Vernon Hills runners boast experience, talent
With the core of last year's sectional-qualifying team back for 2007, Vernon Hills girls cross country seems poised for a remarkable season.
Coach Suzanne Richert said she believes her team of 17 athletes is well situated to repeat its first-place finish in the Prairie Division of the North Suburban Conference and advance deep into the postseason.
"This looks to be a promising season with a lot of returning talent and dedicated newcomers," Richert said. "With the new IHSA class structure we should be able to improve greatly on last year's sectional-qualifying performance."
Indeed, a move to Class 2A will thin the field of schools against whom the Cougars will have to compete for spots in the sectional and state meets this fall. And with the team sporting so many returnees from last season's successful ensemble, the time could be right for Richert's team to head downstate.
Their success has begun already this year with junior co-captain Danielle Dickman, who already carried off the first-place ribbon at the Lake County Invite on Aug. 28, while the team finished fourth overall. As a sophomore, Dickman missed qualifying for the state meet by one place at last year's sectional before qualifying for the state track meet in the 1,600 and 3,200 runs last spring. Dickman finished 11th in the 2-mile at state, setting up some lofty expectations for her junior season.
Joining Dickman in the varsity lineup are several returnees from last year's team, including sophomores Jessica Feece, Carley Umphress and Megan Bess, as well as senior co-captain Sarah Elms and senior Anastasia Guletsky.
A team with this amount of returning talent would be understandably upbeat about the upcoming season, but Richert has an infusion of newcomers that should provide even more firepower at the top of the varsity lineup.
Junior Mallory Feece, a member of varsity soccer and basketball teams at Vernon Hills, has signed on this season and already made a significant impact, finishing 23rd and second on the team at the county invite.
"Mallory is a talented and hard-working athlete with a very competitive spirit," Richert said.
Richert said she's also excited about the work put in by freshman Jessie Draper.
"She's a hard worker and very passionate about running," Richert said. "I'm looking for her to make an immediate contribution to the team this year."
The team has already shown a knack for pack running. At the county meet, the Cougars' second through fifth-place runners were separated by only 17 places.
Though the Cougars have reason to be excited about their varsity, Richert took time out to laud her team's chemistry from top to bottom.
"We are young but experienced at the varsity level and we have a lot of senior leadership on our junior varsity," Richert said.
Richert went on to compliment the work of returning reserve runners Taryn Abbassian and Emily Macy as well as newcomers Haley Bosco and Erin O'Donnell.
If the newcomers and the returnees mix together to form the potent combination that Richert expects, the 2007 season could be one to remember for the Cougars.