Huntley's Marzejon ready to put cap on great career

When one has accomplished in a high school track career the things Huntley senior Coryn Marzejon has, one has to wonder what's left?

How about a state championship.

Marzejon, one of the most decorated runner in Huntley's highly-decorated girls track history, and one of the most accomplished athletes in the area, came oh so close to that state title last year, finishing second in the Class AA 400-meter dash at the state meet at Eastern Illinois University. Her time of 56.16 in the event fell just shy of the 55.97 posted by Naperville Central's Casey Short.

So now, as the 2008 season unfolds, the obvious goal is to win the state title this spring, right? Well, sort of.

"I want to win state but I'm a realist," Marzejon said this week. "If it doesn't happen, my goal is to get my time down into the 55s."

So, yes, there are more important things to Marzejon than winning state, although that would remain the ultimate goal. There are things like being a leader for her teammates, something Huntley coach Shawn Nordeen says he expects from Marzejon this season.

"My expectations of her this year is that she will bring strong leadership to the younger kids," Nordeen said. "She had this when she came into the program and I want her to leave her mark with the younger runners the same way they did to her when she was a freshman.

"She has had a remarkable track career and I want nothing else than for her to bring it all to a great end at the state track meet this spring."

Marzejon's career has been nothing short of phenomenal. The Michigan State signee has won seven Fox Valley Conference championships, holds the McHenry County records in the 100, 200, and 400, as well as being part of county record-holding 400 relay and 800 medley relay teams. In addition to finishing second in the state in the 400 last year, she was eighth in the 200 and qualified in the 100. As a sophomore, she was third in the 400 and seventh in the 200 at state, as well as qualifying in the 100 and the 800 medley relay. Her first taste of state competition came in her freshman year when she ran at O'Brien Stadium in Charleston in the 400 and the 800 medley.

"Freshman year I was a nervous wreck every meet," Marzejon laughed. "But I've learned that people will support me no matter what. I never thought I'd do what I have done but when I finished eighth as a freshman I thought, 'alright I can keep moving up.' "

Unlike some runners, who excel at a young age and then experience burnout, Marzejon has continued to get better and better.

"I feel a lot of that has to do with doing multiple sports throughout the year," Nordeen said. "It keeps her and her body from the fatigue that it gets from doing the same activity over and over again. And she loves what she is doing. Her drive to do better and achieve great things pushes her even more."

Marzejon, who hopes to study mass communications at Michigan State, agrees playing other sports helps her not get burned out on running.

"Playing other sports helps a lot," she said. "When runners run year round it can burn them out. But sprinting is a lot different than distance running and I think you see (burnout) a lot more with distance runners."

To achieve more this season, Marzejon spent time in the offseason training at the Dave Davis Speed Camp in Crystal Lake.

"I went three days a week and we worked on strength and fine tuning techniques," she said. "We worked on a lot of power stuff."

Nordeen has seen a more powerful Marzejon early this season, although Mother Nature has hampered her and everyone else from getting outside much.

"She is really strong this year," Nordeen said. "The weather is killing her. She is itching to get outside and run in some competition."

Marzejon is also relishing the opportunity to give back to the program in a leadership role.

"Watching other captains from previous years, you really do look up to the older girls," she said. "I try to be an example and show the other girls how to get better."

And that's what Nordeen and his staff want out of their senior standout this season.

"We talked with her earlier in the year and basically told her she needed to be more of a leader at practice and in drill work," Nordeen said. "She has really helped them along showing them our drills and warm-ups and the correct form myself and my staff are looking for. She has been more vocal also this year which was a great thing to see. She has meant a lot to this team and for teams that will be coming along. She has taken what others have taught her from our track program and kept it strong."

While those of us who chronicle area athletes might feel Marzejon has been on the scene for well more than four years, she says it's time that has flown by. Her senior year is upon her and in a few short months it will be on to college -- hopefully with a state championship to close out her high school career.

"It's gone by really fast," she said. "It's kinda sad. I'm very excited (about college) but I'm not one to deal with change very well. I'll really have to work on that."

If the work ethic she's shown during her career at Huntley continues, that transition should be no problem.