the team was getting inducted into the Hall of Fame, he was caught off guard.

“It was sort of out of the blue,” he said. “It was extremely exciting, and when I had the opportunity to get in contact with the girls, they were very, very excited about it.”

The Steelmen were strong from start to finish. They finished third out of 20 teams at the Amherst Comet Relays, first at the Vermilion Invitational for the second straight year, and sixth out of 15 teams at the Bay Relays before the district title. At the regional meet at Amherst, Lorain had five girls in eight events and one made it out — Lillian Saez.

Saez won the 400 state title (54.95), becoming AllOhio for the second time and finishing undefeated in the season.

“She was the hardest working athlete that I’ve ever coached,” Robbins said.

“And I’ve coached soccer, cross country, basketball — and she was the hardest working athlete I’ve ever seen. We had to keep a brown paper bag handy at the finish line during practice because she would hyperventilate. And the other girls would hyperventilate trying to keep up with her. She was such a competitor that our girls really couldn’t push her, so we had to run her with the boys in practice. That’s what made her special.”

Saez also did something that isn’t commonly seen.

“She never ran out of her starting blocks,” Robbins added. “She is the only 400 meter runner I’ve ever seen to this day that doesn’t start out of blocks. I tried to get her to do it, but she told me she just doesn’t feel comfortable. So why fix something that’s not broken? That’s the way I looked at it. Every time she would get in blocks, she felt like she was going to false start. So I just let her do it.”

Robbins coached Lorain from 1984-89 before the track team was cut.

He pointed out that what made this team unique is the fact that they were in Division I.

“Thirteen girls doesn’t seem like an extraordinary feat until you realize it was in Division I,” Robbins said. “Thirteen girls winning a district title in Division IV, III or even II, that could happen. But you don’t see it happen often in Division I.”

Throughout the season, eight girls records were established in the 100, 200, 400, 800, 1,600, 3,200, 300 low hurdles and the 1,600 relay.

Most of the athletes, along with Robbins, will be in attendance for the ceremony. Now, this little track team “could and did” make history and is forever cemented in Lorain lore.

“It’s an honor to be there,” Robbins added.