Girls cross country: Hersey's seniors savor big turnaround

Hersey seniors Hailey Bowes and Sarah Harden have definitely seen all the highs and lows for the Huskies girls cross country team.

Both Bowes and Harden were part of a Huskies squad that finished 12th in the Mid-Suburban League in 2014.

But more recently, the senior duo has also played a huge role in lifting the Hersey attack to a pretty nifty high.

Bowes and Harden have been the anchors for a team this season whic won an MSL East title, earned a third-place MSL finish, a Hoffman Estates regional title and the program's first state berth since 2009.

Harden finished in eighth place and Bowes 12th in helping Hersey to a second-place finish at the Waukegan sectional, propelling the Huskies to the Class 3A state meet at Detweiller Park in Peoria on Saturday.

"It's a great feeling," said Bowes. "I've been waiting four years to get to state, and it's even better to have the whole team advance. We're aiming for a high finish and we're super excited."

"It's a big deal, especially having the entire team," Harden said. "It shows how strong the team is … it's been all seven of us."

The two seniors, along with emerging sophomore Teagan Beckley, who finished 13th at the Waukegan sectional, have set the tone. Freshmen Katie Freidian and Erin Barton have supplied a bit of energy in powering the Huskies to a successful season.

Last year, Hersey's run came to a halt after a 10th place finish at the Schaumburg sectional. But Harden and Bowes both had promising track seasons, setting the stage for their big fall effort.

Harden set a school record by qualifying in the state track meet in the 3,200 (11:03.24). while Harden was a state qualifier in the 1,600.

"It gave me confidence because I was running with people that I used to be so far behind - it felt like I was closing the gap," said Bowes of her junior track season.

"Gave us a lot confidence, knowing we could run with some of those elite runners," added Harden.

The two Huskies picked up in the fall where they'd left off in the spring.

The turning point came when Hersey narrowly defeated Prospect in a high stakes dual meet 27-30. The Huskies followed up by taking third at the Palatine Invitational.

"Starting with beating Prospect, the train started rolling," said first-year Hersey coach Danielle Freeman. "They started to believe."

That confidence fueled a nice run through the postseason that the Huskies hope extends to Saturday's Class 3A state meet.

"I expected them to be good," said Freeman of her two senior leaders. "They do all the little things right, but yeah, they have thrown some surprises in there for us."

Now the Huskies duo is hoping for one more surprise on Saturday.