WIAA Track: Brookfield Central Girls Take Third

It might not have been the prettiest, but Chidera Obasih says it was on purpose.

The Brookfield Central senior dove across the finish line in the 400 to just edge out Bradley Tech Tahje Whittley for first place on Saturday at the WIAA State Meet in La Crosse.

“I did that on purpose,” Obasih explained. “It was not an accident. I saw the Olympic trials when that girl fell so that she could make it in. I just thought about that because we were all neck-and-neck, so I just fell just to get the win.”

That win was the fastest time Obasih had run in the 400 all season (56.58 seconds) despite running the event a full second and a half faster last year.

Due to a hamstring injury, the senior didn’t even know if she’d be ready to go soon enough to be able to make it to state.

“I really didn’t think I was going to be able to run at state or this whole season,” she said. “Just being able to come back was like a dream.”

Obasih also medaled in the 200 and 100 events on Saturday, taking fourth behind the new state (and almost the country’s) fastest high school girl, Bradley Tech’s Dezerea Bryant.

In her four-year career, Obasih accumulated 12 medals at the State Meets.

The Lancers also earned a medal in the 4x800 relay as they took fourth with a time of 9 minutes, 26.55 seconds.

In the 3200, senior Hannah Trasser finished ninth while freshman Elizabeth Flatley took 15th.

In all, Brookfield Central’s girls team tallied 34 points on the weekend and finished third in the overall standings.