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Back-to-Back-to-Back-to-Back-to-Back-to-Back State Qualifiers!
Of all the years of doing these comments, the one I have missed the most is probably the sectional recap. Perhaps it’s because of the way it feels afterward. There is a finality to it. If no one advances, the season is over. If the team or individual advances, it all seems like icing on the cake. I was reminded to get these done by Senior Erin Degnan who also asked me how I felt as we were walking back to the bus after the awards ceremony. The truth is that it is a range of emotions. There is a relief knowing that there are no more training logs to craft, no track workouts to figure out splits for, no more hoping that everyone is getting enough hydration, sleep, sanity, etc. The feelings though are mostly happy as I reflect back on the season and, in the case of the seniors, the last several seasons.
We drew box one, which really means nothing with the long straightaway at the Kaneland course. I told our runners to stay right as long as possible with the time we had to let things sort out. Inertia brought them inward, which was a tough place to be in a crowded pack of runners. The individuals I was keeping my eye on got out fast and were set on making qualifying for the state meet a chore. Our initial grouping was back a little bit, but there was still plenty of time to move up. At the 600 meter mark, this gap was only growing. I have mentioned the eye test before and even though I have learned to never doubt our season-long top-runner Ailee Hogan, her stride wasn’t working for her that day. Just after the first mile, it was apparent that we were not going to be traveling to Peoria this season, but this race still had to be run. Degnan and Melissa Harris were keeping Ailee in sight and running a strong race. Abby Hosek was next and what an amazing bounce back she had. I feel as if I can say it now that we were considering not running her at Regionals and possibly Sectionals after a few off races due to soreness, but she delivered at races both weeks, running a personal best on Saturday and capping an amazing career that began without running more than 2 miles a day during summer running to being a two year varsity runner and a mileage hound. Maddie Bent rounded out the scoring 5 with a near season best. It was apparent that Mad Dog was feeling the effects of a long season, but she is a tough one who we will look to make great growth next season. Sofia Moreno came up in the 6th spot on this day, she might never be our top runner, but she brings so much to the table and will be a leader that we depend on next season both on the course and also in training. Sabina Llerenas finished our group and gutted out a tough run while being sick. Most would have opted to stay home and rest, but Sabina’s dedication to her team was on display Saturday. When she is at full strength next season, her Ailee and Melissa will form an impressive core for us. Speaking of Ailee and Melissa, they finished within 2 seconds of each other, something I would like to see more of heading into next season, but with lower times and places attached to the two of them. This symmetry will hopefully continue on the track in the spring. Just a few seconds ahead of those two juniors was Degnan. She posted the best time of her career on this day and was our top finisher. Making the postseason squad was long overdue for Erin but these past few weeks made up for it. The goal is always to end your career at Detweiller Park, but if you can’t make it there, finish on a high note at Kaneland.
One more emotion I was telling the girls on that walk back to the bus I felt was the feeling of a bitter taste. I’ve been part of the jubilation of having your team announced as one of the five qualifiers and I’ve also been on the side of missing it by four points. Seeing those teams announced did make me a little bitter while also making me hungry to get back at it and advance in 2019. I would be remiss though not to give a shout out to boys runner Scott Sikorski who advanced with an amazing race while also giving a shout out to Coach Kevin Milos who will be wrapping up a nearly 20-year career by taking Scott to Detweiller. If we can all be so lucky to end our career at Detweiller Park
Coach Wejman
I love the postseason. Regardless of competition, regardless of what our objectives are, regardless of weather, the postseason is just fun. It begins when we announce the Top 12 runners who will carry our banner forward. This is often a hard decision and the closest thing our sport comes to ‘cutting’ athletes. The first time we address the group there tends to be a feeling of happiness and relief that we’ve gotten to this point. And this is quickly replaced with a focus on what lies ahead. The first step in the state series is the regional meet.
