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Valparaiso finishes season on a high note
Updated: October 29, 2011 10:29PM
TERRE HAUTE — To say it’s been an up-and-down season for the Valparaiso girls cross country team is a bit of an understatement.
There were injuries to several runners, including a broken foot for No. 1 runner Katelyn DeVries and bilateral stress fractures in both shins for Patricia Joll.
“All season we weren’t planning on running a full team until the postseason, and then we didn’t know what that team would look like,” Valparaiso coach Karen DeVries said.
All the issues were in their rear-view mirror on Saturday when it all came together for the Vikings in a third-place finish.
“If somebody would have told me in August we’d be third in state … it’s awesome,” Karen said, shaking her head in disbelief. “This was in God’s hands. He carried the team today. It wasn’t anything magical we did.
“I couldn’t be more happy, especially for our seniors to be on stage getting a medal.”
The happiest of those seniors might be Joll, who was celebrating her 18th birthday on Saturday.
“This is the best birthday present ever,” she said. “Three months ago we couldn’t picture ourselves at the state meet, let alone on the podium. But we knew the talent we had.”
Joll finished 102nd overall, but scored 79th for the team as the fifth runner. Katelyn DeVries placed 17th.
“I’m pretty happy with how I did,” Katelyn said. “I was shooting for top 20, but I’m more happy about the team.”
The top region individual girl was also ecstatic about her effort, once she got to the finish line. Otherwise, she admitted it was a war of attrition.
“At some point I was feeling like crap — around the 2K mark — so I just figured I’m going to keep running,” said Andrean junior Becca Conley, who finished 14th in her first state finals meet to earn a medal.
In a way, she had the help of the 59ers’ four senior boys runners.
They were on her legs.
Conley had the names Blaine (Wolf), Nick (DeMass), Jeff (Gough) and Pat (Musgrave) printed on her thighs in black ink.
“They couldn’t come down, but I know they wanted to be here,” she said. “I know everyone (back home) will be proud of me and honestly that’s the best feeling.”
Also earning all-state honors (top 25) were LaPorte’s Elena Lancioni (21st) and Griffith’s Taylor Austin (24th).
The other three Duneland teams grouped up with Crown Point placing 16th, followed by Portage and Lake Central, which tied for 17th.
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