"The Nook" is one of the nation's best kept secrets
High School Name: Minooka
Club Name:The Nook
High School Head Coach: Kevin Gummerson
School enrollment: 2604
Regular season finish: 3A State Championship Runner-Up
Entry To NXN:3rd place at-large selection
Key season performances: 2nd- Hinsdale Hornet-Red Devil Invite, 3rd- FTTF Invite, 2nd- Minooka Flight Invite, 1st- Macnider Invite, 2nd- Naperville Twilight Invite, 1st- SW Prairie Conference, 1st- Normal Community regional, 1st- Edwardsville Sectional, 2nd- State championship- 5k, 3rd- NXN Regional
Inside scoop: Minooka has been a team on the rise over the past few years which included a state championship in 2015. The Indians are a very dangerous on every occasion this year has the best three some known as "The Triplets." Ashley Tutt, Emily Shelton, and Mackenzie Callahan have finished in the top 5-7 of virtually every race they have raced this season. Vivian Van Eck will keep things honest at the #4 spot. Watch out now!
2015 State Team Championship Interview
Mackenzie Callahan (Sr.)- Is an incredible leader who has a tremendous amount of enthusiasm for this sport and for this Minooka team. She is an encyclopedia of distance running knowledge and it will be fun to watch the future Minooka runners study and learn about the mark Mackenzie has made on this program. She is one of the most intense competitors I have coached and she has absolutely caught fire these last few weeks of the season!
Ashley Tutt(Sr.)- Is another outstanding teammate who has attacked Minooka Cross-Country with an incredible amount of passion. She has battled a ton of adversity this season; however, whenever she stepped to the line, she would compete with a fire in the belly that one has to admire. I am still in awe over all the obstacles Ashley has had to overcome. She has always cared more about the success of the team than anything else.
Emily Shelton (Jr.)- Has a quiet , even keel, workmanlike approach that she takes to every single practice. She has set her goals high and has always competed at a very high level on the biggest stage. Nothing seems to rattle her. Shelton is an extremely self-motivated competitor and has put in a ton of work to get to where she is today.
Vivian Van Eck (So.)- Has made an impressive jump from her freshman year. Vivian has learned from the top three and applied the lessons learned to her own racing. She has kind of flown under behind her three teammates, but has been a huge part of the success of this team. She has the ability to see the big picture and keep moving up over the second half of a race.
Sarah Weed(Jr.)- Went from being an alternate last year and the first half of this season to being consistently in the high pressure fifth spot on this team. She said she wanted to be in a Minooka uniform at the state meet and went out motivated to prove that she could do it. We could always count on Sarah to put forth a great effort on the course everySaturday.
Katelyn Gall (So.) as a sophomore has already run in two state meets and has been a very consistent member of the varsity line-up. She is another great teammate the always seems to embrace the challenges that are thrown in front of her. She is on the verge of breaking through and being a huge difference maker for this team.
Julia Dames(Fr.) was not even sure she wanted to do Cross-Country as an incoming freshman. Her older brother Mark, convinced her to join and now she has fallen in love with this sport and has an opportunity to compete at NXN. She has received some incredible experience this season, has been able to learn from some great ones, and no doubt will be instrumental in helping this team continue to improve over the next few years.