Regionals are often an odd bird. Trying to understand the logic of the IHSA when it comes to assignments is a fool’s errand. This year we were sent to Sundown Meadow hosted by Riverside Brookfield. This meet has hosted schools as far west as Wheaton Academy (last year) or as far east/south as Morgan Park (this year). Being just three miles from RB, we have been to this regional for 9 of my 11 seasons as head coach. All we can do is show up and run against those we are assigned. In looking at the teams coming in, winning the meet wasn’t a likely scenario, so we set our sights on taking second against Evergreen Park, a team that we have raced closely when facing them.
Sun and wind greeted us at the forest preserve in Countryside, the wind would be mitigated by about 70% of the race being in the forest. As we commandeered our box, and the girls began peeling off their warm ups, seeing the Columbia jerseys got me excited. Maybe it was the sun hitting it, maybe it was thinking back to our first time unveiling this postseason twist, maybe it was seeing Senior Erin Degnan warm up for the first time in, being sidelined the last two seasons with injury, maybe it was freshman Maddie Bent who perhaps didn’t quite grasp the moment, but it reminded me why I enjoy the postseason so much. The gun rang out and we got a strong start. Heading into the woods we were where we wanted to be. RB seemed to be holding back a bit early on so we probably were in first place in points after a half mile. After 12-14 minutes the runners started coming out. RB was 1-2 then it was Ailee Hogan and a runner from Evergreen Park neck and neck for 3-4. This would be good enough for Ailee to earn medalist status, and a good test in the last half mile. She did get edged out and took 4th, but also dropped about a whole minute off her time at the same course over a month ago. Then a smattering of RB/Evergreen Park runners came up next putting 2 place in doubt. Erin Degnan was next for us, locking up 10th place. She ran a near personal best on this tough course. Melissa Harris was our 3rd finisher and did a great job legging out an impressive kick grabbing another spot. Going in, we knew that Evergreen Park matched us well 1-4, but gaining on their #5 was going to be crucial. Our last two scorers were Sabina Llerenas an Abby Hosek. Abby bounced back in a big way after two races she was disappointed in. She was aggressive early and confident late, things we need from an experienced runner. While Sofia Moreno wouldn’t factor into our scoring at 6th place, she would help push back Evergreen Park’s #5 runner. Freshman Maddie Bent would be able to help as well, it isn’t often that the #7 runner can push a 5 but on this day she did. It wouldn’t be enough, but at a bigger meet like sectionals, perhaps we can sneak past them. We came in third by 4 points, you never can tell when a spot can make the difference. Congratulations to RB on claiming 1st place, with their 4 top runners graduating, we will be poised to knocked them off their spot next year. We live to fight another week and move on to the sectionals hosted by Kaneland high school. Perhaps a top 5 finish and a berth to the state meet isn’t in the cards for us, but we will set our objective and execute because this is when it matters most, this is the postseason.
Coach Wejman
Back in early September, we heard that St. Viator wasn’t able to secure a permit for Melas Park, the site of last year’s conference finals. Much speculation about who would host and where bounced around the ESCC coaches. In late September a crazy rumor was going around; the meet would be held at Arlington International race course, the well-known horse racing course in Arlington Heights. How would this work? Would the horses be there? Would there be wagering? Growing up in the northern suburbs, Arlington was a well-known institution. I recall my Dad and uncle breaking down quinellas and superfectas for one of my grandma's birthday parties in the Million Room. We got the map of the course and it appeared to be mostly on the infield of the course, but due to heavy rains, the course was going to be three loops on the mile-long inner turf track.
The frosh-soph race kicked things off and there was still frost on the group when the gun went off. While a fun venue, it wasn’t great for spectating/coaching. We really only had a chance to see the racers once per loop. Sabina Llerenas was our top finisher and she ran a great race as she battles end of season wear and tear. No doubt she will appreciate as the taper continues this week. Next up was Megan Henehan, who is probably the most like a thoroughbred on our team. Her strength and power were on display in the thick wet grass. Probably would’ve had a personal best had she run later in the day on drier conditions. Next up were Maddie Bent and Erin Howard, two freshmen who will play big roles on next year’s team. The knowledge they both gained this year as racers will grow as they head into the postseason and step up into their sophomore season. Caitlin McGarry ran a gutsy race on an injured hip and showed flashes of her freshman year stamina, but sometimes the injury bug bites too hard. Elena Beczkiewicz rounded out the squad, Elena also gained great experience and began to show bust out as a runner and personality towards the end, I know she is looking forward to track season so I’ll have to tell Coach Beedie to throw her into some 400s with her newfound stamina.
