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After a lightning-thunder-rain-wind-hail delay of over an hour, we finally raced in some great weather today. The sun was out, the wind was calm, and the Bees really stepped up to the plate. The 4X800 kicked it off with a tremendous effort from all four women: Jazzman set a lifetime PR of 2:39 as lead-leg and put us in the lead of the race. Halie ran a season PR of 2:44 and regained the lead in the final stretch, looking focused and strong after running negative splits. Ana matched her lifetime PR of 2:37 and helped to grow the lead and Joseline ran a season PR of 2:46 to help keep our lead, running a solid last 200 of her race. Thanks to the collective efforts of the relay, we posted a season best of 10:51--a huge PR over Monday's time of 11:03. Way to go, ladies!
In the 3200, Lindsay was the lone ZB, but she earned us a 1st place! Taking the lead in the first lap, Lindsay looked confident and determined. Although two Waukegan girls were breathing down her neck for the entire race, Lindsay's focus remained unshaken. In the gun lap, Lindsay made a move on the back stretch in order to start gapping the Waukegan runners. With 200 meters to go, it looked like one of the Waukegan girls might come back, but Lindsay gave another burst in order to maintain first place, finishing in a season best of 13:56. It was great to see Lindsay's race fiestiness back, and equally great to see a 1st place medal around her neck. :) In an attempt to avoid any more storms, the meet manager kept the events rolling quickly to the 800 meter run. At the gun, Liana looked strong, while Joseline and Halie looked not-fully-recovered from their first efforts of the day in the 4X800. Liana had a great first split and kicked hard in the final 100 meters to set a new lifetime PR of 2:44! I look forward to watching this freshie continue to improve this season! In the 1600 meter run, three bees had the opportunity to race: Mary, Karolina and Jocelyn. Mary took the lead early in the first lap, and didn't look back. With a goal of breaking 6:00, Mary looked strong throughout the race; she seemed to need the push of some competition, though, because her final time was a respectable 6:03. I know that once her Wednesday's 400s workout kicks in, she will definitely smash that 6:00 barrier. Karolina and Jocelyn also had outstanding starts, working with the main pack of runners in order to reach their goals. The third lap seemed to challenge each bee, but they also both came back with strong finishes for the final lap. Karolina finished in a season best of 6:25, only seconds away from her race goal, and Jocelyn finished in 6:44, a lifetime PR! Excellent work, ladies! Overall, this meet provided some good data to guide our workouts for our upcoming raceless week. I look forward to seeing everyone race at Stevenson with Warren for some great competition on the 21st. :)
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  We had some GREAT improvements this meet, and I am excited to see where they go from here.
In the 4X800, I was impressed by Jazzman's gutsy lead-leg. Running a great split of 2:40, she looked poised and powerful for each lap. Ana also ran a great time of 2:37. Joseline and Halie looked strong, too, which helped us improve our overall time: 11:03. I know we will dip under the 11-mark with some more speed work and confidence. Olivia, Lydia, Annabelle, Daysha, Shayla and Sam all ran season PRs for their relays, too. Although their times are dropping, I am confident that they each have more to give in this race. Since Mundelein did not have any 3200 runners, Peyton and Karolina raced each other (at many points with in-sync strides) in order to earn 8 valuable points for our team. The times were solid and I know that the fitness they gained will be invaluable! The open 800 provided an opportunity for Liana, Jocelyne and Olivia to set season PRs of 2:51, 3:07 and 3:22 respectively. Great work, ladies! :) The 1600 was also host to several PRs: Joseline's season PR of 6:33, Karyn's lifetime PR of 6:44, Lydia's PR of 7:16, Shayla's lifetime PR of 7:36, Daysha's lifetime PR of 8:21, Annabelle's lifetime PR of 8:31, and Sam's lifetime PR of 8:54. :) Overall, I was impressed by the vast improvements. Some great weather really makes a difference! Let's keep moving toward our goals for the season. This meet took FOREVER, but it was still great to get outdoors and even better to be able to compete against the guys. Our 4X800 relays ran solid races, with Ana running a particularly strong leg in 2:46 and Karyn improving her lifetime PR in 2:54. The 3200 was particularly inspiring as Mary beat most of Wauconda's boys, finishing in a strong 12:42--a lifetime PR at this distance. In the open 800, Liana turned some heads with her gutsy performance, clocking a lifetime PR of 2:53.
