Titan Top Three highlights three of the most impactful athletes in South sports,
chosen by the sports editors. This issue’s Top Three features senior Junior Lopez
and junior Frankie Hackl, whose record-breaking runs reshaped the school record,
along with sophomore Bianca Badral, a Mongolian dancer.

Hackl and Lopez break record

At the Batavia Distance Madness track meet last month, junior Frankie Hackl pushed through the final stretch of the 1600-meter race as he chased down the lead runner. With a final surge, Hackl crossed the finish line in 4:23.99, setting the indoor 1600-meter record, Hackl said.

Hackl’s time shaved roughly three seconds off the record on March 13, marking a major milestone in his third year of running—but senior Junior Lopez made sure that record did not last long.

“I realized I broke the record right when I crossed the finish line but I didn’t realize how much I broke it by,” Hackl said.

For Hackl, who also competes in cross-country, the competitive environment played a key role in his performance, Hackl said. Hackl found himself keeping pace with faster runners, pushing him to exceed expectations.

“I had a really good heat,” Hackl said. “I was led along by the higher-seeded runners, and halfway through I realized I could stay with them.”

Although Hackl knew he was near the front, he did not realize how far he and the top runner had separated from the rest of the group until he saw a video of the race.

“I was running with the front pack, and we happened to break away,” Hackl said. “That’s what helped me break the record.”

Hackl began running consistently in high school and had a breakthrough in his cross-country season this year. Throughout the years, the team dynamic has been one of Hackl’s favorite aspects of the sport, Hackl said.

“Our team is really strong this year, but Junior Lopez specifically is doing really well and will probably break my record soon,” Hackl said. “It shows how good our team is and how we keep improving.”

As Hackl expected, at the front of the 1600-meter race during the Illinois Indoor Championships meet on March 28, Lopez made South history by beating Hackl’s record set just two weeks prior, Lopez said. By just 3.52 seconds, Lopez set the school record for the indoor 1600-meter race with a time of 4:20.47.

When the race began, Lopez made it his goal to not let anybody pass him or prevent him from becoming the 1600-meter record holder.

“I knew people were going to go for placement,” Lopez said. “So I decided to go for time and tried to go for the record.”

However, that was not Lopez’s only accomplishment during the meet; as Lopez glanced at the scoreboard, he realized his time also beat the outdoor 1600-meter record time of 4:20:53 set by Jordan Theriault in 2018.

“After I broke the record, my motivation boosted back up,” Lopez said.

“These past few weeks, I have been close to breaking records, but have always been one to three seconds off. Now I finally broke one—even if it was just by milliseconds.”

Lopez has entered his final season as a track runner and is intent on making a name for himself. With two months left and still multiple records to break, Lopez is eager to make Hackl and the rest of his younger teammates work hard to stand alongside Lopez’s name in South history books.

“I feel like my teammates need harder goals to obtain for next year,” Lopez said. “I want to make sure that my times are hard enough that they do not break them. I want a legacy.”

Bianca Badral cultural dances

Junior Bianca Badral moves with precision as her shoulders lift and drop in rhythm, a defining element of traditional Mongolian dance, setting it apart from other styles. For Badral, the art form is more than movement—it is a way to stay connected to her community.

Badral, who has been practicing Mongolian dance for over two years, began when her mother enrolled her in a belly dancing class. After moving to Mongolia in third grade and returning to the United States in seventh, she reconnected with the same instructor, Badral said.

“When I came back to the United States in seventh grade my teacher told me I should switch to Mongolian dancing,” Badral said.

The style requires both strength and control, emphasizing sharp shoulder movements and low squatting stances, Badral said.

“Mongolian dancing is hard to learn, but it is easy if you keep on practicing,” Badral said.

Badral dances with a program called Bid Chadna with 10 dancers who practice twice a week. The group usually has one annual recital, but increased participation has led to more performances this year, Badral said.

“We had our first big recital in November last year, and we are having another this year in June,” Badral said.

Dancing has also helped Badral build relationships through practices and performances.

“I got close with a lot of the other dancers, and I enjoy our time together,” Badral said. “I really like spreading Mongolian culture.”