'A Family Affair'

The Hillsboro Lady Indians 4x400-meter relay team has had a lot of success in recent seasons, and this year has been no different, even with the change from Division II to Division I in 2014.

There is one aspect about the Division I District champion 4x4 unit that is a rare feat for a group put together by competition: the four ladies who make up the 4x4 team for the Lady Indians this season are all family.

Hillsboro's 4x4 team consists of sisters Megan and Mallory Overberg, along with their first cousins Erin Hagan and Lillian Van Zant, as they have the same set of grandparents in Bill and Janet Butler.

The team of first cousins has runners in three different grades, with the veteran being former state qualifier Megan Overberg (senior), along with Hagan, a junior, and freshmen Mallory Overberg and Van Zant.

This is a true definition of a one-and-done season for these four relatives competing as a group, as this is the lone opportunity for them to be on the same relay team, with Megan Overberg in her senior season.

"The first thing I thought of (when they all made the 4x4 team) was it going to be easy for our grandparents to come watch us, because they will only have to watch one race," Van Zant said with a laugh.

HHS girls varsity track & field head coach Sarah Horsley said before the start of the season, they knew the possibility of the revamped 4x4 team could be successful.

"We knew coming in that Megan was a strong 400 runner, and we would have her anchor our 4x4 again," she said. "We knew we were getting Lillian and Mallory, and they were strong middle-distance runners in middle school and knew what to expect out of them.

"The thing that was kind of funny was when we went to do run-offs for these events, especially the 4x4 … they didn't want to go against each other. Erin came to us and was a surprise for us and figured out quickly she was a strong runner with a competitive drive.

"After we did the run-off and put everything together, Coach (Darci) Miles said, 'You know we just created an all-cousin team?' I didn't realize all the connections, and it just all happened by chance they were the four who stepped up and were the fastest runners."

This unique situation has been one of success for the cousins, especially on May 22, when the family of runners placed first in the 2014 Division I District Championships in Marietta with a time of 4:14.51, their personal best time of the season.

Their previous best time of the season was 4:19.86 at the Miami Trace Invitational.

The ladies spoke about how the district race was their best race of the season, even though on the pre-race sheet they were listed as the fourth-best team in the race in terms of their time.

Megan Overberg, the veteran of the team, wanted more than to just race well enough to reach the regional championships.

"Before the race, we were third or fourth on the sheet, and it was like 'oh, we have to get third or fourth to make it,'" she said. "I asked Mallory what the fastest time was on the list and what our best time was.

"There was a four-second difference, so I told them that we're not just going to run to qualify, but we are going to run to win, because I knew we could do it. I believed in them, and we ran our fastest time of the year and won."

But this season has been more about placing high in races. They've also become closer not only on the track, but off of it as well.

"Everyone has gotten a lot closer, because we are together all the time now," Hagan said. "It has been fun for the entire family. Our cheering section is large. I'm glad I came out for the team this year."

This season, the HHS 4x4 team improved their overall time by 27 seconds from April 1 to May 22.

"One of the things they have you don't get with others is the family connection," Horsley said. "It isn't just about the team or 'me' when they run, but it is about their family.

"When it is the four of them together, the times are better, and the competitiveness is that much better. It makes a huge difference. When they feel they haven't done that well … the first question is always 'is so and so mad at me?' They don't want to feel they let their family down, and that has been a big push for this relay team."

The improvement came from not only the hard work they put in this season (they practiced in the snow and on tennis courts this spring), but by the motivation they get during a race.

"I ran a race before the relay and was fifth, and it was disappointing," Mallory Overberg said. "It is always really nerve-wracking when you see the person before you running, and they get closer and closer and you know 'I have to go run now.'

"All the pressure turns from them to you, but as soon as you start running, all the pressure goes away because you are just trying to improve the position of the team."

Hagan races third in the relay and spoke about how she wants to set Megan up for a good final lap.

"I like when there is someone a little bit in front of me, because it makes me want to run faster," Hagan said. "I caught up to the opponents (in districts), and I wish I could have passed them, but I caught up with them.

"I know even if I can't pass people, I have to get close to them because that puts Megan in a good position to pass them, and that motivates me."

Megan Overberg spoke about the final lap at districts.

"We were in third when I started running, and the first thing I thought of was 'Go, GO, GO … run as fast as you can,'" she said. "On the backstretch, I passed the two girls, and I was nervous to not lose the lead. As I got to the finish line, I just smiled because I knew we dropped a lot of time and that we had won Division I districts."

With this being a family of runners, during family gatherings, the topic of all four of the girls getting to be on the same relay team has been mentioned a time or two, as this year was the one and only chance for this situation to occur.

"Our parents have always talked about this being a possibility, more like a joke, but it turned into a reality," Mallory Overberg said.

Once it was nearly time for the district 4x4 race, Coach Horsley thought this could be "something special."

"The girls ran a really good race, but the thing about that race was we didn't know if we were going to have Megan as she was recovering from an injury," Horsley said. "We waited how to see she ran in the 4x200 to make a decision.

"Once we made the decision and gave them the relay card, there was an enthusiasm with them. I saw this is going to be something special … we put a lot of focus in in the 4x4 and saw more enthusiasm than we've seen all year. It is an exciting added aspect to do something special in the race with their family."

Not to be forgotten, the Lady Indians won their Division I District championship without the luxury of an actual track to practice on, due to the fact the HHS track is still in the process of being built.

Still, with the cousins practicing on the tennis courts and high school parking lot, they were still able to have success that not many schools can equal.

"To improve our time from what it was at the start of the year to what we have done now … everyone has worked hard," Megan Overberg said. "Everyone had to take time getting used to this. It was Lillian's and Mallory's first year, and Erin hasn't run since middle school.

"I'm proud of everyone. We've had some obstacles this year, and everyone has stepped up and did what they had to do and ran well."

The regional tournament will be held May 28 and May 30 at Pickerington North High School.