Hilmar’s Lilly Brewer sets personal, school bests at Sacramento Meet of Champions

Lilly Brewer - photo by Photo Contributed

Hilmar High head track and field coach Clement Labrouche has seen a lot in his over three decades involved in the sport. It wasn’t until Saturday that he saw what he considered to be “the greatest individual performance I’ve ever seen.’

That performance came courtesy of Lilly Brewer. Competing at the Sacramento Meet of Champions at American River College, the junior runner posted three personal bests, including a pair of new school records.

Brewer became the first ever female Yellowjacket to finish the 400-meter dash in under a minute with her time of 59.03 seconds. The time was good for fourth place that day.

As part of the 4x100 relay team alongside Jayme Soares, Alyssa Colston and Itzel Loza, Brewer helped set a school record with a 50.50 time. Despite the 16th-place finish at this particular meet, the time bested a mark that she helped set a year ago. Last season, Brewer and Soares helped set the previous school-best time of 50.95 seconds alongside Brianna Dias and Kyndell Johnston.

In the 300-meter hurdles, she set a personal best, finishing in 46.81 seconds. Although it only earned her sixth place on Saturday, the time is the second best in Hilmar history behind Dani Olson’s 46.31 set in 2015.

“To be able to run all those events in the same day, set all those times in such a short amount of time, it’s amazing,” said Labrouche. “She’s amazing.”

“I don't know where to start,” Brewer said, reflecting on her weekend. “I mean, I set a goal for myself at the beginning of the year to run 59 (seconds in the 400). And then I did, so that's good. I wasn't expecting to hit that time when it's this early in the season. I was expecting to hit it more towards Masters or somewhere around then.”

The Yellowjackets have a date with Hughson on Wednesday for the final dual of the Tran-Valley League season before preparing for the TVL Finals on May 2. After that, the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs. Brewer is hoping to avenge herself on the state stage after experiencing heartbreak in soccer just under two months ago.

On March 2, Brewer missed an attempt in the sudden-death penalty kick period of the D-5 NorCal Regional final to end the Yellowjackets’ season. Since that moment, she has had a chip on her shoulder.

“I'm thinking back to soccer right now when I missed that PK,” she said. “We didn't get it (the championship) in soccer, but I'm going to make up for it and get it in track. That’s the goal.”

Age: 17

Grade: Junior

Favorite class: History

Favorite food: Sushi

Hobbies: Reading and running

Last book read: “Before We Were Yours” by Lisa Wingate

Dream college: UC Santa Barbara or Point Loma Nazarene University

Favorite movie: Little Women

Favorite TV show: Friends

Favorite color: Blue

Favorite sports team: San Francisco 49ers

Favorite athlete: Sydney McLaughlin