With Nazareth Academy senior Sarah Owen finishing her competitive athletic career, she reflected on happiness, especially as a senior.
“Grateful is the main word I take from it. I learned so much along the way for sure,” she said. “Honestly, everything happened so fast and you’re just trying to take it in as it’s happening. I just remember feeling so grateful and I don’t remember not smiling the whole season. It’s such a great feeling to be part of it and such great energy throughout the years because we’re doing so well, people are so happy and the relationships as well.”
Jaden Fauske and Owen were named the Nazareth Senior Male and Female Athletes of the Year. Fauske, a Major League Baseball prospect, three-time all-stater and Louisiana State recruit, also has great memories and plenty of hardware. He was part of four state championships – two in four years as a varsity baseball standout and two in three years on the football team.
“Definitely winning four state championships – it’s hard to beat that,” Fauske said. “I was super-pumped about [the award], very grateful. It’s a great honor to receive and I’m pretty proud of it.”
Owen also was part of unprecedented success in four years with the girls cross country and soccer programs. She was a four-year varsity cross country standout and senior captain who ran at the 2A state meet all four years while the Roadrunners extended their streak of reaching the IHSA or comparable state meet to six consecutive seasons.
She played varsity soccer for three years. In June, the Roadrunners finished fourth in 2A for their first state trophy. Owen was among the four senior captains and had her best offensive season (4 goals, 2 assists) as a reserve forward.
Still, she was somewhat stunned by her honor.
“It was very unexpected, but not in a bad way. There’s a lot of really great athletes in my grade,” Owen said. “Surprised and proud all at once. Even though I’m not playing in college or a super-big shot, all of the hard work I put in paid off in a way.”
Fauske again was among the state’s best baseball players this spring and could very well be selected during next month’s MLB draft. He also was named the Gatorade Illinois Baseball Player of the Year. And football played a role.
“I feel like this award and other accolades are just a product of hard work,” Fauske said. “I think I always had the work ethic but Nazareth really solidified it. You’re around people with the same goals as you and being around them encourages you to work hard – not just baseball but football. You see it pay off when you’re holding the state trophy.”
During the soccer team’s trophy run, Owen considered herself more of a “leader and encourager.” The Roadrunners won five straight to reach the state semifinals after losing their last five regular-season games.
As a freshman cross country runner, she had her best state meet — 48th place in a personal-best 18:40.0 for 3.0 miles. It’s the No. 8 highest individual state finish in program history. She also was all-sectional and all-regional and all-conference as a freshman and sophomore.
Owen was among the team’s top-five scorers at three state meets. At her state finale Nov. 9, Owen’s season-best 20:16 for 195th place made her the No. 5 finisher for the 25th-place Roadrunners.
She will major in nursing at the University of Iowa.
“Above all is work ethic, seeing your hard work pay off and feeling the accomplishment, even though it’s so hard in the moment,” Owen said. “It’s something I’ll remember as I go through college and another tough four years in an academic sense.”