Overall, this was a good kick-off to the outdoor season, but I look forward to seeing some more inspired kicks in the future! What a great evening of racing! Our 4X800 started things out right by exceeding my expectations. The relay of Halie, Tori, Ana, and Joseline ran faster than I had anticipated, finishing in 11:17 and looking competitive in their heat. Soon after, Kimmy toed the line for the 1600 and ran an outstanding race. Not only did she run a lifetime PR of 5:39, but she looked tough from gun to finish. Mary, not to be outdone, also ran a gritty race in her heat of the 1600 and also set a lifetime PR of 5:59. We used our wildcard entry in the 800, so we had three bees racing: Ana, Peyton and Karyn. Ana looked good in her second effort of the day, finishing in 2:49. Karyn made quite an impression by shedding considerable time from her previous best and finishing in 2:56. Peyton was only steps behind her teammate, finishing in 2:58 and breaking 3:00 for the first time since sophomore year. All three women looked focused and followed through with their race strategies. in the 3200, Maira battled with a poor choice of hip-wrap-material; the silver lining of the race was that she showed poise and courage as she competed in this grueling race.
Overall, this meet made me anxious to see what you call can do when we get outdoors to a real sized track! I am extremely proud of ALL of the performances of the day. Let's keep moving in a positive direction during spring break practices! Special thanks to the alumni who came to support our bees. Not only did their cheers help our team feel supported during each race, but their presence also showed that we are always LINKED. It was also great to see Coach Victor Reyes working with his athletes at Harvard High School. Another former bee who is permanently "linked" to running! Finally, a shout out to our timers for the day: Karli and Lindsay (with the help of others who were done running for the day)...they made sure we had our stats straight! :) We were lucky to be invited to this triangular meet; every bee got a chance to test herself against her training and her competition. Although the track itself was peculiar (underground with tight, banked turns), we welcomed the opportunity to finally race. I was pleasantly surprised with our collective performances. The newbees definitely learned a lot and competed with pride. The veterans stepped up both in performance and in knowledge-sharing. I hope that we return next year!
There were several highlights from the meet. First, the following bees successfully competed in their first high school track meet ever: Tiffany, Daysha, Karyn, Mary, Sam, Jocelyne, Jocelyn, and Jayme. They handled the "newness" and uncertainty of racing with grace and tenacity. Nice work! The most solid performance of the meet came from Halie: she doubled in the 4X800 (2:50 split) and the open 400 (71) and looked aggressive and focused in each race. In the 1600, Kimmy officially broke 6:00 and Tiffany had a huge break through with a time of 7:54, well below her previous timed-mile-best. Overall, I was pleased with our efforts in this meet, and I cannot wait to see you  Iris on her way to a lifetime PR in the 800: 3:19!  Cora blowing away the field in the open 800. She ran a lifetime PR of 2:51 :)  Joseline and Tori pushing each other to lifetime PRs in the 1600: 6:04 and 6:05 respectively. :) This week we had some nice breakthroughs from many of you! We started the week at Warren's new track. While the facility was very nice, it was pretty windy for most of the meet. We didn't care, though...it was just nice to see the sun finally! In the 4X800 we had some solid performances. Joseline got out in a great opening split of 74, and finished with a match of her lifetime PR of 2:41--great job! Rachel and Lindsay ran solid splits of 3:03 and 3:04. Iris rounded out our relay with a lifetime PR of 3:19--nice work!
