Let's forget about Class A for a moment and think about how well the Duquoin girls track and field team performed in last spring's state championship. The Indians put on a masterfully skilled exhibition in distancing themselves from Chicago (Latin) where they won the title by twelve points 58-46. During the fray, sisters senior "Gabby" Gabrielle Alongi and sophomore Grace Alongi contributed to the team scoring in five of eight events. The MileSplit Illinois Pre-Season Power Rankings tabbed Duquoin as favorites to repeat. Unfortunately, the season has been put on hold due to the COVID-19 "Corona Virus" has had major implications on the entire sports world.
Gabby's perspective:
As a senior, I am devastated that the end of the year has turned out this way, however,
I'm aware of the severity of the situation and I hope we can get through this together. Since the
quarantine started, I have continued to train and prepare (from home) in the hopes that there will
still be a season, even if it is a short one. I am lucky because I have my sister Grace to run with.
My sister and I usually run in the afternoon when we would've had practice because this makes
us feel as though we are sticking to a schedule. I work best when I have a schedule and am busy,
so this quarantine is really testing me.
I believe I am still as motivated as before, and am trying to
keep my teammates motivated as well. This quarantine has made me realize that despite not
being a fan of waking up early, I really miss school. To keep myself busy I have started the
Netflix series All-American. I highly recommend the series, even if you aren't particularly
knowledgeable about football (like me), I think you will still find it interesting. I have also been
trying new things: drawing and how to play Madden with my brother, John. I am not very good
at either of these things, however, it seems that I will have a lot of time on my hands in the
upcoming weeks, so I'm really hoping I'll get better. I hope everyone is staying safe and staying at home! Hopefully, we will all be back on the track soon. ( Also, my teammate Jalynn Wood made
a funny track Tik Tok, go check it out: CLICK HERE
Grace's perspective:
Since I'm a sophomore, I know that I will have two more seasons to compete, but this
year was going to be special. It was going to be the last year of running with my sister. It is
disappointing that I'm not going to get to compete with her for a whole season, but I'm hopeful
that I will get to run with her this year, even if it is not much. This quarantine has pushed all of
us to try to stay positive and not be discouraged. My training has been fueled by hope: hope for a
track season and hope that this will end soon. My heart goes out to all the people affected by the
coronavirus and I hope everyone stays safe and healthy. I hope to see everyone in the coming
months.