By Jean DePlacido
correspondent
—
It's going to be considerably different for the Beverly High girls cross country team this season. However, that doesn't mean the Panthers are less ambitious.
Graduation claimed two big stars who led the Beverly girls track team for the previous four years — Millie Chapman and Monica Adler. They have gone on to run at Yale University and Dartmouth College, respectively. For the first time in coach Dave Jellerson's 16 years at the helm there are no returning Northeastern Conference all-stars to lead the way.
This season the young guns will have to step up, but Jellerson is not worried. The Panthers have won five straight NEC championships, and even without the stars, don't count this group out.
"Tradition doesn't graduate," said Jellerson. "We will be competitive this season. It all depends on how quickly some of the young talent develops. I have a summer regimen for the team that works well and the girls are dedicated to continuing the legacy.
"There are some unknowns and we have some good looking freshmen coming in; this is a very strong group of young kids. Barring injuries we should be fine even though we have a lot of new faces. It will all depend on how soon the young kids can step up."
Chapman and Adler were on the track landscape for so long and did so well that it's hard not to think about them. However, the Panthers can't afford to live in the past.
"We have to move on from the Millie and Monica years," said Jellerson. "Before those two we had two other outstanding runners in Kelly O'Connor and Kasey Kluge. We've been fortunate to have a lot of top of the line runners at not only conference but state level for the last several years."
Since 2000 the Panthers have recorded five second-place NEC finishes along with the five firsts. Jellerson's goal is always winning the title, and with over 20 girls out he has the numbers to do it again.
Big numbers weren't always something the Panther coach could count on. Back in 1995 he only had four girls come out until a friend who worked for a local newspaper put an ad in the help wanted section.
"It said 'girls wanted, who can run and walk a 5K' and a couple showed up," said Jellerson. "We got two more after they were cut from the soccer team. With seven or eight the whole season we finished third in Class B and eighth in the state. You have to have five finishers for a meet unless the other team only has four competing, so you have to rely on winning races with grouping.
"Lauren Krisko, who went on to be All-New England at Williams College and is in the Beverly Hall of Fame, was outstanding that year. In fact, we had four really strong runners on that team. We took the Nos. 2, 5, 9, 25, and 95 spots at Class B. We are going to rely heavily on grouping again this year. We don't come into the season with a definite No. 1 or No. 2 runner. All spots are up for grabs right now."
The senior co-captains are Alison Cookson and Irene Carrozza. Juniors Kaitlyn O'Connor, Wendi Marciano and Laura Handly along with sophomore Jessica Gomes will all play key roles. At the Beverly Homecoming 5K, Gomes, a 15-year old, came in first in her age group in 21:31.
"It will be more challenging this year and that means we will have to work a little harder," said Carrozza, who went out for track her sophomore year and has been doing all three seasons ever since. "We won't be able to depend on Millie or Monica, but we do have a good group of younger girls. We've been holding captains practices at least twice a week all summer and following coach Jellerson's practice schedule. Alison and I try to get people more motivated; we want to carry on the winning tradition."
Cookson is also a swimmer who runs spring track. She said she has learned a lot from her previous captains and wants to be a good leader.
"The tradition carries over from each group of girls who graduate. We learn something from all of them and want to uphold those standards," said Cookson. "I know I have had some very good captains and I want to help my teammates the way they encouraged me. We have some new girls with potential. We went out for our runs in all kinds of weather because we will have to be ready for any conditions we might have to run in during the cross country season."
Peabody coach Jose Rocha knows Beverly will be tough once again this year even without their superstars.
"They still have a good core coming back, and (Jellerson) is a good coach," said Rocha. "He will find kids to help out. It is tough to lose those two girls. Chapman and Adler had outstanding careers. Both are in the top 10 North Shore all-time distance runners. Talent like that doesn't come along often, but whether Beverly has any league all-stars back or not, they will be a tough team."