As the sun rose, the dew began to dry and it was time for the varsity race. I’ve always said that our conference isn’t great, it’s just really good. What I mean by that is we won’t have any teams on the podium in November, but there is just a lot of depth. We told all runners to throw the clock away and just get out and compete. Once again Ailee Hogan was our top finisher and I don’t doubt that she is disappointed with her time, her ability to grow as a runner has not wavered all season. The best runners always seem to rise up in the postseason and this will be Ailee’s time to rise to another level. At this juncture, everyone is good, it’s a matter of tapping into the mental aspect and use it as a positive. Melissa Harris was next, her stride has never looked better and she ran a smart race that put her in a good position. Senior Erin Degnan wrapped up her final ESCC meet in fine fashion. Her consistency and growth these last few weeks have been a great manifestation. In talking to her at the Homecoming dance Saturday night, she said ‘I’ve never made the postseason’ This is going to be a special couple of weeks for a great teammate and student-athlete. Sofia Moreno was next, and she has had a bust out over the last two weeks. She dominated the fabled Junior Year workout and this thrust her into what was her best race regardless of what the stopwatch said. Calie Svoboda and Abby Hosek were next, running strong races and making my life difficult in working on a roster for the upcoming weeks. Kayla Salerno wrapped up the scoring squad, in horse racing speak, Kayla is a trotter. She keeps a solid consistent gait, running an amazingly consistently mile split. Hard to believe how far she has come since she came out last summer.
The last race was the open JV race, conditions had improved as the temperature rose. For several seniors, this would be the last race of their career. Perhaps it was a combination of sadness or relief, but emotions were high. From the gun it was a sea of Benet, many names that were once on their varsity squad got pushed out by newcomers, a reminder that no athlete is guaranteed a varsity spot year to year. Monse Morales was our top finisher making big jumps over the last couple of weeks to secure a postseason spot. Alexandra Hyman was next wrapping up a solid three year career. Seniors Gigi Kinsella and Sarah Merda finished up next close together, Kinsella closed out as our only 4-year runner. Her growth as a runner leader will be missed next season. Carly Schabow was our next senior finisher and I don’t think that her sophomore self would believe she become the strong, confident runner that finished her career. Shelly Cabrera was the final senior finisher, who, even in her one season, showed growth and improvement since summer. Special shout to senior managers Dani Ardizzone and Nora Harrington. Managers are an underrated part of the team, and our functionality is aided by their contributions.
We now move onto the postseason. Things now become more focused and serious. The top 12 runners will carry on and train in preparation for first the regional and then it’s on to sectional meet. In every sport, the postseason is when things get fun and we are ready to have some fun… And down the stretch we come!
