There are essentially two seasons for distance runners.
But Neuqua Valley senior Connor Horn could only watch helplessly as cross country played out last fall.
The Wildcats’ top runner was full of momentum after a brilliant junior year for Neuqua Valley’s trophy-winning state track team.
However, he was on the sideline midway through the fall as the cross country team continued its march to third place at the Class 3A meet.
“That was brutal,” Horn said of a second career stress fracture to his now-healed left foot. “I couldn’t accomplish my goal. The team ended up doing really well. It was sad that I didn’t get to run at the end of the season.”
Neuqua enters the outdoor track season with renewed vigor after its second-place tie with Evanston last spring in the 3A state meet at Eastern Illinois in Charleston.
Despite losing state champions Ty Moss (Nebraska) and Zac Espinosa (Stanford) to graduation, the Wildcats rolled to DuPage Valley Conference indoor championship on March 17.
Horn was the Wildcats’ emotional leader as the Cornell recruit captured the 3,200 meters in 9:23.74. That was more than six seconds faster than senior runner-up Dominic Dina.
Other state veterans back include Scott Anderson, Matthew Milostan, Caleb Ferguson, Jake McEneaney, Aidan Livingston and Jackson Jett.
“We have a really skilled distance group,” Neuqua Valley coach Mike Kennedy said.
Horn enters his final track season with a state-tested resume.
The last remaining link from the Wildcats’ state-championship 3,200 relay from two years ago, Horn was fourth in the open 3,200 last spring.
The future Ivy Leaguer discovered the hard way last fall there are no guarantees.
“My goals have continued to evolve,” Horn said. “I don’t want to make any time or place goals. By the end of the year a lot of different things can happen.”
The prospect of the Wildcats challenging eventual cross country state champion Sandburg evaporated with the loss of Horn last fall.
“They say things happen for a reason,” said Paul Vandersteen, Neuqua’s cross country coach and assistant in track for distance. “I felt really bad for (Horn). The (cross country) team didn’t fare as well as they could have without him.”
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But Horn and his track teammates enter their first season in the DVC brimming with confidence.
Horn and 12 of his teammates will launch their outdoor season April 8-9 at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational in California.
“This is a significant undertaking to take what is essentially a small track team across the country,” Kennedy said.
Horn is ready to seize the challenge of grooming his teammates at the highest stage.
“We would like to be back on the trophy stand,” Horn said. “It would be amazing to be back on the trophy stand (in an individual event).”
Kennedy is confident that, with athletes such as Horn providing the example, the Wildcats are capable of making another run at a state trophy.
“We have some guys who were not on the state-contributing group (last year) who are coming into their own,” Kennedy said. “We have high hopes (Horn) is going to surpass what he did last year.”
For that reason, Horn and his fellow conference indoor champions declined invitations last week to the Top Times Meet in Bloomington.
“Champions are made in May,” Vandersteen said.
Kevin McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.