The cross country season concluded with significant achievements, highlighted by the girls team securing fourth place at the IHSA sectional and senior Simon Lane finishing 11th at the IHSA State Championships at Detweiler Park in East Peoria on Nov 9. Throughout the season, the teams demonstrated determination, overcoming challenges such as injuries, and setting personal records along the way.
At the state championships, Simon completed the three-mile course in 14:47 — just one second short of the school record set by state champion Pete Muller in 1996. Simon is only the fifth runner from the school to earn All-State honors in cross country over the past 47 years.
“I’m proud of everybody’s effort, but I think everybody was a little disappointed with the results,” Simon said. “Individually, this felt like the culmination of all my work in high school. It felt great to become ISL champion and win multiple meets.”
Despite missing one of the fastest runners, sophomore Taara Sajdeh, due to injury, the girls team was still able to place fourth at the IHSA sectional on Nov. 2 at Hinsdale South High School.
Senior captain Sofia Piccola provided leadership and consistent performances to the team, achieving multiple personal records in several races throughout the season.
“The team was so much fun to be around, and the encouraging environment really pushed me to run my fastest during the races,” Sophia said. “I broke my PR at a night meet where the course was fully lit up and there was a DJ, so it was a really cool place to do it.”
A high point of the season took place at the Bud James meet in Washington Park on Oct. 22, where varsity runners paced the junior varsity team. Coach Diane Jackson found that the team worked together very well this season, celebrating each other’s hard work and dedication to the sport.
“The varsity runners paced the JV team, and it feels like a celebration of all the hard work, discipline and progress that every single runner on our team makes each season,” Ms. Jackson said.