Coach Wejman
The cliches that cross country coaches kick around are plentiful. Two that always come up are ‘Cross Country season starts after the 4X400 relay at the state track meet’ or ‘You win championships in June/July/ August, not October/ November.’ While those sayings have their merit and accuracy, October is when things get fun. All the work, all the miles, all the preparation come to a head in October. Our hardest training is behind us, now our top 7 runners begin to establish themselves and we prepare for battle in ‘the big meets.’ Elmwood Park has always been our first meet for the first full week of October. It is known for fast times due to its flat, open course. Once again, the weather was the story leading up to the weekend. The home football game was moved up due to storms emerging late Friday night. These storms did indeed come and it rained most of the overnight hours. We awoke to more storms, but they looked to be finishing up around the time our bus would depart Nazareth. We also saw many meet cancellations being announced on Twitter, but we got reassurance from Elmwood Park that we would be a go. We arrived on the course to see some puddles/mud, but this is cross country. I did run the open mile race at the end and can attest it was sloppy and slick in spots, but it was mostly in fine shape. Varsity went off first and we put our top ten runners out there for one more tune-up prior to the Conference meet. I asked for an aggressive start and this call was answered. Most notably Melissa Harris pushed out a super hard first mile. She paid for it later, but this was the aggressive approach we asked for. Ailee Hogan was once again our top finisher and would likely have had a personal best in better conditions. Erin Degnan was our 2nd finisher and her racing form is looking better every week. Erin has been bitten by the injury bug the last two seasons and seeing her find this success in her final campaign is quite rewarding. Freshman Maddie Bent was our 4th finisher and her growth as a runner and racer has been fun to watch week to week. We will look to her to contribute in the postseason, but her best racing days are ahead of her. Sabina Llerenas was our fifth and final scorer, I know she wasn’t thrilled with her race, but not every week can be a personal best, it’s the grit to carry on that matters. Megan Henehan and Sofia Moreno rounded out the 7 runners, with Henehan posting a substantial increase on her personal best race. In terms of individual runners, we had some ups and some downs, but as a team, we have never been better this season.
Due to incoming weather, the open race was combined with the boys. This causes congestion and slower starts, but these are the decisions that have to be made sometimes. Erin Howard was our top finisher in this race as she is about to wrap up a successful freshman campaign that will lead to more growth heading into next season. Monse Morales was next up dropping a whole minute on her seasonal best time. Alexandra Hyman once again saves her best races for the end of the season posting back to back seasonal bests. Another stand out was Staci Perez who posted a near personal best despite battling illness the past few weeks, we weren’t even sure if she would race again this season, and she goes out and runs a great race in messy conditions.
We enter our final full week of practice. A majority of the team will finish on Saturday but we will take our momentum to Arlington Racetrack for our conference meet. Should be an exciting day at this unique venue, when our long season (going back to late May if you ask some) comes to an end.
Coach Wejman
As we were waiting at the starting line for the varsity race, Coach Gonzalez commented on how he felt good about the race, and I wasn’t just trying to be agreeable when I said I felt the same way. Despite all the questions we get on a daily basis about how many loops, how many more, or how many whatever, this group is incredibly receptive to what we’ve asked of them. We’ve seen this play out over the last two weeks as the training has ratcheted up and each workout takes on its own life of competition and intensity. However, if the results aren’t seen on Saturdays, it can almost seem like a lost cause.
So maybe it was just hope that coach and I shared at the start line, but there was some reason for our optimism. Before the varsity though, came the frosh/soph tilt. For whatever reason, this meet has kept the frosh/soph race at a 4K or about 2.4 miles, so times are a bit hard to gauge, but watching the racing gives insight. Megan Henehan was our top finisher dropping 20 seconds off last year’s time. Caitlin McGarry was the next finisher, gutting out a great finish while dealing with some stiffness in her hips. The duo of Erin Howard and Elena Beczkiewicz were next, as these two track runners have done a great job showing their finishing speed, but it’s a reminder that there is still something left in the tank. Managing this takes time to figure out, but these two are starting to improve. Isabella Plescia, Natalie Rozmus, and Fiona Roach rounded out the team.
As the aforementioned varsity race kicked off, my vantage point 100 meters out saw a timid start, which isn’t devastating, but something that we need to get better at. Our attention next turned to the infamous hill as our sluggish start was shaken off and our 7 moved up. Ailee Hogan was in the top 20 and looked solid. We don’t really have the tight pack we’ve had in years past, but the gaps between runners has shrunk as the season has progressed. Melissa Harris was next up and she has had her best two weeks of her career, demonstrated as she’s kept the gap as low as possible between her and Hogan. Erin Degnan and Sabina Llerenas were next and they did a great job of keeping a slim gap between them and Melissa. Abby Hosek, Maddie Bent and Monse Morales rounded out the 7 varsity runners. Our pre race sentiments were validated as we saw numerous personal bests and preseason goals met, and we expect more of the as the training taper starts to happen.
