Photo of the Day goes hard copy, prints of Fall 2009 photos now available through SmugMug.com

Photo of the Day invites you to order prints of the 2009 cross country photos that have appeared on this site. The pictures are available through SmugMug, an online service that will print and deliver photos to you. The prices are reasonable, and you can order almost any size, from 4 X 6 snapshots, to 16 X 20 posters.

More than 600 pictures of Edwardsville runners from the Fall 2009 season have been uploaded. To see high resolution images and place an order, just click on this link to Smugmug's Photo of the Day Gallery. Or click on the slideshow above. More photos will be added in the future, including shots of the Spring 2009 Track & Field season.

See you in the spring

Laila Jason, Meih Huddleston are expected to lead EHS relay teams to good things in 2010. Photo/Tom Atwood

The 2009 cross country season has ended. All the awards, letters and congratulatons have been handed out. There is nothing for the Photo of the Day staff to do now except find a good winter resort and wait for spring and the 2010 track & field season to begin.

For those of you who still need your daily dose of Photo of the Day, visit our facebook page: photos from the archives will be added each day (or so).

Come back for new photos in March 2010!

Cross country season ends with a banquet; Garrett Sweatt, Ariane Wright named MVPs

Senior Greg Dunn receives letter from Coach George Patrylak at EHS Cross Country Banquet Tuesday night. Photo/Tom Atwood

Kayla Dowell reacts to comments about her from Coach Steve Chapman. Photo/Tom Atwood

Associate Principal Joe McNamara urges runners to make the world "a better place." Photo/Tom Atwood

Mitch Goebel, winner of the Spirit Award, gives his mother a rose and a hug. Photo/Tom Atwood

Seniors Emily Firsching and Ellen Atwood have run cross country together since 6th grade at Lincoln Middle School. Photo/Tom Atwood

Tony Thompson models headband given to all runners at EHS banquet. Photo/Tom Atwood

Senior girls pose for snapshots after banquet. Photo/Tom Atwood

Booster Club President Randy Dunn goes for the high angle. Photo/Tom Atwood

XC Banquet tonight; photos later

The EHS Cross Country Banquet will be held at 6:00 p.m. tonight, November 10, 2009 in the Edwardsville High School Commons
Admission: $12 per person
Money will be collected at the door.
Please RSVP to Lindsay Shaw
e-mail: lsdshaw@yahoo.com (with ‘EHS XC banquet’ in the subject line) or call 692-0955 with number of people attending.

Scenes from the tent: state meet photos by Diane Dudding

Garrett Sweatt gets a hug from coach's wife. Roxanne Patrylak, after medaling at state meet in Peoria. Photo/Diane Dudding

Melissa Mazar applies Tiger paint to David Parks before state meet. Photo/Diane Dudding

3200-meter relay team reunited at state meet: Daniel Mazar, Tyler Cann, Devon Dudding, Eli Sweatt. Photo/Diane Dudding

Brynn O'Brien "borrows" 1st place medal from Sandburg's Lukas Verzbicas, the state cross country 3A champion. Photo courtesy Brynn O'Brien

Tiger alum Riley Atwood offers his support at state meet. Photo/Diane Dudding

Tiger girls manhandle Ariane Wright one more time for Photo of the Day. Photo/Tom Atwood

The final meet: photos from state

Editor's note: For race photos from the state meet in Peoria, visit the Edwardsville Cross Country website.

Medalists: Garrett Sweatt (2nd from left) and O'Fallon's Michael Scolarici (right) both finished in the top 10 at Peoria Saturday and were named All State. Photo/Diane Dudding

Tiger girls hoist freshman Ariane Wright high after her first high school state meet. Photo/Tom Atwood

Loyal Alumni: Devon Dudding (SEMO), Eli Sweatt (SIU-E), Jo Jo Johannigmeier (Illinois), Tyler Cann (Illinois College), and Riley Atwood (Truman State) all made the trip to Peoria to cheer for their former coach and team. Photo/Tom Atwood

Diane Frese, Alex Wever, Emily Firsching, Kennedy Roderick, Briana Chamberlain reveal their Tiger pride. Photo/Tom Atwood

Former Tiger runner David Parks goes all out to support EHS at state. Photo/Tom Atwood

All State: Garrett Sweatt places tenth at state final; more photos to come

Garrett Sweatt reacts to learning that he finished in the top 10 individually at the state cross country finals Saturday. The Tiger boys finished 26th as a team at the meet. Photo/Tom Atwood

EHS freshman Ariane Wright finished 117th in her first high school state meet Saturday at Detweiler Park. Photo/Tom Atwood

EHS boys, Ariane Wright run at state meet this afternoon; results, photos later today

Greg Dunn strikes a triumphant pose as Tiger boys board bus for state meet at Detweiler Park in Peoria. Photo/Tom Atwood

Emily Firsching, Stephanie Dalla Riva, Kennedy Roderick and Ariane Wright arrive at EHS sendoff rally Friday. Photo/Tom Atwood

