Over the years, the graduation of an All-State girls cross country runner at Lockport didn’t put the Porters in a depressed state.
It’s not likely to happen this season, either.
Lockport graduated three-time All-Stater Morgan Bollinger, but the youthful Porters still placed five individuals among the top eight last week in a field of 179 runners at the SouthWest Suburban Conference Preseason Meet.
Aubrey Friedrich, who finished seventh and was the only senior among Lockport’s first five, credits Bollinger and Karlee Stortz, also a 2017 graduate, with helping to set an example for their teammates.
“Definitely learned a lot from them,” Friedrich said. “How to pace, how to go out, how to take each mile. Came in, I had no idea as a freshman. They helped me a lot.”
Kate Wojcikiewicz took fifth in the preseason meet, the only junior among Lockport’s scorers. In her first two years of running for the Porters, Wojcikiewicz gleaned valuable lessons from Stortz.
“Leadership skills,” Wojcikiewicz said. “Karlee was a great leader for our team. Talking on our runs, and how to keep the pack together. How to keep the bond on the team close.”
Lockport has had 10 All-State runners in the past 20 years, starting with Kara Lahey in 1997, ’98 and ’99, and most recently, Bollinger. She joined the list of three-time All-Staters that also includes Liz Phillips, Janna Mitsos and Megan O’Brien.
Lockport’s No. 1 finisher in the preseason meet was sophomore Madison Polinski, who took third (20:58.4).
“Last year, running with Morgan really helped with pacing, and with being able to push the last mile,” Polinski said. “This year, it’s really nice running with the pack. It helps keep you calm the first mile. Having your team around you helps you run faster. It’s easier to pick people off during the race and pass them.”
Bollinger’s younger sisters, sophomore Maggie and freshman Elizabeth, are part of that pack. Elizabeth was fourth in the preseason meet.
“I knew she would be good,” Lockport coach Erin Truesdale said. “She’s been running with us in the summer for a couple years now.”
With a little push from her sister.
“(Morgan) taught me to give it all I’ve got,” Elizabeth Bollinger said. “She never wants me to hold back on the course. I also get that from my sister, Maggie. To know I have two sisters who have run here, I know I can push through and do it, too.”
Sophomores Ola Skibicki and the Kozak twins — Abbey and Anna — as well as freshmen Josephine Bober, Megan Mitchell and Grace Mildice, also will be important contributors.
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“I have a lot of talent that has been around, so even though they’re young, they know what it takes,” Truesdale said.
Lockport won another conference title last year, was second in the regional, third in the sectional and 17th at the Class 3A state meet for the second year in a row. The Porters want more this season.
“We want to get top 10 at state,” Polinski said.
“I think our legacy will continue on,” Friedrich said. “We have a really young team and they’re going to make the program even better, build it up to our standard.”
Tim Tierney is a freelance writer for the Daily Southtown.