Published: November 09, 2009 09:55 pm      

Our View: MV runners deserve credit for great year

The Mt. Vernon Township High School girls cross country team finished 11th at the Illinois High School Association Class 2A State Cross Country Meet held Saturday at Detweiler Park in Peoria. The finish is the best by a Lady Rams team in school history.

Leading the way, as she has for nearly all of her four years, was senior Margo Richardson, who finished second in the Class 2A race a year after winning it. At the surface, the drop from first to second might seem a bit disappointing. But consider that Richardson ran a personal-best time — 17 minutes, 20 seconds — on the Detweiler course. Her time this year at the state meet was 21 seconds faster than her winning time in 2008. Runners only can account for their own performance and not that of their competitors, so although she finished second rather than first Richardson improved drastically between her junior and senior seasons.

Lady Rams runner Stephanie Modert finished 26th in the race Saturday, one spot shy of earning All-State recognition. And other team members ran strong enough to help the squad to its best finish at the state meet.

Running is a very personal and difficult sport that not many of us can do at such a high level. We congratulate Coach Connie Harre-Blair and her runners for the success attained this fall.