Runners depart for Peoria; hundreds at EHS give cross country, soccer teams sendoff to state finals

Varsity girls show their support for freshman Ariane Wright. Wright qualified individually for the state meet tomorrow, along with the Tiger boys team. Photo/Tom Atwood

Fortunately, Wright is not injured during photo opportunity. Photo/Tom Atwood

Varsity boys pose for Photo of the Day before boarding bus for Peoria. Photo/Tom Atwood

Hundreds gather outside commons at EHS Friday morning. Photo/Tom Atwood

Garrett Sweatt waves to fans at EHS state sendoff. Photo/Tom Atwood

Head Coach George Patrylak introduces runners competing at state meet. Photo/Tom Atwood

Girls huddle before sending freshman Ariane Wright to run at Detweiler Park. Photo/Tom Atwood

Runners pose for snapshots before leaving for state meet. Photo/Tom Atwood

Coach Patrylak says he will be in charge of DVD player on the charter bus to Peoria. Photo/Tom Atwood

Senior Week: Kayla Dowell, Greg Dunn

Editor's note: This is Senior Week at Photo of the Day, a week of photos and essays featuring senior runners at EHS.

Kayla Dowell, Sectional Meet, Normal, Illinois. Photo/Tom Atwood

Greg Dunn, Sectional Meet, Normal, Illinois. Photo/Tom Atwood

Senior Week: Stephanie Dalla Riva, Tony Thompson

Editor's note: This is Senior Week at Photo of the Day, a week of photos and essays featuring senior runners at EHS.

Stephanie Dalla Riva, Conference Meet, O'Fallon. Photo/Tom Atwood

Tony Thompson, Conference Meet, O'Fallon. Photo/Tom Atwood

Photo of the Day congratulates the EHS boys soccer team, winners last night of the Super Sectional at Peoria. The Tigers compete at state this weekend in Naperville. Photo/Tom Atwood

Tiger girls gather last weekend for cross-country Halloween party. Photo/Tom Atwood

Senior Week: Luke Bertels, Danielle Bulbrick

Editor's note: This is Senior Week at Photo of the Day, a week of photos and essays featuring senior runners at EHS.

Luke Bertels, Tiger Fall Classic, SIU Edwardsville. Photo/Tom Atwood.

Danielle Bilbruck, Madison County Meet, Alhambra. Photo/Tom Atwood.

The season ended too soon, especially for Ellen

By Tom Atwood

Editor's note: This is Senior Week at Photo of the Day, a week of photos and essays featuring senior runners at EHS.

I remember when my daughter Ellen won her first cross country race. She was in sixth grade, just 11 years old. Six years ago, but it seems like yesterday we were in Jacksonville on the grounds of the old State Hospital when Ellen came around the turn just past the one-mile mark in the lead for the first time in her life. She wasn't sure where to go, but found her way to the finish line and 1st place. Her last race that year was the IESA State Meet at Maxwell Park in Normal, the same course where the season ended Saturday for the Tiger girls, who placed sixth at sectionals.

It was a disappointing end for Coach Steve Chapman and the varsity girls after a great year. But for Ellen, the disappointment came weeks ago when soreness in her shin turned out to be a stress fracture. Her season, and her cross-country career, ended early. I was with her at Anderson Hospital during the bone scan. The technician said bone scans were the best way to detect a stress fracture, so easy that a 5-year-old could see it. When I saw the bright white spot glowing below her right knee, I knew she would not run cross country again at EHS. Her dream of running at the state meet as a senior with her teammates, some who ran with her at state in middle school, had ended. For the rest of the team, that dream also ended Saturday in the mud at Maxwell Park.

So what does that mean, really? That the season was a disappointment? Not to me. After watching cross country for 8 years now, I am convinced that the sport is not always about results. It is not even about performance. Instead, above all else, cross country is simply about not giving up. Perseverance. Doing what you can, even if all you can do is hobble around a course, with an injured leg, cheering for the rest of the team, from the first runner on varsity, to the last runner in the open.

Ellen stopped running, but she did not quit. She was disappointed, but did not complain. Her season was a tremendous success, in my opinion. This season, like every season, Ellen did what a good cross-country runner always does: she did what she could. And I am proud of her.

Scenes from Sectionals 2009 (slideshow)

Final meet a tough one for varsity girls, who ran "complete race," Coach Chapman says

Ariane Wright, mud-spattered after sectional race, is the only Tiger girl headed for the state meet next Saturday. Wright finished 6th and qualified individually. Photo/Tom Atwood

Garrett Sweatt and O'Fallon's Michael Scolarici embrace after close finish at sectional race won by Sweatt. Photo/Tom Atwood

For senior Emily Firsching, Saturday's race at Normal was her last cross-country race at EHS. Photo/Tom Atwood

Caden Cramsey gets support from his parents after sectional race at Normal. Photo/Tom Atwood