High mileage over quarantined summer leads to successful fall season for boys’ cross country

Senior Matthew Cull begins the race at Glenbrook North on Thursday, Sept. 15. At this meet, the varsity team beat GBN 14-42. (Photo courtesy Matthew Cull)

By Emma Crosson, Sports Editor

To keep in shape, the boys’ cross country team practiced every day after school, running an average of seven miles a day and up to 50 miles a week. The team dedicated time to practice ever since the start of quarantine. With the boys’ track and field program being shut down in March, the task of maintaining the quality of their runs fell to the boys themselves.

“When we got word the lockdown was getting extended into e-learning, Coach Nordahl wasn’t able to send us stuff to do, so we made things up on our own,” senior Matthew Coyle said. “As time went on and the stay at home order got put in place, our group numbers went down a lot, and we split up into smaller groups so that way everyone could have at least one person to run with. We were pretty much making up our own stuff and running together up until the start of summer and June.”

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Marcucci and DeLuca lead girls’ cross country team to success

Junior Maria Marcucci nears the finish of her final lap at the Palatine High School Invitational on Friday, Sept. 18. Marcucci finished with a time of 18:46, taking eighth place. (Photo by Emma Crosson)

By Maura O’Driscoll, Sports Writer

Not letting COVID-19 hold them back, the girls’ cross country team persevered through many obstacles in their fall season. While they were allowed to practice, many things were different compared to previous seasons: every day the players and coaches were required to fill out a self-certification form, wear a mask, and maintain their distance whenever possible. 

All of the coronavirus related steps became a regular part of our routine, and I don’t think anyone really minded the addition as it meant we could continue together,” senior Danielle Ammentorp said. 

Sports brief: Ten seniors commit to college athletics

By Emma Crosson, Sports Editor

On Nov. 11, ten Maine South seniors signed their National Letters of Intent to continue their athletic careers. 

Student athletes that committed at the Division 1 level include Alyssa Nilles, American University Girls’ Lacrosse; Annie Haley, Arizona State University Girls’ Lacrosse; and Danielle Barzowski, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Girls’ Soccer. 

Maine South football players rally in response to delay of fall sports

Maine South football players hold up signs at the ‘Let Us Play’ rally to support the return of fall sports back to their regular season. The protest was held on Aug. 24, from 10-11 a.m., at the Thompson Center in Chicago. (Photo by Joe Kinnavy)

By Amalia Laskaris, Editor-in-chief

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor J.B. Pritzker decided to shut down fall sports that were assessed to be high risk for Covid transmission. Some of these sports included football, hockey, lacrosse, wrestling, competitive cheer, and dance. 

As a result, the Illinois High School Association has modified the 2020-2021 season schedule, which now consists of four shortened seasons. Sports that were declared by the Illinois Department of Public Health to be at a high or medium risk were moved to the spring or summer season. However, this has not been without controversy, as some athletes rely on these seasons to receive athletic scholarships.

Spring sports are canceled, but athletics continue

Senior Liliana D’Alesio now trains alone due to social distancing. Even though her spring soccer season was canceled, exercise gives her some much-needed time outdoors. (Photo by Charlotte Geier)

By Tyler Houck & Amalia Laskaris, Sports Editors

The spring sports season across the state of Illinois has now officially been canceled, making the fears of thousands of students since early March a reality. Following the governor’s announcement canceling school for the remainder of the school year, the IHSA board of directors canceled all spring sports state tournaments. 

Although many athletes and coaches feared this result as soon as stay-at-home orders took place in Illinois, a majority of Maine South athletes have continued to train independently whenever possible.