Girls race for regionals
Caitlyn C
After placing fourth overall at the conference meet on Oct. 17, the girls cross country team was ready to outrun the competition on Oct. 24 at Hoffman Estates for regionals.
Senior Krysta Block posted West’s top time at regionals, finishing with a time of 21:47.66 in 34th place, with seniors Paulina Martinez and Jenna Cooper coming in 40th and 41st. Coach Greg Regalado was proud to say that “even though Maine West placed at conference the same as they had at last year’s conference meet, the team improved and ended up closer to top finishers than they had at last year’s conference meet.” The top placers from the conference meet were Cooper placing 19th with a time of 21.37.4, Martinez placing 22nd with a time of 21.57.0 and Block placing 23rd with a time of 21.59.3.
The team was poised to do “very well at regionals because we have lots of good runners this year. Every single runner on the team has improved and cut down on their time, even if it’s one minute; our team is improving and getting better,” freshman Kayle Griffin said. Griffin, who was the lone freshman to make it to regionals, said West had a strong core of regional runners such as senior Jenna Daube, junior Sashelle Salazar and sophomore Kennedy Young, as well as Cooper, Block, and Martinez.
Regalado noted that “Griffin had a six-minute improvement in her time compared to a month and a half ago!” That kind of dramatic cut in time propelled Griffin into regionals.
Griffin stated that “the team has been training hard throughout the season by doing different challenging runs and workouts in order to improve their times as much as possible.”
At the end of the season they were “moving onto the tapering phase with shorter and less intense practices to make sure our bodies are fresh and rested so we can all hopefully get a personal best,” Cooper said.
Throughout the season, the girls cheered each other on and pushed each other to improve during practices and meets. “Our culture of the team is phenomenal with no cliques, accepting everyone and just being a great team,” Regalado said.
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