The Open race saw this trend continue, a few notable performances were put in by Eileen Harrington who dropped over a minute of her personal best, Nancy ‘la Jefa’ Martinez dropping over 30 seconds off her best. Senior Sarah Merda shaved 90 seconds of her best time over the last two years. Kayla Salerno and Sofia Moreno also posted best times as they both strive to grab a Top 12 top and possibly even toe the line at regionals or sectionals. As the races wrap up, I enjoy watching girls confer with the managers about their times and see their reactions. Sometimes this reaction is frustration, maybe they didn’t do as well as they hoped, but this frustration shows they care. Or, they see the good news and get excited to the point of hosting a pizza party to celebrate this personal best. Regardless, we take pleasure in putting in the work and seeing the bigger picture of what this is all about. We turn to October in a great place and we look forward to two more great weeks of racing.
-Coach Wejman
I know I’ve alluded to it before in these reflections, but, the regular season doesn’t have much bearing on the ‘success’ of our season. We have always kicked around the idea of an off week, in which we don’t travel to a meet. We decided against it because we can always give our top runners a weekend break, but letting all the JV/Open runners a chance to get another race in. This year, the Leyden Invite was canceled due to facilities issues and we filled that with the Harvest Christian Invite in Elgin. We opted to run this weekend, against new competition, on a new course and at least for this year, amazing weather. Pre-race rumors about the course being a 5K sent shockwaves through the team camp. That extra .1 really throws off some otherwise tough competitors. Regardless of distance/course, everyone runs the same race. The frosh-soph led things off. This was our first frosh-soph race of the season. We decided to go full strength at the lower level and give them a chance to work with each other. Sabina Llerenas was our top finisher in the race and she was followed by Maddie Bent. The overall level of competition in this meet was a good fit for us and this showed in the home stretch. All 5 frosh-soph finishers were forced to put in a hard kick to grab another spot or to hold off someone from behind. This is a reminder that every spot matters, as the squad finished 4th- 3 points from 3rd and 1 point ahead of 5th. This was a great experience as we prepared to turn the calendar into October.
The Varsity race would prove more of the same as over 25 teams toed the line. At the first pass, the eye test I mentioned last week was encouraging. Frontrunner Ailee Hogan looked sharp and was primed to move up as the race progressed. Not far behind was Melissa Harris who had her best race of the season keeping the smallest gap of the season between her and Hogan. Senior Erin Degnan has never looked better at the training workouts throughout the season and this manifested itself for Erin’s best race over the last three years. I look forward to her continued developments as her final season unfolds. Same goes for senior Abby Hosek who had the most impressive final kick of her career, tough races make tough racers. Calie Svoboda, Sofia Moreno, and Kayla Salerno rounded out the squad. It is going to be a challenge to figure out who will grab the 7th spot assuming our top 6 stay healthy.
The Open race was last and we proudly occupied three boxes. I don’t take for granted what a privilege it is to have such a large team. Schools of our size were at this meet and most had 5-7 open racers, we had over 20. Monse Morales was our top finisher as she pushes for a postseason spot. Some other strong performances came from Sarah Martin who had her best race of the season (maybe it was the shoes), Amanda Myers dropped over a whole minute on her personal best despite the extra distance. Some good looking conditions and favorable courses should yield some great performances. This will lead to the regular season success that we value, the weekly growth and the improvements that come from hard training. We might not grab any hardware, but we will put ourselves in the best possible spot come mid-October.
-Coach Wejman
At some point in this past week, we crossed the halfway point in the regular season. It always seems to come up so fast, but as we look at the mileage and think of how far we’ve come, it makes sense. We implemented a new system for our long runs this year, and it has worked great thus far. As I was making my way back from the run, I came up on a group of sophomores, Brooke Metke, Amanda Myers, and Jamie Suppa. I asked them how far they ran, and with pride, they responded “Five!” This was a cool moment, one that won’t make a results sheet or be announced over the PA, but it was what our team is all about, personal growth.
