Malecek triplets trying to finish what they started before heading off to college
ONALASKA, Wis. (BVM) — On Aug. 29, it was announced that the Malecek triplets — Lydia, Kora and Amalia — had committed to the University of Illinois. Following their senior year at Onalaska High School, they will spend the next four years running for the Illlini.
Although they enjoyed the recruiting process and made lasting relationships with each coach that they talked to during the process, there was some relief when the final announcement was made.
“It was just great to know we had a decision made,” Amalia said.
Now with their future secure, the Malecek sisters can get back to focusing on what they have been working for since freshman year at Onalaska — winning a team cross country state championship for the Hilltoppers.
“This year even with corona we don’t think that’s any excuse for us not to try as hard as possible to win the state meet,” Lydia said.
Early in the season, Onalaska looks like it can accomplish this goal. The Hilltoppers are senior heavy with the Malecek triplets heading that class. In fact, the group was able to qualify for state as an all-freshman team and then take third at the WIAA Division I level.
“Freshman year we were just amazed to make it there,” Lydia said.
Especially since at that point Lydia had only been running cross country for two years and Amalia and Kora had just started the year before.
“We all did anything but running,” Amalia said. “In seventh grade we decided to do our own sports. I did tennis, Kora did volleyball and Lydia was the only one that did cross and she didn’t even know what it was.”
The girls enjoyed the sports they played, but after seventh grade they all decided to take up running with Lydia.
“After that year Kora was pretty sure she wanted to move to cross too because Lydia had so much fun in it,” Amalia said. “I didn’t really want to do it but I was like, ‘I might as well do it if my sisters are doing it,’ so then we all ended up doing it and then it kind of went off from there.”
It was Lydia’s passion for the sport that drew her sisters in. In just one season of cross country, she had fallen in love with the sport and her sisters would soon fall for it too.
“Amalia and I, we saw that she was finding something she really wanted to work at and we were drawn towards that too,” Kora said. “It worked in our favor especially going into high school we could push each other and even if we didn’t want to run that day if one of us were doing it the rest of us were doing it.”
It was that healthy sibling rivalry that allowed them to quickly become elite in cross country, and combined with the other freshmen on the team, propelled them to third place that year.
“I think it’s definitely healthy most of the time just because you’re pushing yourself daily,” Lydia said. “Most people you do your workout and you go home, but I’m living with the people I’m trying to beat during races. It definitely motivates you in a completely different way.”
As sophomores, the team would again come in third at state. Unlike the year before, this third–place finish was a little more upsetting as the team had high hopes to finish higher and was just nine points off from taking second.
“To feel like you were so close to getting second even and then missing out by that much was such a heartbreaker for our team,” Lydia said.
Last year as juniors, they got that second-place finish they had been working towards. Kora also won an individual state title with Lydia and Amalia finishing 16th and 17th, respectively.
With those finishes, one would think Kora is the stronger runner of the group, but she would be the first to tell you otherwise.
“It depends honestly because we all chose our own path with running,” Kora said. “Amalia chose the mile, Lydia chose the 800m and I chose the longer distances. In all honesty there are days where I cannot beat Amalia to save my life and there are definitely days where I could not beat Lydia to save my life. … But my sisters will debate me on this.”
They will and they do, laughing as they say that Kora is just being generous. But Lydia and Amalia know that Kora has a point as each sister is strong within her own event.
“We each have our categories that we have a slight edge,” Lydia said.
However, the girls also know that they are better together when it comes to running and being able to push each other to be their best. It was this realization that made them decide to attend college together.
“I think we originally, back in sophomore year, didn’t want to go together but especially with COVID we realized we do want each other for the college process,” Amalia said. “It is an important part of our lives and we can’t see each other being incredibly far away from each other. We use each other for competitive drive so we figured in the end it’s more good for us to go together.”
They then began to tell coaches of their intention to attend college together and to continue competing as a trio. From that point on, they were going to be recruited as a group.
“I think a lot of the coaches were relieved because it made their job a lot easier,” Lydia said.
The Malecek triplets have been competing together since eighth grade. They push each other, cheer one another on and hold each other up through the difficult times. If it’s up to them they will win a state championship together, too, before going off to college to once again compete together.
