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Women's Cross Country

August 30, 2010
Cyclones in the hunt for 2010 titles

Returning only two runners from last season, which saw a "beat-up" squad nearly pull out a conference championship, the Moraine Valley women’s team has retooled and are ready to get back into the thick of things in 2010.

"We are much deeper and more experienced than last year, and consequently stronger," said coach Mark Horstmeyer, who has been at the helm of the women’s program since its inception in 2000. "We have the potential to be really good—if we stay healthy. It’s something that plagued us all last year, especially at conference and regionals." The Cyclones lost the conference title by two points with their number two runner sidelined and two other teammates running despite injuries.

The Cyclones will be led by Ashley Shares (Stagg), who was first team All-Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference and All-NJCAA Region IV Division I and finished 40th at the national championships. She’s out this season, however, to improve upon her performance, and the team captain may very well do it. "Ashley is such a hard worker. Since she crossed the finish line at nationals, she has dedicated herself to getting fitter and stronger. She put in a lot of time in the off-season and this summer, and it shows. She expects big things, and so do I. It will be a lot of fun watching her," her coach said.

Also returning is Alejandra Dongo (Bremen), who was named an Academic All-American in 2009. She was a major contributor to the team last year until injuries hobbled her toward the end of the season. She will be counted on this year to score points. "Alejandra has a lot of heart and courage, and this year we’re doing everything we can to keep her healthy so she can enjoy the success this year that she deserved last year," Horstmeyer said.

The leading newcomer is Alexandra Dovgin (Andrew), who brings with her cross country and track experience. "Alex comes from a good program at Andrew and had a really solid senior year in cross country and track. She has really good middle-distance speed and that will help her a lot. I'm expecting great things from her by the time the championship season rolls around in October," her coach said.

Also expected to contribute are Cande Pizano (Reavis), Nagieh Omer (Reavis), Alexa Kacerovskis (Sandburg), Jacquelyn O’Connor (Sandburg), Trudy Rodriguez (Joliet Central), Ashley Diggins (Bloom Trail), Kaitlyn Piazza (Mt. Assisi), and Simona Jurcik (Queen of Peace).

"Cande, who has been hobbled a bit in the early-going with a sore knee, and Nagieh also come from a solid running program. They both were strong contributors for Reavis' cross country and track teams, and I don’t expect that to change for us. I’m counting on them to have a really good season this year. We will need them at their best," Horstmeyer said. "Alexa and Jacquelyn bring a lot of experience from their involvement in Sandburg’s noted running program, and we expect them to be outstanding contributors for us as well. Trudy has college running experience, and she is really determined to do whatever it takes to have success. Having run at the college level, she knows what to expect and what she has to do," their coach said. "Ashley Diggins is probably the fastest woman on the team—if she can convert her 400 and 800 speed to cover longer distances, she will have a lot of success. It will take a lot of hard work on her part, but I believe she's up to the challenge, and I look forward to seeing her contribute come October. Simona and Kaitlyn also have cross country experience, and I think they understand what to do to get into racing shape. When they do, they will offer a lot," Horstmeyer said.

This year's team has a lot of potential. "Even in our championship years, we never had the depth that we have this year. Staying healthy is key. If we can do so and improve each week, this team will be exciting to watch. They are a lot of fun to be around, and their commitment to excellence is impressive," Horstmeyer said.