Naperville North has been all smiles this season (Naperville North Girls XC/@northgirls photo credit)
High School Name: Naperville North
Club Name: North Naperville
High School Head Coach: Dan Iverson
School enrollment: 2740
Regular season finish: 3A State Champions
Entry To NXN: NXN MW Champions
FLO 50 ranking: #3 ----> the whole Monty
Key seasonal performances: FTTF Invite Champions, Naperville Twilght Champions, Roy Griak Invite Champions, West Chicago Regional Champions, West Aurora Sectional Champions, IHSA 3A State Champions, NXN MW Champions
How good is this team: Heading into this weekend this is the best team in Naperville North history and arguably the best of all time in terms of state category. Never has a team been labled #1 in the country as the Huskies were for several weeks in September/October. They did not drop to #3 in the FLO 50 because of a loss or a sub-par effort. This team was punished for being too good. With two front runners in Sarah Schmitt and Alex Morris and a rock solid #3 girl in Hannah Ricci, the Huskies will be hard to stop. We hate to say it... but anything less than a podium finish would be a suprise.
Coach's thoughts:
Individual breakdown:
Sarah Schmitt (sr) - Sarah has taken a step forward over the last year, and she has emerged as a tremendous leader on our team. She is obviously running very well, but she has consistently made us better by the person she is and the example she sets daily. She is truly a humble leader who understands the balance that must exist between competitive greatness and enjoying the moment.
Alex Morris (jr) - Alex has also taken a step forward this year, both as a runner and as a leader in the program. She is a true student of the sport, and she works as hard as anyone I have ever seen to continue to improve herself. She has also gained valuable experience at learning how to compete at the highest levels of the sport, and she has growing still to do, which is exciting.
Hannah Ricci (sr) - Hannah was new to us last year, and she has improved dramatically as a runner and as a leader. She has excelled at knowing and understanding how best to make our younger athletes feel comfortable and welcome in the program. She has also been willing to challenge herself as she has adapted to new levels of training. She is a really good person in every way.
Claire Hill (jr) - Claire has really grown this year, as she has increased her dedication to training and to a role as a leader. Her increased dedication, together with her ability to honestly reflect on her progress, has really allowed her to improve as a runner. I am really proud of Claire for how far she has come in the last year, and I am excited for where she can go in the future.
Megan Driscoll (jr) - Megan is enjoying her first season in our top seven, and she has really grown in her understanding of how to race 5K effectively over this year. It has been really fun to watch her run with increasing amounts of confidence in the last year. Although she was an alternate on our last two state teams, she really made a strong step forward this year to get where she is now.
Audrey Mendrys (fr) - Audrey has run with tremendous bravery as she has adjusted to being part of our top seven this season. She did not fully make the top seven until the conference meet, and she has been willing to grow and learn from her successes and mistakes in every meet since. She has displayed maturity beyond her years.
Maggie Gamboa (fr) - Maggie was a 6:05-miler just a few months ago before she ran 18:01 at Detweiller Park. She is growing fast in her confidence and willingness to give her best on increasingly large stages. She has learned a great deal from her teammates, and she has worked hard to gradually adjust her level of training to challenge her comfort zone.