The Illinois HS XC Journal - September 3, 2020

Blog #5: The Waiting is the hardest part

By Michael Newman

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“You take it on faith, you take it to the heart.

The waiting is the hardest part.” – Tom Petty

This song written in 1981 has meaning to Cross Country in so many ways. It could mean you just want to take the lead so badly, but you know you have a killer kick you need to have faith in your finish.

Almost 40 years later, those lyrics have a different meaning for the six teams that won IHSA State Cross Country Championships and the two runners that won individual titles last fall at Detweiller Park.

There will be no defense in a state title this fall. The fields around Detweiller Park that would be full of cars will stay empty on November 7. The teams that would want to defend a state title in November will have to wait until 2021.

Every team could not wait to start their season in the last week. Some teams will get their season going the week before Labor Day. There are two teams that will be powers in their respective divisions in 2020.

Both the St. Charles East Boys Team and the Winnebago Girls team both came with state championships in 2019. They were both supposed to start their season in the first week where teams in Illinois could race. There were detours in their starts.

Oh, the waiting…

It was supposed to be an August 29 start on a Saturday morning for St. Charles East. A curve ball came at this meet hosted by Glenbard North at Glendale Heights Camera Park. There was a cricket match that had registered for use of the park on that day. The four teams that were scheduled would have to wait more than 48 hours to hear the sound of the starter’s pistol.

St. Charles East approach their spot on the starting line that Monday afternoon. What kind of strategy are we going to use today?” one of the team members asked their Coach Chris Bosworth. Their coach replied, “We are going to run hard?”

“It was definitely different having less people in the race, not that many spectators,” their top runner Micah Wilson said. “I was different, but it was nice to get out there and run.”

St. Charles East was the prohibitive favorite in their first race of the season with Glenbard North, Lake Park, and Geneva along for the ride in this race. They showed that charging to the lead at the start. Respect our authority and try and keep up with our pace was said as their spikes hit the solid ground of Camera Park.

Wilson led at the mile passing that point in 4:50. Teammates Luke Schildmeyer and Zack Loomis were three seconds back with Lake Park’s Nathan Jorgensen close behind.

There was never a doubt on who would win the team race on this day. Jorgensen would not count in the scoring. Lake Park did not have five runners to score in this race. It was a perfect 15 for the Saints with Wilson winning in 14:48 for the 2.88-mile course. Then followed Schildmeyer (14:57) and Loomis (15:03) that had a snug 15 second among the trio. Tyler Tobin (15:48) and Mitch Garcia (15:51) that were the team’s fourth and fifth runners. Their top five split was 63 seconds. It was not the normal split that you would win a state title with.

This was the end of August with races every week until they get to mid-October. There would be no state title this year. It did give them a good starting point to work from to become better runners. That is all that counts in this 2020 cross-country season.

“You never know what your last race of the season will be,” Wilson said about the fluidity of what the season could be like. “I know I am lucky that I will be coming back next year. For the seniors, they will have to make the most of it. I know I am going to make the most of it because this is all we have. We are lucky that we even get to run this season.”

Winnebago’s wait was eight days to start their season. They were supposed to have a meet with Hononegah and Rockford Christian on August 24. 95 degree temperatures halted that meet for the day. On September 1, it did not look like there would be a meet. Thunderstorms were hitting the northern portion of the state.

“We just can’t get a break with the weather,” Winnebago Coach Janet Erb said that morning.

They got the break that they needed in the afternoon. Storms were surrounding them but not hitting Fuller Forest Preserve on the southwest corner of Rockford and Winnebago. The Cross-Country Gods were protecting this cross country hamlet.

Winnebago is one of the top 40 teams in the nation and would have been a choice to have been an at-large team to go to Portland for the Nike Cross Nationals. “I feel so bad for all the athletes that are missing out on that opportunity,” Erb said about being no state meet.  “There are so many goals - team and individual- that never get the chance to come true.”

So why was Winnebago on the starting line for nothing to run for? Bago was there just like the other two teams that shared the starting line with them. There is the joy of competition, the joy of testing your fitness level, and the joy of running with your teammates sharing those opportunities.

There was Winnebago around the first mile with Grace and Katie Erb along with teammate Marissa Roggensack right by their sides. They were without their teammate and top runner Natalia Martino was held out of the race with a minor injury suffered in the morning. The remaining runners for Bago held back in the first mile and then made a charge in the final stages of the race.

Winnebago scored a perfect 15 points compared to Hononegah’s 48 points and Rockford Christian who scored 68 points. Their sweep started with Grace Erb running 11:56 for the win on the 2.05-mile course. Roggensack was next with 11:57. Katie Erb (12:06), Kaylee Woolery (12:18), and Renee Rittmeyer (12:41) followed. The team ran a 45 second split without their top runner. Not bad at all.

The top five for Winnebago rejoiced around the finish chute waiting for their teammates to arrive. It did not matter what runner from what team came across the line. They were there to congratulate and tell them great race.

Maybe they have won their championship for this season especially with the sportsmanship they exhibited. It is still tough for me to not see this team run after a state championship especially the promise and class that they show.

“It seems to have a bigger, emotional effect knowing I have two daughters on the team.  Goals we have dreamed of, for me before I even had my own kids,” said Coach Erb. “What opportunities are lost--- 4 time all-stater (or for some maybe their only all state opportunity) --- State Championship Team (and the rest of the trophies & for a few--a repeat opportunity)--- and if a repeat opportunity was there you can't have a third, fourth, fifth and so on---Record boards that you can't appear on (we have a record board of the top 15 times at state)--- We have a traditional t-shirt that lists all the years our program has won (so missing years on a t-shirt)--- and the state memories (staying in a hotel, team dinner and meeting, running the course, picking out state shirts)---Just to name a few.  It is disappointing that this virus can have such a great effect on all the normalcy of life.”

We saw some of the same reactions during the track season when runners lost a chance to compete for a state title.

It is something that we had to accept to move on. The same will happen this fall due to the virus.

One thing is certain. We do have a season for them to run in.

As for a state championship, there will be 2021, we hope.

The waiting truly is the hardest part. Let us enjoy what we have for now.