Joliet West’s Sarah Schalk did not advance to the state meet a year ago.
However, she ran a personal best time at the Class 3A Lockport cross country sectional.
That’s motivation for Schalk to breakthrough to the state meet in this her sophomore year.
The 15-year-old is the Tigers’ top runner this year and could become the school’s first-ever state qualifier.
When did you first start running? Sixth Grade.
When did you first get serious about running? Seventh grade.
Why not soccer, softball or other “more popular” sports? Running releases stress and is a great way to meet new people that support each other.
What’s the best thing about cross country? Cross country is a great way to forget about issues that I am stressing out about and always gives me a great boost of energy.
Who are your favorite athletes? Runner Steve Prefontaine and Miami Heat guard Dwayne Wade.
What has been your most glorious sports moment? My most glorious running moment was when I ran the varsity race at the sectional meet as a freshman and got my best time.
What are your goals for the 2011 season? To improve my time each meet and get a personal record by my last race of the season.
