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Back-to-Back-to-Back-to-Back-to-Back-to-Back State Qualifiers!
This past week (or perhaps two) I felt like a broken record by telling the team that we are at the juncture of the season that everyone is a bit banged up. No one is 100%. It’s just a matter of managing the pain/discomfort. For many on the team this is the second to last week on the calendar. For our post season team, the season has 4 weeks to go. With this the case, we decided to let some of our top runners rest up in anticipation of the ‘big meets.’ There was still much at stake on this beautiful Saturday as some runners were jockeying for a postseason spot while others were gunning for another personal best.
The Varsity race led off and we had nine entries. Ailee Hogan elected to race this week and we challenged her to be aggressive and start to test her racing mettle for the coming weeks. Unfortunately she, along with her teammates, didn’t put themselves in a great spot at the first turn and got funnelled to the back. She was about 30th at the opening quarter mile. Behind her was the trio of Abby Hosek, Caitlin McGarry, and Sofia Moreno. At the first-mile position, Hogan had moved up to 14th place and was looking strong. Hosek, McGarry, and Moreno continued their strong start and they were closely followed by Calie Svoboda who looked to be in her best racing form this year. At the mile 2 spot, Hogan had moved up to tenth place where she would finish up posting a career best time. Then came Hosek, McGarry, Moreno separated by only 32 seconds. Then came another Naz wave with Svoboda followed by our number 6-8 runners of Sabina Llerenas, Gigi Kinsella, and Megan Henehan separated by a mere ten seconds. This just shows how badly all these runners want to be part of the Top 12. Kayla Salerno rounded out the team by posting a season best time, dropping nearly four minutes from her previous best three mile run.
The Open race was the second and final race for our day. Alexandra Hyman was our top finisher and is hitting a great stride at this point in the season. Then was team talk giver, Gwyn Katsibubas who posted a career best time. A couple of other notable bests were from Abby MacKinnon who had her best time despite missing a few weeks with injury. Personal bests also were obtained for the second consecutive week by Fiona Roach, Emily Rodriguez, and belt holder Nancy Martinez. The growth from our Navy and White groups this season has been inspiring and what our team is all about. We return to Melas Park next week as St. Viator hosts the conference meet. A final shout out to Naz XC Alum and Parents who ran in this weekend’s marathon. Maybe some of our current runners will accomplish this feat that only 1% of runners are able to complete.
Coach Wejman
Every team that we’ve had has created a new tradition or have put their own spin on an existing one. Several years ago we moved to doing a 6 AM practice the day of the walk. At first, we thought no one would show up, but nearly all did. Every year we propose this option to the group and overwhelmingly they say yes and, this year, they even took it upon themselves to incorporate glow sticks and make it their own. It always is great to see the personalities emerge when it comes to moments like this. Our week began with more heat and we made this a point of emphasis in our training. Much has been researched on heat training and its benefits. While we said this about a dozen times all week, getting the athletes to actually buy in was no guarantee. The momentum gained from the Leyden races did carry over and we had an amazing week of practice. Between the wear and tear of this point in the season, the heat and with all the drama homecoming week can bring, things couldn’t have gone much better.
The heat broke in time for the Mane Event at Lisle. A good week of practice and more favorable temps set up high expectations for our racers and the frosh/soph led things off. For whatever reason, the frosh/soph run a 4K at this meet. Our scoring team would only consist of 5, and they were rolling from the opening gun. Caitlin McGarry and Sofia Moreno were connected at the hip for the majority of the race and kept a pace that surpassed their personal bests from any point this season. Sabina Llerenas grabbed the next spot as she continues to grow and learn as a racer. Megan Henehan and Kayla Salerno rounded out the team, it was Salerno’s debut in a scoring realm. She earned this spot by hard work and focus and she didn’t disappoint in this competitive race.
Varsity was up next and we told Ailee Hogan that this is the time to see what is capable of so she was challenged to get out. We had a couple of racers out with injuries and we would need some to step up and fill this gap. Hogan did get out and put up a 36 second personal best. After this week, she was banged up but buckled down and had her best race to date. Solid races were put in by Mia Longo and Erin Degnan, who will be key scorers for us as we head into October. Our next finisher was Abby Hosek who ripped off a 40 second personal best. Following Hosek was Monse Morales and Gigi Kinsella who both put up personal bests as well. There’s not much better as a coach than to tell a runner a race time and to have them learn how much they’ve improved in terms of time improvement.
