By Bobby Narang –
Glenbard West High School’s Katelynne Hart put her name among the best in the country in cross country in an event Saturday, Dec. 8.
After notching her third straight Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Class 3A State meet cross country championship Saturday, Nov. 3, Hart competed in the 40th Foot Locker Cross Country National Finals in San Diego, Calif..
One of two runners from Illinois among the 40-athlete field, Hart nearly stole the show. For most of the 5K race, Hart held the top spot before Sydney Masciarelli of Northbridge, Mass., relied on a strong kick near the finish line to win in a time of 17:01 at Balboa Park.
Hart, a junior, clocked a second-place time of 17:03, her second straight runnerup finish in the prestigious national race. Despite falling short of her goal to win the race, Hart said she was satisfied with her performance. A week earlier, she was disappointed in her showing at the Nike NXN finals in Portland, Ore..
“I think because I pushed the pace so early that I didn’t have as much left at the end of the race,” Hart said about the run in California. “But I’m so glad we could push each other to run two of the fastest times at Balboa. I think I made a couple of tactical errors toward the end of the race. But I’m extremely happy with how the race went. I think I would definitely say it’s one of the my proudest races, just because I didn’t have the best week in Oregon. I was really happy to bounce back.”
Glenbard West girls track head coach Kelly Hass said Hart proved she’s among the best in the country during her two most recent national races.
“She led nearly the entire (Foot Locker) race and ran her own race,” Hass said. “Cross country becomes a really long season for those athletes who continue to compete in the national level meets, and to end the last two seasons like this (second place nationally), it truly demonstrates how focused and imposing of a runner she is on that level. She continues to demonstrate that there is always something left to learn about herself and her sport. She continues to truly amaze us with what she sets out to accomplish.”
Naperville North senior Alex Morris earned all-American honors by placing 15th in the meet in California.