Eagan wins in this speedy sibling rivalry

Eagan sprinter Jake Gourley, his right leg aching, competed gamely at last spring's track and field state meet but could only muster a sixth-place finish in the 100-meter dash.

That didn't stop a teammate from ribbing him that his younger sister and fellow sprinter, Maddie, would score more points based on her top finishes in the girls' meet.

''I hope she will this year,'' Jake responded at the time. "But it won't happen again.''

Two of Minnesota's top sprinters, the Gourleys are at once proud sibling rivals and each other's biggest fans. Maddie, a sophomore, posted three all-state finishes at state last spring. Jake, a senior, holds the state's fastest marks this year in the 100 (10.59 seconds) and 200 (21.6).

The recent revelation of Jake's comment drew a smile but no surprise from Maddie.

"This is his last year of high school track, and I'm sure he wants it to be his year," Maddie said. "I'd be happy for him if he did [score more points at state], but obviously I want to do well, too."

The siblings are aiming for big goals this spring. Maddie seeks to lower her school records in the 100 and 200 and take down the 400 record. Her best time is one-hundredth of a second off the mark. She wants to finish in the top three at the state meet in all three events and said, "By senior year I want to win one event, at least."

"I was happy for him because I know he wants to win state really badly," Maddie said. "I want him to do as well as I want myself to do."

Radiant performances at the Hamline Elite Meet helped ease Jake's regret about two seasons hampered by injuries. A torn meniscus suffered in football required surgery right before his sophomore track season. Jake missed qualifying for state in the 100 by two-hundredths of a second.

He made the cut last year and finished sixth in the 100 at state despite acute right leg pain. Doctors later discovered a stress fracture. Brushing aside anything resembling an excuse, Jake said, "I've got a lot of fire this year knowing that in the past two years I had more to give. I need to get done what I feel should have been done a long time ago."

Though inspired by what she called her brother's "courageous" performance at state, Maddie also brings toughness to the track. She lost half of her eighth-grade season to an ankle injury but refused to let much else get in her way.

Accidentally cut while picking up a starting block at the South Suburban Conference meet last year, Maddie received medical attention but never lost focus.

Chris Gourley, who competed as a sprinter for Eveleth High School, said she and her husband, Brant, are thrilled to see their children sharing a special season.

"As parents it's nice because you hate to see one of them up and one of them down," Chris said. "We ask ourselves, 'Will we ever get to see both of them happy at the same time?' "

No one sees Jake and Maddie happy at the starting line.

"People tell me when I get in the blocks that I look mad," Maddie said. "We both have this look we get when we block everything out."

Said Jake: "Whenever I hear, 'Warm-ups off,' it just clicks in my head that it's time to go. I'm done socializing with other runners. You kind of have to bring something else out of yourself and you have to get after it. It's the first one to the finish line, and you can't be nice about it."

Jake called his sister "fearless" on the track.

"The 400 is a monster and training for it is never fun, but she attacks her workouts," Jake said.

Eagan coach Adam Copeland said Jake's "teammates often comment how he trains like a beast." Anderson said other AAU athletes dubbed Jake "The Hammer."

This track season is unique, Jake said, because until now his sister's successes always outweighed his own. Years ago, Maddie even beat her older brother head-to-head.

"In second grade she was faster than he was as a fourth-grader," Chris said. "His friends would ask her to race."

"I always tell them, 'If you get to state and get on the podium, you should be happy,' " Chris said. "But I'd love to see them win."

Jake and Maddie feel likewise, wanting it for each other as much as themselves.