The Bulldog Invite was once a dual meet between us and RB, it has grown into a strong meet with numerous strong teams. This includes a larger volume of runners which creates some challenges within the course. I have always loved the course at Sundown Meadow; sometimes it runs fast, sometimes not so much. Due to the aforementioned large field, it caused a slow first half mile. The last half mile would be exposed to the sun in what was a warm Friday evening. These variables led to a slower race, but we always preach competitive racing over the time on a stopwatch. Ailee Hogan was our first runner into the woods, and she gained valuable experience in a tightly competitive race and dropped over a minute over her time at this race last year. Melissa Harris and Sabina Llerenas were our next two, closing the gap of these two will be crucial for our competitiveness going forward. Abby Hosek saw an almost 2 minutes improvement from last year’s installment, and Maddie Bent rounded out the scoring squad on this day. Bent continues to gain knowledge of racing and we will let her run some frosh-soph races in the coming weeks.
In the open race, Kayla Salerno was our top finisher and continues to be a model of consistency and should be in the mix for the top 12 in October. Monse Morales and Caitlin McGarry were next up establishing some of their racing form from 2017. Staci Perez and Eileen Harrington posted great races as well, Perez with a personal best and Harrington not far off hers from last year at the much more favorable Elmwood park course.
With so many numbers to digest it is sometimes hard to quantify the progress. But it is easy to see when we look at the runners and think of what they were in August. Data people like to discount the ‘eye test’ but as we crossed that halfway point, I am happy with where we are at but am also happy to see where the second half takes us.
-Coach Wejman
Peoria week is always a fun week. Every year, the veterans build up the trip as one of the highlights of the season. The rookies believe the hype and the anticipation is present all week. This year held extra anticipation as it would also serve as our first invite of the season as our meet at LT was cancelled due to weather. We would get a chance to run a three mile race a few days prior at our ESCC Triangular meet against Marian Catholic and Joliet Catholic. Weather dominated the headlines again as the temperature would be in the 90s and storms were looming. We told the girls to stay within themselves but to compete. We didn’t expect personal bests, but we expected a high level of effort. Ailee Hogan finished second, perhaps due to a missed turn (missed turns are the fault of the hosts or head coach, this time it was the latter). In the end, we defeated both teams comfortably and gained valuable experience racing in tough conditions. Sophomore Megan Henehan dropped over a minute off her time at this course last year and considering the conditions, that is quite impressive. She would later go on to PR at the weekend meet as well.
We departed for Peoria Friday afternoon and, once again, the weather would be a leading point of discussion. Hurricane Gordon was breaking apart in the midwest and downstate Illinois was getting soaked. The meet manager emailed coaches Friday morning said the meet would happen. Our drive down saw rain for the majority of the drive and when we went to bed the rain was still falling. We awoke to cloudy skies but no rain and no forecasts for rain. The only question would be, what would the condition of the course be? We quickly found out that it was actually in pretty good shape. We warned against slower times with a softer course, but otherwise, it was a great day for racing.
In the varsity contest the top 7 ranked teams in the state partook. This means that the race would be fast and spread out in the middle. At the first mile, Hogan, Melissa Harris, and Sabina Llerenas came in quick as we asked them. This meet is the ideal time to see what you are made of as this is the fastest race of the year, aside from the state final. It earned Llerenas a PR which is impressive this early in the season. Freshman Maddie Bent made a rookie error of not getting out quick and got swallowed by the masses. This was a good teachable moment that I talked with her about after the race. She still finished with a strong time that produced a faster second and third mile. Erin Degnan, Abby Hosek and Sofia Moreno rounded out the scoring squad. Regardless of what times were and places we got, seeing this squad race together was the most valuable thing for me. The Columbia groups needs to start establishing themselves and it starts now.
