Name: Isabella Terry
Year: senior
Hometown: Hinsdale
When did you start running?
I first started running in middle school, but then I did not end up going out for the cross country team (at Central). I thought with COVID and everything, junior year was the perfect time to rejoin the cross county team.
What do you enjoy most about the sport?
My teammates. They are the nicest people. They are always encouraging and they always make me laugh. I also think cross country is a sport that is very difficult for all of us, so we all kind of bond over that.
How does it feel to be back to a regular season?
It makes everything more exciting knowing it's my first and last time doing all of these things.
How do you push through when running gets tough?
That's where I think the teammates come in. We're always trying to encourage each other. If I see my teammates push through, I know I can do it as well. You also take it small part by small part. When you're doing a three-mile race, you don't think, 'I have to run three miles.' If you think, 'I can get through this mile or this half-mile,' it makes it a lot more manageable.
What is the best advice you've gotten from a coach?
My coach is renowned for saying, 'There's never a crowd on the extra mile.' He tells us that all the time, and I think it's really true.
What would people be surprised to know about you?
This is kind of random, but I might want to be in the CIA.
What are your plans for next year?
I have no idea. I am the indecisive person. That decision about college and college applications will take me a long time.
Why does coach Mark McCabe like having her on the team?
This is only Isabella's second season of cross country, but you'd never know it. She has developed into an outstanding leader in every possible way. Her performance on the field of play is at a whole new level and I think we're going to see some great races from her this fall. She is a captain who leads both verbally and by example and who, in a very short time, has become a key member of our 2021 Girls HCXC team and program.
- profile by Pamela Lannom, photo by Jim Slonoff
