A Lot of Love for My Teammates

Pam Staton, a senior cross country runner at Loyola, is the Women's Cross Country correspondent for the HLN Blog.

"But I'm just a baby Pam...I can't do that yet"

Haha! This is what Gina Valgoi says to me whenever she feels like she isn't old enough to be doing what us upperclassmen can do. Little does she know she can accomplish FAR MORE than what she thinks she can. More on that a little later in this blog entry.

We've had some really great one-liners lately in addition to lots of quotes on our dry erase board that got us ready and excited for the Horizon League Cross Country Championship. So many thanks to Jenn Bane who was "Ms. Arts and Crafts," decorating our lockers. My favorite quote was from from Mia Hamm who was my role model back in my soccer playing days. She once said, "I've worked too hard and too long to let anything stand in the way of my goals. I will not let my teammates down and I will not let myself down."

Anyway...we have had a couple of downs this past month, but I am a very positive person who has a bright outlook on life so I don't really care to mention any of them. I am just going to state that Jena Brown is greatly missed! We've had great training sessions these past couple of weeks. I wish I could brag to you all about the details of our workouts but that's no fun in the end, right? It's the races that count!

The Horizon League Cross Country Championships took place this past weekend in Michigan. We were very fortunate to be able go to Anthony Wile's house on Friday night for a team dinner. His family and some of their neighbors were wonderful and made a great meal for all of us...it was greatly appreciated. The food was SO delicious and included everything from fettuccine to rigatoni with pumpkin sauce. There was also salad, bread, fruit, and sugar cookies galore...with "Go Ramblers" written on them, how cute! Thanks again Anthony, to you and your family!

If my teammates and I had to make a list that of what we love most about running, it would of course include the workouts, racing, pain, spandex, ice baths, laughter, each other, coach, and of course pasta dinners. They are like being with family. Sitting around at someone's house – talking, laughing and eating. Catherine Crisler and I kept laughing at Peter Grimson's entertaining stories. But, as I tell Cat daily, never once hesitate to laugh at complete nonsense because you know I'll do the same. I love her endless smile and positive attitude! Actually, I love everyone on our team. They are everything a teammate could ask for and have made this a fantastic year thus far.

Now, onto the actual meet! We arrived at Kensington Park with the pink ribbons in our hair that Jen Rock and I got for the girls. More importantly, we were ready to race! I also really appreciated some of the guys who taped the "LUXC" signs that I made onto the windows of the but...it made me feel so happy! They were so stoked for the race and their positive energy circulated to all of us. We were also fortunate enough to have some of our middle distance guys and girls (Caitlin Ferry, Danielle Locascio, Declan Murray, and Jim Winnings) come along on the trip. They, along with Gen Binnie and Alison Rack (who have been such a huge part of our team this year), offered to help us in any way possible. Matt Wieczorek was also cheering us on at the race.

The top performances of the meet go hands-down to Jessie Morgenthal, Jen Rock, and Gina Valgoi. Jen Rock was very aggressive and hungry to show everyone that she is a phenomenal runner. I admire her qualities as a runner and a person...and everyone just loves her! Anyway, she was with the lead pack the whole way, while I dropped back a bit. Senior Jessie Morgenthal also ran fearlessly, and quickly made her way to the top ten after the first mile and took seventh, earning First Team All-Horizon League honors in the process. Jessie is a phenomenal competitor and teammate! She was just one-second ahead of Jen Rock who received Second Team All- Horizon League honors. Gina Valgoi was also named to the second team as she came flying past me in the last 100 meters to finish in 13th-place. She ran with so much heart and deserved every ounce of her all-league honors. I finished 15th, while Holly Rhode was our fifth runner to cross the line, finishing in 29th place. Holly ran a great race and I know she had sooo much fun. Kelly Egan and Catherine Crisler also got their first taste of the Horizon League Championships and ran great. The men's team was all over the course cheering us on and telling us to be strong. I think I remember seeing Zack Romer, Jonathon Shepard, and Ned Brady like six times. Mike Janusek, and Jim Winnings were there too. It was outrageous, and they deserve a big "thank you!" I only wish I could have seen more of the men's race.

Speaking of the men's race...it was dominated by the defending champion, Butler. They claimed the top six individual finishers. However, our guys were right with them as Josh Stein and Ben Reifenberg ran SO STRONG, finishing seventh and eighth. Josh earned First Team All-Horizon League honors, while Ben Reifenberg earned on the All-Horizon League Second Team. Close behind them were Danny Docherty, Matt McCabe, Anthony Wile, and Jon Shepherd finishing in 16th, 18th, 21st, and 23rd. Zach Romer , Peter Grimson, and Nolan Fine also raced very well. Ryan Kuphall, one of our top runners, was unable to compete. If we were to throw him in the mix, it would have been great. Ned Brady and Mike Janusek, who have worked their butts off all season, unfortunately were also unable to race due to late season injuries. They still did whatever they could to contribute and support the team.

Both our teams finished as the runner-up behind Butler...something to be very proud of. After it was all over, we headed back to Chicago, excited for Halloween festivities. Now it's back to some kick-butt training these last couple of weekends, and then we're off to Missouri for NCAA Regionals.

This season has been an incredible journey and I am so thankful for all of the amazing people I've been able to be around and share this experience with...including all of YOU reading the HLN Blog!