Rising fast

Chris Derrick's journey to the top of the boys cross country elite has been anything but conventional.

He was the last man on his freshman/sophomore team his freshman year. His sophomore year, he was the No. 1 runner on his varsity team.

Today, the Neuqua Valley senior isn't just the top runner on his team -- he's considered one of the top runners in the state.

"(Chris) is like another coach. Our training decisions are made with the leaders on our team and Chris represents the voice of the athletes," said Neuqua Valley coach Paul Vandersteen. "He is also very tough. He will not back down to a challenge.

"However, his secret is his ability to not get too excited on any one particular day. He embodies our philosophy of moderation and consistency."

"I was happy at being 28th in conference for frosh-soph (as a freshman)," Derrick said. "It's kind of nuts. I don't really know where I'm at yet because I've never been up here before. I didn't even know how to run this race, I had to ask my coach."

Derrick slowly grew more comfortable in his role as the team's best runner, and the results showed it. Derrick improved every week, ultimately finishing just 12 seconds from earning all-state honors at the state meet.

The evolution of Chris Derrick, star runner, continued his junior year and culminated with Derrick shocking the state with an impressive third-place performance. No one, including his own coach, had any idea Derrick had that kind of finish in him when the season started last year.

"You never know what a good summer and some maturity can do for a developing runner," Vandersteen said. "At this time last year, no one considered Chris Derrick to be a top-five threat, but he ran a great race at state to finish third."

Not only had Derrick just earned his first all-state honors, he had also managed to position himself as one of the favorites for the championship in 2007. But while Derrick has been an improving work in progress his high school, the runner who finished one place ahead of him has been a dominant force since Day One.

Hersey senior Kevin Havel is widely regarded as the favorite at this year's state meet, and for very good reason. He finished fifth in state his freshman year. He followed that up with a fourth-place performance his junior year, and he finished second last year.

His time of 14 minutes, 12 seconds last year would've been good enough to win most years. But most years, you don't have a runner the caliber of departed Jacobs star Evan Jager, who won in 14 minutes, 7 seconds.

"Kevin Havel has been a great runner for a long time. He was a national age-group champion and he continues to get better," Vandersteen said. "(Hersey) coach Tim Phillips has been smart about his development."

While Derrick was only one place back of Havel last year, he was a distant 10 seconds behind him. For Derrick to officially enter the state's elite, he needed a race to not only prove to the state that he was a force to be reckoned with, but to also prove to himself just how good he is.

That race happened last spring in the 3,200-meter state track finals.

Derrick found himself in the middle of an all-out sprint for the championship down the backstretch of the final lap. Beside him was Jager. Behind him was Havel. When Derrick crossed the finish line 8 minutes and 54 seconds after he started, he found himself looking at Jager's back.

But that was it. Twelve seconds after Derrick finished, Havel finished. Derrick's time that day was one of the fastest in state history to not win. But one result was undeniable: a star was officially born.

"Even though he ran under nine minutes in the 3,200, Chris still strikes me as a runner who has not yet reached a ceiling," said Waubonsie Valley coach David Severance. "I am sure he is working hard, but he appears so smooth and effortless.

"Also, the way he finishes races is very impressive. Having watched him fairly closely over the last two or three years, I would also like to point out what a classy competitor he is. Chris is refreshingly humble."

Today, 16-year-old Chris Derrick is all about drive. Not only can he finally drive in his senior year, but it's that drive within him that has the quiet superstar on the verge of a special final season -- one that could end with a first-place medal and a place in Illinois cross country history.