Charleston High School senior Riley McInerney has experienced the recruiting process for the last four years. He has received the letters and phone calls, and visited college both officially and unofficially. McInerney visited Notre Dame and Iowa is junior years, but it was two other schools that were the finalists for his decision.
"I only took two official visits and those were to the University of Illinois and Eastern Illinois University. I chose EIU because it's the place I love the most. When I walk on campus I instantly know that there's no other place I'd rather be."
McInerney finished third at the 2A Illinois Cross Country Championships in a new personal best time of 14:33.00 for three miles. He placed third in 2011 at the state meet as well and will be the first to admit he hates losing. He describes himself as a hard worker who loves training and says he will do whatever it takes to win.
"I love the pressure of close races. I have been in races where I have lost by 0.01 seconds. The loss wasn't good, but I absolutely love the intensity of a close race. I also love my team, I definitely think I'm a team player."
The opportunity to stay in state wasn't crucial, but McInerney says it helped. By choosing Eastern Illinois he saved half of tuition costs and also allowed his family and friends to come see him any time. He won't have to leave Charleston to attend the next chapter in his running career and to be with his new Panther teammates. He ran against many of them during his high school career as Joe Calio of Matoon and Max Gassman of Olney. He says that familiarity with both the coaches and runners have him excited to start at EIU.
"I love the team, they're a bunch of great guys. I'm looking forward to most in college is improving my times and putting EIU on the map as an elite program. A lot of people think only large schools have great programs, but I look forward to showing people that a mid-major like EIU is capable of competing with other top programs."
Now that his decision is finalized the Charleston senior can focus on the outdoor track and field season. He has hopes of doubling at the state meet in both the 1600 and 3200 meters and posting times of 4:10 and 9:05 respectively. He says there are a lot of things he will remember about his time at Charleston including the 2012 cross country season when his team qualified for state.
"It was the second time in 37 years that a team from Charleston advanced to the state meet so it was a big deal. We were also underdogs which made the trip even more enjoyable. I wouldn't trade that night before state with my teammates for anything. Unrelated to running, I love the student section at our home sport games. I'm the leader of the group and it's a blast to see our student body come together and support our school."
EIU is gaining not just a great runner, but a great person in Riley McInerney. He gives credit to God for blessing him during the season, during the recruiting process, and helping in his decision to attend EIU. He would also like to say about his aunt Mary McInerney who died last September after a long battle with colon cancer.
"She had made the trip from Chicago to Peoria my freshman, sophomore, and junior year to run at state. Unfortunately she couldn't be there this year to watch me or my brother (who is one of the top runners on our team) run at Peoria. I know she was still watching us from a better place."