Have a Purr-fect Halloween

Sophomore runner Emily Firsching in feline disguise.
Photo/Tom Atwood (click to enlarge)
Stephanie Dalla Riva (Barbie), Emily Firsching (Catwoman), and Ellen Atwood (Harry Potter) prepare for a night of trick-or-treating.
Photo/Tom Atwood (click image to enlarge)

Three senior girls have run last race

Kaci Smith finishes EHS cross-country career at sectional in East Peoria.
Photo/Roger Mueller (click image to enlarge)
Lia Saunders runs final race as a Tiger Saturday.
Photo/Roger Mueller (click image to enlarge)
Senior Bridgette Hoover medals at the Madison County Championship.
Photo/Andy Thomas (click image to enlarge)
Seniors Lia Saunders, Kaci Smith and Liz Speicher present medal to Bridgette Hoover at Madison County meet.
Photo/Andy Thomas (click image to enlarge)

A season ends

by Tom Atwood

High school cross country can be a heartbreaking sport. Heartbreaking when a good runner--because of biorhythms, dehydration, anxiety, or any one of a thousand other distractions called 'life'--has a bad race. Heartbreaking when a good team has a bad day. Heartbreaking when a season ends too soon. Even one week too soon.

We all wanted the season to go on. Some of us would like to have seen it go on forever. But no season ever does. Every season ends.

For me, the hardest part about watching the season come to a close Saturday (for everyone except Liz Speicher, who moves on to the state meet after qualifying individually), was the realization that I had watched my son's last cross-country race. Riley has been running since he was in sixth grade at what was then Edwardsville Middle School. George Patrylak was his coach. In fact, George is the only cross-country coach Riley has had in his seven cross-country seasons. An outstanding coach. I have looked forward to and enjoyed every single race. Winning, losing, running well, or running poorly never really mattered. All that mattered was simply running.

Saturday, though, losing did matter to me. Because it meant Riley's last race--and my last chance to see him run. I guess it's just the first of many "lasts" this year for seniors like Riley, who will all too soon move on to life after high school, to life after cross country, to the next season.

On that note, some scenes from this season's final race at East Peoria:


A Season Ends
Produced by Tom Atwood
Photographs: Roger Mueller and Tom Atwood
Music: Paul F. Page
© 2007 Edwardsville Cross Country Booster Club
All Rights Reserved

Tigers' season ends at sectionals; Speicher qualifies individually for state

Seniors Lia Saunders and Liz Speicher after Tiger girls finished 6th, boys 9th at sectionals in East Peoria.
Photo/Tom Atwood (click to enlarge)


Speicher collapses after dramatic stretch run gives her a top 10 sectional finish and a trip to state meet next Saturday.
Photo/Roger Mueller (click to enlarge)
Jake Nelson in the chute after finishing sectional race.
Photo/Roger Mueller (click image to enlarge)
Senior Kaci Smith battles runners, nosebleed down the stretch.
Photo/Tom Atwood (click to enlarge)

One last team photo: Tiger runners all smiles after sectionals, and a great season.
Photo/Tom Atwood (click to enlarge)

Bound for glory, or at least East Peoria

Varsity girls and boys pose before leaving Friday for IHSA sectional meet in East Peoria.
Photo/Tom Atwood

Diane Dudding snaps pic of Keith and Devon Dudding with prop.
Photo/Tom Atwood

Tiger runners board bus Friday afternoon.
Photo/Tom Atwood

For Tyler Cann, a thoughtful moment before bus departs.
Photo/Tom Atwood

"Bye, Dad!" Ellen Atwood has pillow ready for the ride.
Photo/Tom Atwood

Ready for sectional

Coach Chapman times start of girls regional race Saturday at Granite City.
Photo/Roger Mueller (click image to enlarge)
The starting gun fires; the race begins for varsity boys. Both teams depart today for the IHSA sectional meet in East Peoria.
Photo/Roger Mueller (click image to enlarge)

There Are No Limits

©2004 Tom Atwood
All Rights Reserved

For Riley and Ellen. 2003-2004: a remarkable running season.













Jacksonville Invitational, 2003

The Power of Expectations

Written and Produced by Tom Atwood
© 2004 CWK Network, Inc.
All Rights Reserved

The Power of Expectations profiles Ali Traina, a 7th grade
cross-country runner at Chatham Glenwood as she prepares for the 2004 IESA State Final in Normal. The educational documentary was produced for CWK Network in Atlanta. Only the open and close are posted here. The entire program is available on DVD. Edwardsville's Courtney Smith also makes an appearance in this video (as an 8th grader), but finding her is kind of like looking through Where's Waldo? See if you can spot Courtney.

(For a copy of the complete documentary, call 1-888-891-6020 or visit www.cwknetwork.com)

Will History Repeat?