The open race was up last and the seasonal bests continued to roll in. The race is combined with boys which makes for a chaotic start. As the race thinned out our racers were holding great positions and were running at great paces. Alexandra Hyman was our top finisher and she was one of 14 or 17 racers that posted a seasonal best for the race. Special shout out to the super-soph trio of Emily Rodriguez (2 minutes improvement), Kimberly Gonzalez (2 and a half minute improvement) and Nancy Martinez (3-minute improvement). It was great to see these three make a jump as they have worked hard since their first days as freshmen.
Our last regular season invite is this coming Saturday at the Elmwood Park Invite. This is a notoriously fast course and the conditions are looking favorable again, we are setting expectations high again and I don’t think we’ll be let down.
Coach Wejman
Legendary track coach Bill Bowerman once remarked: “a runner runs how they feel.” I think this can be spun to incorporate the conditions. A big difference is that all runners don’t feel the same on race day, but the conditions are all the same. Hot temperatures aren’t new to us. We spent all summer training in the heat. The first three weeks of the season are in August, followed by early September which often is warm as well. But in my recollection, we haven’t had heat this late in September in my ten years. We were working hard all week to acclimate our bodies, but also mentally prepare for these elements.
The Frosh/Soph race was first and these six young ladies set the tone for the rest of the team. We kept varsity runners Ailee Hogan and Melissa Harris down to mix it up a bit. We told them to be aggressive and compete for top spots. We weren’t sure what the competition would be like, but winning the race could be in play. Hogan and Harris got out hard and hung with the top 10 through mile one. Not far behind them was the trio of Sofia Moreno, Caitlin McGarry, and Sabina Llerenas. These three seldom got more than 10 seconds apart and this would matter. Sarah Martin got her team scoring debut as the sixth runner and although she wasn’t going to factor in scoring, she earned this spot.
At mile two, Hogan was looking strong but was 7-8 seconds behind the 3-4 runner. Harris was in no man's land in 7th place, but she had to stay focused with no one around. The trio was not far behind keeping this tight. With about a half mile to go, I urged Hogan to make a push and give 3-4 something to think about. She then disappeared to the back grove and we wouldn’t see her again until the final stretch. She had overtaken both runners and was clear by a good 10 seconds. She attacked and made the aggressive move that we need to see more of from a girl who put in serious miles this summer. Harris held her 7th spot and we figured we were in 3rd place as a team after Morton grabbed spots 12-17. Our trio emerged to the final straight away and we challenged them to grab the next two spots. All three runners hit the next gear and took off. It was really fun to watch and they got two vital spots. In the end, we beat Morton by 3 places for 2nd place. Had they not made those passes, we would’ve taken 3rd place. You never can tell when a pass will matter. I am proud of how hard these girls worked, how positive these girls were post-race, and loved seeing maturity from the youngsters.
As temps rose, the varsity was next. It was going to be a different experience for this group as pacesetter Hogan was cooling off after her 3rd place finish. I was expecting a tight bunch from Mia Longo, Maggie Degnan, and Erin Degnan. Then it would be up in the air how the next four came in, especially with the conditions. After mile two things were as expected as Maggie had pushed hard and was starting to feel that take a toll on her as Mia was able to make a pass on her in the final stretch. Erin started to look like her old self after an illness over the last week. Abby Hosek grabbed the 4th spot for us and has grown immensely as a racer over the last four weeks. Monse Morales rounded out the scoring squad after ‘going blind’ during the race. Her toughness is something we’ve seen before, but as a coach, you wish every athlete had. Calie Svoboda pushed really hard in the first two miles and had a hard time holding this over the final leg. I would rather have that as opposed to someone who holds back and finishes like a sprinter. Captain Gigi Kinsella rounded out the team, and this race probably wouldn't be her personal best on a three-mile course, but in my opinion, it was her best race.
The open race was last, and obviously would be the hottest. I will not single out any racers on this one, but instead just praise the efforts for all that went out. It would’ve been easy to say they didn’t feel well or make up a last minute injury, but to their credit, these ladies toed the line and raced in tough conditions. It was also a great moment to see the varsity/fr-soph/walking-wounded/managers draping cold towels over our racers as they finished. This day brought our team together, our team camp was vacant during the open race. It was uncomfortable, but as I always like to say; we have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Things are looking to cool off this week and we start to ratchet up our training for the next couple of weeks before we move into October when the labors of summer (or even the first days of autumn) start to pay off.
