Cousins enjoy family bonds on the track
It’s not unusual to have tight bonds form between teammates as a high school sports season progresses. What might be a bit more unusual, however, is when those bonds are along family lines.
That’s the case on the California Area High School girls track & field team with Kailyn Clancy, Brooke Bilitski and Eilish Miller not only teammates and classmates, but cousins as well.
Bilitski and Miller are first-cousins (their mothers are sisters) and the pair’s grandmother and Clancy’s grandmother are sisters.
Adding to the relationship is the trio all advanced to Thursday’s WPIAL Class AA Individual Track & Field Championships hosted by Baldwin High School. Clancy in the shot put and discus (as the top seed in both), Bilitski in the high jump and Miller running on the Lady Trojans’ 3,200 relay team.
“Brooke and I are two months apart. Kailyn’s the baby. She’s five months (younger),” explained Miller. “There’s always someone here to cheer us on. They go from my races to Kailyn’s throws to Brooke’s jumps.
“We’ve grown up together. We can rely on each other. We’ve run all four years together.”
The family has to be well-versed with the girls in three uniquely different events.
“We do completely different things,” said Clancy. “It’s fun to get the cousins to watch.”
“I’m really close to my two cousins,” said Bilitski. “We’ve been best friends since diapers. It’s really nice.
“We don’t get to see each other (compete) much. Our family supports us a lot. I think it makes it more special.”
All three are seniors, so it’s the last high school go-around for the trio.
“Being so close, (the WPIAL finals) is the one last thing in high school we’ll do together. We played volleyball together, but Eilish and Kailyn didn’t play this year,” said Bilitski. “I’m happy for them, no matter what.”
“I’ll miss all the friendships I’ve made,” added Miller.
“I probably will miss high school track, but I will continue to throw in college,” said Clancy, who was a two-time medalist in both the WPIAL and PIAA meets last year.
Not surprisingly, all three girls agreed on the approach they’ll have at the district finals.
“I’m really excited. This is the first time I’m going,” Bilitski said of making it to the WPIAL finals. “I want to PR and do my best. I want to clear 5-feet. I’ve been close before. My back just grazed it.
“I just want to have fun.”
Bilitski offered her thoughts on how the family would do.
“Kailyn will do better than me. I will be happy for them, no matter what,” added Bilitski.
Miller, who plans to attend West Virginia in the fall to major in Computer Science, simply wants to help her distance team to its best finish.
“I will try to run as hard as I can. I’m really excited to be there,” said Miller, who qualified in the 1,600 last year. “Last year, my goal was not to be last. I want us to get our best time (10:58). I’d be happy if we each got a PR.”
Clancy echoed her cousins’ sentiments, saying, “I’m excited. I’m looking to do my best there. I want to do the best I’ve ever done.”