by Ryan Wells
It's an old saying that what doesn't kill you can only make you stronger.
Last year, the Kaneland Girls Cross Country team battled through some tough adversity to finish third in the conference behind Lemont and Elmwood Park, who finished just one point ahead of Knights.
The Knights also took second in both the Sterling Invitational and the Freeport Invitational, and ftenth place in the sectional.
Kaneland lost its number one and number three runners from last season, but have plenty of young faces to plug into the holes. Co-captains Rhyan Burke and Emily Guthke, both seniors, will lead the way with sophomore Alex Self looking to have a strong year. Seniors Heidi Striedl and Alicia Brown, along with junior Sarah Campbell also hope to be a big plus for the Knights.
"We had some very good runners that were hurt, so we're going to have to be helped out. We have about six freshmen who look like they are going to work pretty hard. They have a good work ethic and they have some talent, so we'll have to see how those combinations do. So I'm pretty encouraged by that," Ecker said.
The Knights have a lot of depth on the team, and it remains to be seen who will emerge as the dominant force. Right now the focus for the team is on steady improvement on a week-to-week basis.
With that in mind, the girls have set a goal of finishing in the top two in the conference and qualifying for the state meet.
"I tell the girls to concentrate on the positive things, not the negative things,' said Ecker, adding, "In cross country, you can't do anything to prevent someone else from running fast. It's not like a sport where you guard someone or tackle someone. So all you have to do is take care of your business. You've got to concentrate on what you're doing."
Looking ahead to a season that starts September 2, Ecker said, "I don't make predictions. I learned my lesson a long time ago. If they improve steadily, and do the best they can do, the winning takes care of itself."
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