The Open race has become a sea of people since they combined 2A and 3A. A badge of honor comes from the IHSA official seeing our box as full as almost any other box in the race, as we get checked in, not bad for a school of less than 800 students. In looking over past results, seeing improvements like Staci Perez and Kimberly Gonzalez dropping 6 minutes since freshman year is a testament to consistency and hard work. Freshmen Elena Beczkiewicz and Erin Howard made massive strides (pardon the pun) as they begin to learn more about running 3 mile races and newcomer Aaryanna Zapata also looked strong in this race.
The Peoria trip has a way of bringing a team closer together, seeing the leadership shine all weekend, whether it be on the bus, at the restaurant, the hotel, or on the course, we have grown as a team. Really proud of the effort from the team in all facets on Saturday. Hyperbole can be dangerous after doing this 11 years, but I don’t know if we’ve had a group (from top to bottom) more positive about racing and focusing on their goals. I think we’re gonna be breaking some boards this week, and the weather looks great.
-Coach Wejman
Entering into this cross country I felt more unprepared than I have in quite some time. A multitude of factors led me to this feeling, but one that I didn’t think of was that this was my first spring not coaching track. I felt disconnected from coaching and writing training logs and mentally preparing athletes week after week. After a few days into this season, it started coming back and things started to feel again like they used to. A common question we get early is ‘how is the team looking?’ My go-to response has been ‘better than last year.’ We only graduated one varsity runner and have a few coming back (hopefully to stay) from injury. We also had a strong summer with some newcomers that will be in the mix to be top 7 runners by seasons end. The first few weeks of training went quite smoothly and the group was immensely receptive to what we laid out for them to do. Our Columbia is led by Junior Ailee Hogan who has fully stepped into her role as a captain while also as the pacesetter in workouts. After being the second banana to Maeve Roach her freshman year and last year learning to run as a leader, she is now in full control. Our Navy group has the other two captains in Gigi Kinsella and Carly Schabow. These two push the intensity of workouts for those who are just trying to get better despite having a small chance of ever being top 7 runners.
Our season began at Elmwood Park for their 4th annual Time Trial on the Trail. As usual, we set the standard that this race is just to set a benchmark to revisit in October as a reminder of how far we’ve come. In the Varsity race, Hogan ran up with the leaders as she begins to establish where she fits in among the state’s best. She ran with much confidence and ended up with a solid finish of 6th place. In terms of time, she dropped over 2 minutes since her freshman year. Rounding out the scoring squad was Melissa Harris, Erin Degnan, Abby Hosek, and Calie Svoboda who achieved a 2-5 split of 50 seconds. This is always a stat that I try to focus on looking forward. If this were a 3-mile race, that would be a good number, but for 2 miles, that should be smaller.
In the frosh-soph race, it’s always good to see who is coming down the line to bolster the varsity group. It is also the first race for a freshman, and in the past, we have found some hidden talent that holds back at practice only to become different beasts when the gun goes off. In this race, our top finishers were Sabina Lleranas who is running with a confidence that she didn’t have last season. I still think she has more in there that, hopefully, we can tap into to make her one of our top 5 scorers by seasons end. Freshman Maddie Bent was the second finisher for the squad. Maddie is fearless at practice and has been broken at times by veterans. This is very encouraging as she starts to learn to pace and focus for training and racing. She would have been our 4th overall finisher on this day and she is a name that should factor in October for us. Nine total made their debut on this day, and I look forward to showing them their times in October.
Usually, I wouldn’t go on as long for just the first two weeks, but my content pool got washed out this past weekend. While I didn’t coach track this past season, I followed the team closely and watched as they had numerous meets canceled by weather. That trend has bled into the XC season as meets across Chicagoland were canceled, including our LT Invite. Our spirits were mostly good during the 2-hour delay inside the fieldhouse, but ultimately there was no window to race the races. All we can do is hope for better weather and make the most of the chances we get. This week we head to our ESCC Tri with Marian Catholic and Joliet Catholic. Our expectation will be to sweep those two conference foes. Then it’s on to Peoria for our annual trip to race at the hallowed grounds of Detweiller Park…. As long as the weather cooperates.
Coach Wejman
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