Coach Wejman
While much of this past week was focused on the upcoming Peoria trip, our week began at Wesmont for a quad meet at a course that is notoriously slow due to many tight turns. I love to look at the numbers and compare them with past results/past seasons, but before I get a chance to do that, I employ ‘the eye test’. It was apparent that we were racing well and racing hard. Seeing certain girls group up and hang together shows commitment to racing, not just running. Coach Gonzalez and I were rather pleased as our runners came through regardless of their final times. When it came time to check in with the managers and their recorded times, our feelings were justified and I was beginning wonder if Westmont had shortened their course. Last year’s Westmont meet was rather warm (I believe in the high 80s vs mid-60s this year), but our times were much improved from last year. Every athlete that ran last year saw an improvement from last season. Seven girls improved their time by over 6 minutes, two of them (Sarah Martin and Anastacia Perez) improved by over TEN minutes. It was a great team performance and a great momentum builder into our trip to Detweiller.
I have to be careful about not repeating myself year after year, but in this 10th Peoria trip, it was same old, same old. We had some bus adventures, we had great service at Cracker Barrell, we were met by displeased guests at our hotel as we disembarked the bus, only to have these people comment on how polite and courteous our girls are, and then we raced. This year, the meet held a varsity race and an open race. In the varsity race, it was going to be a speedy affair as 9 of the top 10 teams statewide would be there. I told the girls to not be intimidated by this, get out quick, and grind it out. All nine varsity runners did this and came in under 7 minutes for the first mile. Sophomore Ailee Hogan ran with a confidence that we are seeing for the first time. Our Degnan duo of Maggie and Erin tightened up that gap behind Hogan; both have come so far this season.
In post-race talks, Erin said, “I wanted to slow up, but knew I would regret it.” That type of racing mentality will only grow as we hit the midway point of the season in September. Senior Mia Longo is coming back from illness and ran a gutsy race, followed by Melissa Harris to round out the scoring team. The 1-5 gap was under a minute, mission accomplished. These five have a chemistry that is getting better week to week and we are looking forward to seeing them continue to improve. Sofia Moreno, Abby Hosek, Caitlin McGarry and Calie Svoboda rounded out the early race squad. As long as I’ve been coaching this sport, I’ve always enjoyed the fight that takes place for the 6-7 spot. They might never factor into the scoring but they are always a kid who wants to fight to be on the starting line in the postseason.
In the open race, there were several hundred (maybe even a thousand racers) crowding the infield at Detweiller. Personal and seasonal best were happening all over, which is impressive considering the logjam that took shape at the first hairpin turn. Individual standouts were freshmen Sabina Llerenas and Megan Henegan who dropped almost 2 and a half minutes from their 3-mile race at Westmont earlier in the week. Sophomore Anastacia Perez continues to chip away at all of her previous bests posting her 4th straight personal record going back to last season. By the time these ladies ran, temps for up to the high 70s and the sun was shining so it was a grind after waiting all morning. We gained confidence and racing experience that will serve us well later on. We may not be in the mix of the other top 10 teams in the state, but we have to remember to judge ourselves against ourselves. We left Detweiller on September 9th much improved and much better than the team that showed up on August 9th for that first day of practice.
Coach Wejman
As my tenth season is underway, I would like to think that I’ve learned some things along the way. The Lyons Township Invite was a baptism by fire my first season. The level of talent at this meet blew me away and it was a reminder of how deep Illinois is when it comes to distance running (in the 2008 version of this meet, a young Lukas Verzbicas easily won the boy's race and went to become one of the all-time greats). From that first year, I learned that the regular season is nothing but a series of tests, some that hold more weight than others, but they are all learning experiences. I learned in 2008 that running a crop of untested runners in the varsity race probably wasn’t my best idea. Some years we have run the varsity race, some years we haven’t; the team we have dictates our decision.
Last week, I eluded to a strength of this years team which will be its ability to run a tight 1-5 split. That was an incentive for running our top runners at the JV race, give them all a chance to work as a team of runners as opposed to individuals. The JV led the day off at 8 A.M. After the first mini loop we had a great rhythm to our racing. The girls ran aggressive and didn’t let the big field gobble them up too much. Sophomore Ailee Hogan set a strong pace through 2 miles and Senior Mia Longo was always close behind, picking her back up just past the two-mile mark. Longo went on to be our top finisher with a strong closing kick over the last half mile. She dropped over a minute from her time at this meet last season. Following them was Sophomore Melissa Harris who looked more confident than two weeks ago at Elmwood Park. Then came our Degnan duo who I really think have the potential to grow and develop into strong racers as the season evolves, both missed some time last year with injuries. Erin Degnan was our 5th finisher, putting us at a 1:40 1-5 split. We would really like this to move below 90 seconds but this is a fine starting spot. Moving down the line, Calie Svoboda had a great race while showing some strength that was seen during her freshman year. Many others finished their first ever three-mile race, always impressive to see so many triumph and overcome the negative thoughts.
