St. James School cross country team soaring

The 2011 St. James School Cross Country Team is having a great season, taking many first- through third-place spots as a team and as individuals. Team members continue to improve their individual run times as well!

SJS Cross Country, a co-ed sport open to all fifth- through eighth-graders, is part of the NW Catholic Conference and the IESA, which allows SJS to participate at the state level.

The varsity team (seventh and eighth grade) runs two miles and junior varsity (fifth and sixth grade) runs one mile. The team is coached by Shane McCarthy, assisted by Steve Haschke.

There are 25 team members, including the following: Varsity runners: Maggie Barton, Gianna Chu, Dan Gerardi, Andrew Heidorn, Danny Kelly, Patrick Lifka, Kelly McCarthy, Matthew Stack, Colleen Williams, and Claire Williams; Junior Varsity runners: Tom Constertina, Victoria Chu, Nolan Doherty, Nicole Gallant, Josh Kern, Cori Korab, Megan Lifka, Katie Lindgren, Thomas McCarthy, Matthew McManaman, Erin Oleksak, Margherite Pettenuzzo, Michael Seneczko, Michael Whelan, and Greta Zimmerman.

St. James Catholic School, a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, is dedicated to partnering with parents in modeling Christ. Its mission is to provide a foundation from which students recognize and develop their personal relationship with God, an academic culture of meaningful and continuous learning, sensitive to the gifts of each child, and tools to shape beliefs, attitudes, values, and practices in accord with the Gospel message of social justice. We are called to walk in faith, live in hope, and act in love.

St. James Catholic School is at 820 N. Arlington Heights Road in Arlington Heights. Visit www.stjamesschoolah.org.