One more time for Saints' Hynes

With a little more than a month remaining before the girls state meet, Lizzy Hynes is finding it hard to believe that her high school cross country career is winding down.

"It's kind of strange to think that I've been through three years of cross country," said Hynes. "It's tough to believe that this is my senior year. It has all flown by so fast."

During the course of her three-plus years, the St. Charles East senior has developed a knack for flying past the competition.

As a freshman, Hynes burst onto the prep scene, earning Class AA individual all-state honors with a 19th-place finish (time of 17:35) while leading the Saints to a seventh-place team showing in Peoria.

"She had a fabulous start to her high school career," said Saints coach Denise Hefferin.

Hefferin, who took over as the St. Charles East coach prior to Hynes' sophomore campaign, knows something about fabulous starts to a high school career.

During her freshman season in 1996, Hefferin was a member of the Saints' second-place state cross country team. As a sophomore and junior, she helped lead the Saints to back-to-back state championships.

As for Hynes, she followed up her inaugural season with an impressive sixth-place individual finish (17:13) for the 22nd-place Saints.

Last year, Hynes continued to knock precious seconds off her previous state-best time while climbing the leaderboard. Her 16:59 clocking was good enough for third place individually in the 3A meet.

After three consecutive all-state performances (top 25), Hynes would like nothing more than capturing the elusive state title in her fourth attempt next month at Detweiller Park.

"That has kind of been my goal the last couple years," Hynes said of earning individual state honors. "I realize there will be a ton of really good girls down there but I'm going for it.

"Even if I get 10th, I'm going to be trying to win it. It's about trying to win a state title - and I'm going to give it all I have."

Hefferin has noticed something different in Hynes' approach this season.

"The main difference is her improved strength - both physically and mentally," said the coach, who was a four-year member of the Saints' cross country squad from 1996-99 before running track and cross country at Wake Forest University.

"Condition-wise, we were not just concerned with adding mileage. Lizzy has spent more time in the weight room increasing her muscular capacity and she's worked a lot on mental toughness."

That isn't to say that Hynes hasn't been mentally tough the past three seasons. It's more a sign that the stakes have been raised this time around.

"There are challenges involved to being in the state spotlight all four years," said Hefferin. "It can be draining emotionally, especially when it's your senior year and the expectations are so very high.

"But Lizzy is very mature - way above the level of most seniors."

That doesn't mean Hynes is oblivious to feeling the pressure before big races.

"My nerves get worse every year primarily because I've raised the bar every year," said Hynes, who is anticipating her second look in three weeks at Lake Park rival Lindsay Flannagan Saturday at the Wheaton North Falcon Classic.

"The bigger the race, the more seriously I'll take it."

Hefferin realizes that Hynes is in a unique position this season.

"I know a lot of girls who would love to be in position to contend for a state title like Lizzy," said the coach. "She knows what it feels like to be in front (of the pack).

"That's what it takes to be a success. It can't come from me or even from her teammates. That drive has to come from her."

Hynes, who has Duke, Boston College, Georgetown, Virginia and Vanderbilt on her short list of colleges, plans on peaking in November/December (at the Footlocker meet in Kenosha, Wis.).

"It's kind of my midseason right now and I'm rounding into shape," said Hynes, who suffered her first career home course loss (to Geneva's Kelly Whitley at LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve) last month and finished one notch behind freshman teammate Mallory Abel two weeks ago in Peoria.

"I was kind of frustrated at first because I didn't run the time I wanted to (at the STC East/Leavey Invite). And I was kind of sick at Peoria. I can tell through my workouts that I haven't fallen off. I'm still there."

As for her greatest strength?

"It's her passion for the sport and her role as a leader on the team and in Illinois running circles," said Hefferin. "It's not just the St. Charles East girls who look up to what Lizzy has done. It's girls from across the state."