We struggled a bit mentally in the 3200; all three racers agreed that they let themselves get intimidated by Warren's strong record from XC, leading them to forget about their own race plans. I know that they all learned from this race, though. ;) In the 800, Cora electrified our team with her early and dramatic lead. She looked like Cora from the end of XC...dominating the field! She finished with a lifetime PR of 2:51--outstanding! Yazmin was in the same heat of the race and also came away with a lifetime PR of 3:30--great job! In the 300 hurdles, Riley had a great race and ran a lifetime PR of 56. I know she will continue to chip away at that time! There were two heats of the mile as well. In heat one, Rachel went out strong and looked like her old cross-country self. During lap three, Karielle woke up and realized she could run with her buddy. They pushed each other for a bit before Karielle took the lead of that pack. She finished in a lifetime PR of 6:45 and looked like she had more to give! Rachel finished in 6:50. In the varsity heat, Joseline and Tori looked like two women on a mission. They pushed each other throughout the race to produce two lifetime PRs: 6:04 and 6:05. I know that when they revisit this race, they will both crack that 6:00 barrier. We finished the day strong with two great PRs in the 4X400. Alexis started her relay strong with a lifetime PR of 65. Her form looked perfect! Kaley came back in a later leg to match that time, looking angry the whole way! I was really impressed with these two performances--way to go ladies! Overall, there were many bright spots, but we need to work on the mental aspect of racing, per our "secret hallway" conversation. I know I will see improvements next Monday! Click here for splits. Click here for 4X400 Splits On Thursday, Varsity traveled to Grayslake North for the Lake County Invite. Although this meet was a tremendous jump in terms of the level of competition (especially since we did not get to race at the Antioch Invite), we handled the challenge very well. Maira and Lindsay started us strong in the 3200. Lindsay finally broke the 14:00 barrier by running a new lifetime PR in 13:54, and Maira was right behind her in 13:55, only a second shy of her lifetime PR. What I liked most about this race is that neither of you was satisfied afterwards, despite the nice times. I know you both saw missed opportunities to improve...I'm counting on those lessons transferring to your races at Conference next week. In the 4X800, Alexis ran a PERFECT first lap. Her gradual cut-in on the back stretch was picture-perfect because she waited for the right spot and stayed out of all the jostling in the 17-team pack. I know you can get that second lap to be where you want it to be...Karli was our second leg, and she looked great. She went out in a strong 76 and finished with a lifetime PR of 2:43. Tori ran a more even race, finishing with a lifetime PR of 2:41. Joseline ran a solid race, matching her lifetime PR of 2:41. I know that all four of you can dip into the 2:30s next week--you are ready! After some nerves got the best of her last week, Kaley ran a great race in the open 800. She went out STRONG, running 33 for the first 200 and going through the line in 69. Tremendous! She finished strong with a lifetime PR of 2:30. I know that she can dip into the 2:20s at Conference if she stays awake in the final 200. Before the mile, I was really nervous. Both of our milers have been on reduced training and were feeling questionable before the race. As soon as the gun went off, my fears were allayed; these Ana and Kimmy looked great! Ana started the race very strong in a 79 while Kimmy sat back in a more conservative 83. In the third lap, Kimmy made a strong move within the pack, nearly catching Ana. In the final lap, Ana had a stronger kick, running an 89 and finishing in a lifetime PR of 5:59.89 and breaking the 6:00 barrier. Kimmy had a great finish as well, running a lifetime PR of 6:03. After this race, I could not stop talking about it--I am proud of both of you for such GUTSY performances. Way to go, bees! :) Kaley finished off the day with an amazing performance in the 4X400. After receiving the baton a bit further back than we would hope, Kaley ran a controlled but aggressive leg, pulling us back into the race. Her 65 (matching her lifetime PR) looked great! Overall, this was a good day, ladies! I look forward to seeing more improvements next week. :) Click here for Lake County splits. This is a busy week! At home on Monday, we enjoyed some of Mother Nature's Finest...it rained on and off for most of the meet, but many in our crew rose above the rude weather. Kaley started things right, looking like her sophomore version of herself in the lead leg of the 4X800, running a very nice season PR of 2:32; Cora did the same in our other 4X800, running a season PR of 2:55. She looked almost shocked after she heard her time, but she should NOT be surprised! The rest of our relays looked flat...we need to break through in this race...stat! The 3200 featured two newcomers to the race this season: Kimmy and Iris. While both women were tentative about their abilities before the race, I'm sure that they were both pleased after. Kimmy ran a season PR for her first mile in 6:21, and finished with a very nice 13:06. With a few tweaks in the 6th and 7th lap, she will be running some great times! Iris ran a great time of 16:29. During cross, her fastest average was 8:34, but today she ran an 8:14 average...great progress! The other highlights came during the mile. Lydia (7:05), Karolina (6:35), Tori (6:19) and Maira (6:34) all ran season PRs. Nice work today, Bees! :)
Due to Mother Nature's crabbiness, we had to cancel both invites this week. :(  Maira and Lindsay working together in the 3200 @ the Waukegan Invite. Photo courtesy of Mr. Ennesser.
