Stanford looks good to Derrick

Neuqua Valley senior Chris Derrick, who just completed one of the best cross country seasons any Illinois runner's ever had, announced on Tuesday he will commit to Stanford to run track and cross country.

The Cardinal will get a runner who finished second in Saturday's Foot Locker Nationals, a week after Derrick won the overall title at the Nike Team Nationals, simultaneously leading his fellow Neuqua Valley runners to the team championship.

At the NTN Midwest regional in Terre Haute, Ind., on Nov. 10, Derrick set a course record of 14 minutes, 54 seconds over the 5-kilometer layout.

His time of 13:52 in this fall's IHSA Class 3A cross country meet was the second-fastest ever at Peoria's Detweiller Park, following only the 13:50.6 of Lebanon's Craig Virgin in 1972.

Derrick, who will receive a 50 percent scholarship, chose Stanford over Illinois and Georgetown. He also took official visits to Virginia and William & Mary.

"I just felt more comfortable there," Derrick said of Stanford, "especially with the great opportunities it can offer with the academics and just the great athletic facilities.

"It's an awesome place to be."

A straight-A student throughout high school, he has a grade-point average of 4.57 out of 4.0. He plans on studying political science and economics at Stanford.

"Chris is a class act and has the leadership tools and running ability to help Stanford return as a national contender in the future," said Neuqua Valley boys cross country coach Paul Vandersteen.