Moraine Valley women's cross country bolsters forces in hunt for successful titles defense

The 2015 Moraine Valley Community College women’s cross country team returns the core from last year’s Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference and NJCAA Region IV championship squad, so the pressure is on to do something no other Cyclone cross country team has ever accomplished—successfully defend their titles. They are up to the challenge but will need to rely on a talented group of freshmen to accomplish it.

NJCAA All-American Aileen Gorman (Marist) is gone after completing two stellar years as a Cyclone. “She will be missed both from a talent and leadership standpoint. She set the bar high for her work ethic, determination and competitiveness,” said Coach Mark Horstmeyer, who begins his 16th season at the helm. He is confident that the void will be filled.

Three of the four returning runners were All-Conference and All-Region—Abby Correa (Oak Forest), Crystal Flores (Argo) and Jackie Navarrete (Shepard). All four, including Amy Miller (Shepard), helped the team finish 24th at the national championship.

“They know what they have to accomplish in their training to bring home the championship trophies once again. They know they cannot rest on their laurels and expect to have the same results. The wonderful thing about them is that they want to get better, and they know they have to work hard to do so. We will need to rely on their leadership to help bring our younger runners along,” Horstmeyer said.

The younger runners—Stephanie Majewski, Yuliana Olivares, Weronika Staszel, and Gabby Plewa (all Reavis alumnae) and Hannah Funk (Sandburg)—are new to the college ranks, but they are old cross country hands. They come from top-notch high school programs, so they know what it takes to compete. “They have shown a strong work ethic, a determined attitude and a dedication to their sport,” Horstmeyer said.

A lot of work lies ahead for the Cyclones in their preparation to successfully defend their crowns, but in the early going the coaching staff likes what they see.

“We are tremendously fortunate to have such an outstanding group of young women who are beginning to blend in well. There are a lot challenges awaiting them, but those challenges also present opportunities—an opportunity to believe in what they are capable of achieving and an opportunity to accomplish something very, very special. They will be an exciting group to watch grow and succeed,” Horstmeyer said.

Visit www.morainevalley.edu/athletics or follow the Cyclones on Facebook at morainevalleycyclones and Twitter @MVCyclones.