We started the week at home against a very deep Lake Zurich team. Although the score did not end up like we hoped, we had a few strong performances. Halie and Alexis looked strong in the 3200 and got some necessary strength work in. Several women earned PRs in the mile: Olivia, Iris, Erin, and Lydia. Kaley looked smokin' fast in the first leg of her exhibition 4X400, running a 67, while Sabrina was a total soldier and filled in as the final leg for a different 4X400. Overall, we need to work on finishing races like we mean it. Click here for splits. 4X400 splits here. After a rain delay, a missing bus and a late arrival, we showed up to McHenry on Thursday in order to improve some PRs. The 4X800 looked a bit flat after Halie's solid lead leg (great first lap, by the way!). I know this group is a bit banged up, but as we head into more serious races, we need to raise our game! Lindsay and Maira both ran PRs in the 3200 by running gutsy races. Maira started strong by running a season PR for the first mile (6:35) and finished in a very nice 13:54. If she cleans up her sleepy lap and adds on a shifter-kick 8th lap, I know she can shave off more time. Lindsay battled a girl from Fremd most of the race (kindly aiding the Fremd runner to a PR) and shed 5 seconds from her best, finishing in 14:04. I know she will see the 13:00s very soon! In the 800, Kaley started strong and set the tempo for the first lap. Smartly, Alexis worked her way out of a box, and by the home stretch of lap one, the two Bees were working side-by-side to hold off Fremd. On the back stretch, Kaley's experience showed as she pushed to hang onto the Fremd girls; she finished by shaving off one more second from her season PR, finishing in 2:38. Alexis had a great learning experience in the final 250 meters, and I know that she will use this race to fuel future ones. In the mile, Peyton and Ana-Joseline got out well for the first lap, and their half times were solid. They both need to work on laps 3 & 4 to get their times to where they should be. Peyton matched her season PR, and Joseline set a season PR of 6:27. I know that each of these women can drop more time...a few more racing opportunities should help! Click here for splits.  Good news--we have a new invite for our schedule! Although this meet is small (6 teams), it is a nice transition to outdoor competition. The weather was a bit brisk at first, but the day ended up being rather pleasant once the finals began. Click here for splits.
Our 4X800 exceeded expectations with four season PRs! Halie started us out strong with a 2:42 and a second place position. Tori took over and ran a lifetime PR of 2:46. Karli also ran a lifetime PR of 2:49. Joseline brought us home with a season PRo f 2:47. All four women competed and looked aggressive throughout their races--a great way to start the day! In the 3200, Lindsay and Maira busted their season PRs in the mile (again) and continue to look strong as a duo in this race. If they can work on running even splits, I know they will both have some nice breakthroughs in their overall times. In the 800, we went 1-2 with Alexis and Kaley's fine performances. Alexis lead the race from start to finish, going out in a strong 70 seconds for the first quarter. Kaley was not far behind in 72, and came close to catching Alexis in the final meters. Alexis shed another second off her lifetime PR to run 2:37, and Kaley ran a season PR of 2:38. Nice work, ladies! The 1600 also provided some season PRs in Ana and Peyton's races. Ana had a great race, duking it out with a young woman who was unclear on the "you can't run inside the white line" rule until the last lap. If Ana can learn to close that last lap, she will be the first to earn a "Sub 6" shirt this season. Peyton had a great start to her race, looking strong at the half (3:07), and finishing with a great last lap. If she can get that tricky third lap, she will have a lifetime PR! Finally, Halie made her debut in the Varsity 4X400, running an aggressive race and handing off the baton just shy of first place. I know she will continue to make the D-Crew proud in this relay! Overall, great work today, ladies! Let's keep growing and learning from each race. :) |
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