One thing that Coach Gonzalez has learned over the years is that this first invite race is a great opportunity to snap a picture of scared freshman. The freshman only run 2.2 miles, but just the sheer size of the teams at the starting line is enough to induce some fear. This group of freshman is dedicated and committed. They have followed the lead of the upperclassmen and given a great effort over the first half month of the season. As the gun sounded, this group showed more of this dedication and didn’t hold back. It was another strong showing from Caitlin McGarry who we are looking forward to watching in a 3-mile race, same goes for Sabina Llerenas who was close behind. Both of those two got a great taste of racing as they were both pushed down the home stretch. Megan Henehan was our next finisher as she continues to be a work horse in whatever we do. These freshmen are so perceptive that they know how much I like the pack mentality for racers; Brooke Metke, Fiona Roach, Alejandra Garcia and Jazmin Galan all came in within 20 seconds of each other. It is perhaps the freshmen that get the most out of the Peoria trip as they start to get a better sense of what a great team this is to be a part of so I am looking forward to watching this group continue to grow this upcoming weekend.
Detweiller Park awaits, another chance to gain experience and confidence as the season progresses while it is also a time to fall back on things we’ve learned over the years. Namely, that we must stop at Cracker Barrel on the way down.
Coach Wejman
Another season is upon us. It somehow always manages to sneak up on us and then, all of the sudden, we have 30+ girls setting out on a 10 week (perhaps more) journey. This marks my 10th season as head coach of the cross country team. I don’t like to get caught up in milestone numbers, but just another year to make me proud of what has been accomplished since taking on this program.
Once the previous season ends, we take an assessment of what’s leaving and what’s staying. Then, we hope to pick up a healthy crop of newcomers to round things out. As is the case most years, we lost quite a bit from the Class of 2017. Of this, there is nothing we can do. Coming back we have senior captain Mia Longo who was grown as a vocal leader as opposed to years past when her daily commitment to training was how she led. She is joined by three junior captains; Gigi Kinsella, Maggie Degnan, and Carly Schabow. Our Junior class is full of spirit and these girls embody that.
In summer training, we had a chance to meet many new faces, some with running experience and some with none. Regardless of this status, we are always happy to add more runners to the squad. The last two weeks have been spent updating rosters, making sure physicals have been turned in, and keeping everyone in the loop as to where and when we are meeting. As long as I’ve been the coach, our first meet has been at Elmwood Park. This format has changed (for the better in my opinion) to a time trial. A good chance to see where everyone stands at this early juncture.
For the Varsity race, Longo attacked from the gun and may have paid the price in mile two, but I would rather see that effort than have her hold back and finish with too much in the tank. In next came cousins Maggie and Erin Degnan, finishing just a second apart. These two showed promise last year, only to see their seasons thrown off by injury. Monserrat Morales has taken on the task of training with our top group in just her first year. She showed her fearless mentality in track over the past two seasons and I know that she will only improve as she experiences more races. Returning Top 12 runner Abby Hosek rounded out the scoring team, followed by Calie Svoboda, who is back after not being with the program in 2016. Blending in with our top fr/so runners, our key this year is going to be our pack running. Keeping a minimal 1-5 split will be crucial and this group is showing signs that this might be a reality.
Speaking of the frosh/soph squad, for many, this is their first encounter with distance racing. It serves as a baptism by fire, but also a chance to expose some kids who have been holding back, but I mean that in a positive way. Coming into a new school or new team, many defer to the established order of things and a freshman isn’t likely to bust out and challenge the varsity order. However, once the gun goes off, all the outside elements go away. Our top finisher in this race was sophomore Ailee Hogan who logged over 200 miles this summer and saw her time improve more than a minute & twenty seconds from her debut race as a freshman. Our second finisher was freshman Caitlin McGarry who hasn’t been ‘hiding’ these last few weeks but she will certainly be asked to start training with our Columbia group.
I try not to get too lengthy on these, especially the early ones as I am starting to get to know the pulse of the team. As much as I would like to single out others, I know others will continue to raise their performances and see the gains that will earn specific mention, but more importantly, they will grow in their own confidence and sense of satisfaction. Fifteen runners made their career debut and will grow and prosper as we head into September and Invite season. My final take away is the overall vibe of this team, from the first gun, the support this group has shown each other is the best I’ve ever seen, and we’ve had some amazing teams in this regard. I look forward to watching this team build off what has already been established in the journey of these 10 weeks (and perhaps more).
Coach Wejman
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