Produced by Tom Atwood
©2005 Edwardsville Cross Country Booster Club

This video, Tigers Sweep!, covers IHSA Sectional held at the SIUE course in 2005.

Link to regional race photos

Devon Dudding crosses finish line at regional meet in Granite City Saturday. Photo/Andy Thomas (click image to enlarge)

To see a complete set of race photos from Saturday's regional meet, click here.

Video: Smiles in Granite City

Produced by Tom Atwood
Photographs by Roger Mueller, Andy Thomas
Music: Rondo Alla Turca from Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 11

Tiger girls win IHSA regional; boys take 2nd

Varsity girls hold 1st place plaque after winning regional meet in Granite City Saturday.
Photo/Andy Thomas (click image to enlarge)
Junior Eli Sweatt led Tiger boys to second place and a qualifying trip to sectionals next Saturday.
Photo/Andy Thomas (click image to enlarge)
Senior Lia Saunders ran a strong race, helping cement girls' victory.
Photo/Roger Meuller (click image to enlarge)















Greg Dunn makes bid for Photo of the Day, succeeds.
Photo/Andy Thomas (click image to enlarge)

EHS runners carb up on eve of regional meet

Seniors Kaci Smith and Tyler Cann dig into salad and lasagna Friday night in Coach George Patrylak's kitchen.
Photo/Tom Atwood (click image to enlarge)
At team dinner, Ellen Atwood, Tyler Cann, Alex Wever, Courtney Smith, and Kaci Smith break bread together.
Photo/Tom Atwood (click image to enlarge)
Ellen Atwood, Liz Speicher, and Lia Saunders are all smiles the evening before regional meet.
Photo/Tom Atwood (click image to enlarge)

Revised: Pain, Agony, Victory

Video Produced by Tom Atwood
Photographs by Andy Thomas

Just a few changes to this video that focuses on the grim determination of runners during competition. A member of the girls team at EHS mentioned there were " a lot of boys" in the original video, and after a careful review, I had to agree. So, this version tries to even things up a bit.

--Tom Atwood

Sweatt takes 3rd at SWC meet

Eli Sweatt poses with third place medal after Southwestern Conference meet.
Photo/Val Sweatt

Video of the Day: Pain, Agony, Victory

Video Produced by Tom Atwood
Photos by Andy Thomas
Looking through hundreds of photographs taken by Andy Thomas this season, I am struck by the pain in many of his pictures. The agony is evident on the faces of cross-country runners, especially as they near the end of a race, battling for position, or at least for a faster time. Pain is definitely part of Andy's photographs. Pain is part of running, and in cross country, it is often a necessary part of training, and of victory.
-- Tom Atwood

Battling Alton down the stretch

Dehlia Johns (top photos) and Kevin O'Brien engage Alton runners at finish of Tiger Finale.
Photos/Andy Thomas (click images to enlarge)

For some runners, Tiger Finale is last hurrah

Senior Brendan Corkery runs his last home meet at Tiger Finale.
Photo/Andy Thomas
Crowded field at start of freshman/sophomore race. See the bubble?
Photo/Andy Thomas
Senior Nehemi Robenstine down the stretch.
Photo/Andy Thomas
Sierra Goldsmith flies across the finish line.
Photo/Andy Thomas

Atwood, Firsching finish first at Tiger Finale

Senior Riley Atwood captures 1st place at Tiger Finale.
Photo/Andy Thomas (click image to enlarge)
Emily Firsching wins rainy Frosh/Soph race.
Photo/Andy Thomas (click image to enlarge)
Tony Thompson leads pack at the Tiger Invitational.
Photo/Andy Thomas (click image to enlarge)
Dehlia Johns battles for position down the stretch.
Photo/Andy Thomas (click image to enlarge)

Lincoln boys capture 3rd place at state

Lincoln boys and Wildcats coach Matt Rogers pose with 3rd place trophy after Saturday's state meet.
Photo/Val Sweatt
Lincoln 6th-grader Allie Sweatt (#100) runs the state course at Normal.
Photo/Val Sweatt

Home Course

Michael Cullen running the 2nd mile of the SIUE course at the Tiger Fall Classic.
Photo/Andy Thomas (click image to enlarge)

Lincoln, Liberty shine at state

Ariane Wright of Liberty Middle School, pictured here at sectionals, finished 6th among Class AA girls at IESA state meet.
Photo/Tom Atwood (click image to enlarge)
Garrett Sweatt led Lincoln boys to 3rd place team finish.
Photo/Tom Atwood (click image to enlarge)
Liberty girls, coached by Steve Chapman, ran to a 10th place state finish.
Photo/Tom Atwood (click image to enlarge)
Lincoln girls placed 14th among Class AA schools.
Photo/Tom Atwood (click image to enlarge)













Curtis Burks qualified individually for Liberty, and placed 28th at state among boys.
Photo/Tom Atwood
(click image to enlarge)