Aurora Central Catholic runner Hilby gets Gatorade award as best in Illinois this year

Patrick Hilby of Aurora Central Catholic High School has been named the 2023-24 Gatorade Illinois Boys Track & Field Player of the Year. Hilby is the first Gatorade Illinois Boys Track & Field Player of the Year to be chosen from Aurora Central Catholic.

The award, which celebrates the nation’s top high school athletes for excellence on the field, in the classroom and in the community, distinguishes Hilby as Illinois’ best high school boys track & field player.

The 5-foot-10, 160-pound senior middle-distance talent won a national title and set a state record in the 800-meter event at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor this season, earning All-America honors in the process. Hilby’s time of 1:47.55 ranked No. 1 nationally among prep boys this spring and is the No. 6 clocking in U.S. prep history. He also swept the 400 and 800 at the Class 3A meet. At the national Brooks PR Invitational, he took second with a time of 1:47.92.

Hilby has volunteered more than 100 hours locally through various projects associated with the Feed My Starving Children initiative, which packages and distributes food to undernourished children worldwide. He has also donated his time at the Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry’s Community Gardens and on behalf of the Angel Tree gift-donation drive at Holy Angels Catholic Church.

Hilby has maintained a 3.98 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete on scholarship at the University of Wisconsin this fall.

Hilby joins recent Gatorade Illinois Boys Track & Field Players of the Year Daniel Watcke (2022-23, Hinsdale Central High School), Ryan Watts (2021-22, Edwardsville High School), Brandon Battle (2020-21, Edwardsville High School) and Josh Methner (2019-20, Hersey High School), among the state’s list of former award winners.