Marist runner returns for senior season
Marist senior Cece Light hopes to have a big future as a soccer player, but when she gave up cross country last year with the intent of focusing on just one sport, her experience felt incomplete.
Those feelings were exacerbated when her soccer season with the Red Hawks was canceled in the spring due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Light still played soccer with her club team, but it had been too long since she put on a Marist jersey.
“I realized how little time I had left at Marist and I wanted to do something that was a part of Marist sports,” Light said. “My club season for soccer got cut in half, so I hada lotmore time inmy schedule. I missed my cross country teammates.
“Itwas a lot of little things that added up and made me know I wanted to come back .”
Light was a regional champion and state qualifier in cross country as a freshman. Her sophomore season was slowed by injuries, but she rebounded to help Marist win a regional team title.
One teammate who is especially glad to have Light back is junior Nora McClorey, whose career has followed a similar path. McClorey qualified for state as a freshman before falling short last season while dealing with injuries.
“My freshman year, she was like my mentor,” McClorey said of Light. “She taught me everything. She was super good about strategies and when to go, how to plan out the race. Having her back is so nice. It’s been so much fun running together again.”
Light made her return to the cross country course a memorable one, winning the season-opening dual meet against Mother McAuley.
She was the runner-up to Light in a dual with St. Ignatius and also finished second in Friday’s quadrangular against Nazareth, Joliet Catholic and Marian Catholic.
“I’ve had to reteach myself certain things, mostly mental things,” Light said. “The mental aspect is such a huge part about running. I’ve been working on that with every race. Nora is helping me with that a lot.
Marist held its senior night Sept. 25. Light was glad to be a part of that aswell as competing for the rest of the season.
“It’s been super fun,” she said. “I love the energy this year. Iwas really excited I got to come back.
“I was talking to my mom about how I couldn’t believe it was already my last year, and I was just texting someone saying, ‘I’m so grateful I came back.’”
Crosstown showdown: Tuesday’s dual meet between New Lenox rivals Lincoln-Way Central and Lincoln-Way West will feature a pair of runners who are piling up wins.
Sophomore Gianna Arizzi is still undefeated, having won all six of Lincoln-Way West’s races. Her time of 17 minutes, 41 seconds in a Sept. 8 dual meet with Stagg is the top time this season by an area runner.
“Gianna had a strong freshman season and she has just taken a huge leap from there this year,” Warriors coach Matt Bowden said.
Lincoln-Way Central senior Merrigan Allen, who finished 45th last season at the Class 3A state meet, haswon four races this year.
Halloween treat: Though the thrill of the state meet will be missing this season, cross country runners got good news with the IHSA’s decision to hold sectional competitions on Oct. 31.
Sandburg senior Brielle Morris is looking forward to the opportunity.
“It’s exciting to have another chance to show what we can do as a team,” she said. “It will be really fun to keep running all the way until the end of October.”