Published Wednesday, Nov. 5, 1997
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TEAM OF THE MONTH: Greenville girls cross country
Lady Trojans: `We set goals and met goals'
By Ed Farrell
Herald Sports Writer
The Greenville High School girls cross country team incorporated a simple formula throughout the '97 campaign:
``We've set the goals and we've met the goals,'' first-year coach Kerry Barry succinctly explained.
Included among those preseason goals, all of which were ultimately realized, were an undefeated dual-meet season, a Mercer County Athletic Conference crown, the school's inaugural District 10 title and a 6th-place finish at the PIAA Class AA championships.
And for that collective performance, the Lady Trojan harriers have been selected as The Herald Sports Extra's Female Team of the Month.
Greenville utilized a unique approach in accomplishing its aspirations. Barry, while on maternity leave, served as the team's administrator, while Cheryl Krachkowski _ previously involved with the cross country and track programs as an assistant to the programs' founder, John Kokoski _ ``a very smart guy; a good resource and reference,'' according to Barry _ assumed the team's daily operation. Barry and Krachkowski then would communicate on a regular basis to monitor the results.
``She is such an organized and efficient person. She covers all the bases and does an outstanding job,'' Barry said of Krachkowski. ``It was just a matter of us talking about special workouts. But she's been around and she knows what needs done. I'm very impressed with what she was able to do _ not that I was surprised _ but she's been an excellent assistant coach. In fact, I don't look at her as an assistant; we just work together to get the job done.''
The end results speak volumes.
``This is just a very talented group of girls,'' Barry, a former scholastic standout at Lakeview High who matriculated at Slippery Rock University, acknowledged.
After citing the contributions of senior stalwart Abrial Hayes, consistent junior Jen Christiansen and frosh phenom Jil Christiansen, who along with Hayes medaled at the state meet, Barry related,
``Brandie Heald probably has characterized what this team has been able to do. She's just a sophomore, and last year she had a pretty good season. But she's just been improving and improving and improving, and she's at the point now where she's at the level of the Christiansen girls _ and that's a pretty good level, a very competitive level. And that's what the team has been able to do, as well.
``Not that they weren't competitive before,'' Barry emphasized, ``but they've grown up a little bit and moved up to the next level.''
Illustrating Barry's contention was the District 10 championships. Hayes, fifth in the district as a junior, was weakened by a viral infection in the week leading up to this year's event. And although she courageously still managed to place eighth, Jil Christiansen took her game to the next level, so to speak, and actually led the Lady Trojans by ending third. Collectively, the quintet, including frosh DeAnna Gainor, ended approximately 2:23 apart.
``They set out for themselves some goals at the beginning of the season, and they've been able to meet those goals,'' Barry noted, adding, `` ... and they (including freshman Lindsey DiSalvo and senior Kelli Kougher) busted their tails this year to meet those goals.
``I'm extremely proud that they have been able to meet their goals,'' Barry admitted. ``Anyone can have a goal and meet a goal, but they have high standards for themselves and they've been able to meet what they've asked of themselves, matched up to what they wanted to do. ...
``They knew what quality teams were there (at districts), and in order to meet those goals _ and they're high goals _ they couldn't do it unless they dedicated themselves and worked hard to get there.
``I know they wanted to win the district meet,'' Barry said. ``But the more important goal was to qualify as a team for the state meet.''
Just as Heald typified the Lady Trojans' collective improvement, Barry cited Hayes as the team's heart.
`` `Abe's' just so incredibly dedicated, and she has the biggest heart,'' Barry praised. ``We coaches talk _ Cheryl has a daughter and I have my two daughters _ and we've said we want our daughters to grow up to be just like `Abe.' She's just an incredibly dedicated person and does anything you ask her to do, but not at the point of being like a robot.
``And the team has, pretty much, just followed her example. They are hard workers, and their work-ethic and dedication is what's gotten them to where they ended up getting.''
