Steady wins the race
Sunday, November 2 2014 - IHSA Regional|
St. Joseph-Ogden Head Coach Jason Retz knows his team is dedicated.
He knew it when the girls won the Okaw Valley Conference meet, when the runners ran personal bests at the Peoria Heights Invite and when the boys had huge races all year long.
"Both groups ran very well," Retz said about the Peoria Heights Invite. "The boys exceeded my expectations by having huge races from Justin Phillips and Gabe Lyons."
Retz said the junior varsity runners also had great races.
"The JV kids did amazing almost all set huge life time bests," he said. "For them, it was their state meet and they have to be very excited the way their season ended."
Retz said the girls also performed well at the meet held in October, but that was to be expected.
"The girls ran well also," he said. "Performing to the standard they have set for themselves. I look for them to achieve great things if they can stay healthy."
The girls did more great things when they won the Okaw Valley meet on Oct. 7. The boys placed third overall.
"It's always fun running well in the championship part of your season," Retz said. "Performing well when it matters most is something these kids have been showing they do well."
Retz said the girls don't have one standout athlete, but instead have a solid team which has motivated the athletes to perform to the best of their abilities.
"Knowing everyone else is running well is contagious for runners," he said. "It really helps lift the spirit of the other runners when they see their teammate running well."
Regional Results:
Team honors in the boys 15-school field were captured by second-ranked Monticello, which edged No. 1 Unity 35-44. Also advancing full teams to the sectional were St. Joseph-Ogden, Paxton-Buckley-Loda, Urbana Uni High, St. Thomas More and LeRoy/Tri-Valley.
Fifth-ranked St. Joseph-Ogden — which had five runners among the top 11 in the girls race — captured team honors in a strong four-way race. Monticello was second, followed by Uni High and Unity. Other full teams moving on to sectionals were St. Thomas More, LeRoy/Tri-Valley and Judah Christian, which advanced a girls’ team for the first time.
SJO girls’ coach Terri Rein couldn’t have asked more from her Spartans, who were led by senior Abby Fisher in fourth place and freshman Faith Houston in fifth.
“They are locked in, and they ran out of their minds,” Rein said. “They’ve been training insanely. No taper yet. They know they can be a special team.”