Jenna Diers was among students who were transferred from one Lincoln-Way high school to another when Lincoln-Way North closed.
Diers headed to West after three years at Central, a difficult reality to accept going into her senior year.
“It was,” Diers said. “Madison Smith, she’s been my best friend since we were the only little freshmen on the varsity. We took trips everywhere that year. We bonded really close.
“It was really hard to leave her, and all my other friends there. Some of my really good friends from junior high came with me, though. That helped, too.”
Diers also brought her competitive nature to West for her final cross country season.
She overcame Oswego’s Grace Pagone as they raced to the finish line Saturday to win the Joliet Central Steelmen Invitational at Channahon Community Park. Diers clocked 18:46, one second ahead of Pagone.
“Coming around that first corner out of the trees, she started to outkick me,” Diers said. “At the very end, I knew I could get her. I believed in myself.”
What was Diers thinking as she chased the leader?
“Push, just go,” she said. “I’m an 800-meter runner. I went to the Junior Olympics for the 800, so I knew I had more speed than most typical cross country runners.”
Smith and Diers ran 1-2 for Lincoln-Way Central at last year’s Class 3A state meet. Diers was SouthWest Suburban Red runner-up last season to teammate Kelly Robbins.
Diers proved she was ready for this season when she finished second to two-time Lockport All-Stater Morgan Bollinger at last month’s SouthWest Suburban Conference preseason meet.
“Running, even though it’s a team sport, it’s also so individual,” Diers said. “I just believe in myself. And my coach, Matt Bowden, I had him my freshman year (at Lincoln-Way Central), so that made the transition a lot easier, too.”
Diers will have a goal in mind during upcoming invitationals that include Peoria Notre Dame on Saturday, Wheaton North Oct. 1 and Rich Central Oct. 8.
“I want to run 17:34 because that’s West’s record,” Diers said. “I want to do that. I want to do good at state, maybe top 50.”
Moving to the front: With 2A All-Stater Evan Mitchell taking the ACT on Saturday, Lincoln-Way West needed another leader.
Ryan Taylor filled the void. He finished second (16:15) to Oswego’s Bennett Peterson (15:59) at the Steelmen Invitational.
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“This type of performance, it’s really going to help me,” Taylor said. “It’s really boosting my confidence. I had tendinitis in my calves the first part of the season. Being able to come in second in this talented meet, that’s a confidence booster.”
Especially without having Mitchell to lead the way.
“Usually when he’s here, I’m always making sure he’s in my sights, making sure I’m not too far off of him,” Taylor said. “He’s kind of like my basis to see how I’m doing in the race.”
Taylor, a junior, has the state meet in his sights.
“I believe there’s no reason I can’t make state,” he said. “I believe in my training. I believe in myself.”
Meet champs: April Van Ryn won the Class 1A race (18:17) at Saturday’s First to the Finish Invitational in Peoria to lead Chicago Christian to the small school title of the 38-school field.
The top five for Chicago Christian also included Allie Boss (21st), Jill Van Dyk (40th), Cassidy VandeKamp (45th) and Emily Damstra (51st).
Tim Tierney is a freelance writer for the Daily Southtown.