How do you top being an integral part of a high school running program that has produced back-to-back cross country state titles, holds the national record in the 4 x 1 mile relay, was runner-up in the state track and field championships and helped make you an All-American?
Coming off superb running careers at Rockford High School in Rockford, Mich. one of the nation’s top running programs Northwestern freshmen Emily Blakeslee and Nora Colligan are answering that question.
And a little bit of hard work might be the key.
“I just want to keep improving,” says Colligan, who was a four-time all conference selection in cross country, all-state in both track and cross country, state runner-up in the 800 meters and a member of the first-place 4 x 800-meter relay team at the 2000 Foot Locker championships during her tenure at Rockford.
Blakeslee also has a long list of accomplishments. She was named one of the nation’s Top 50 high school cross country runners by Harrier magazine, was the 2000 state champion in the two-mile and was also a Nike All-American.
Despite the honors and high expectations, Blakeslee and Colligan are keeping their aspirations for their first year in perspective. They understand that the competition in high school is child’s play compared to that of college.
Colligan describes their role on the team as adding depth. The two just want to be contributors which they have already been.
Blakeslee has scored in all six of NU’s meets so far, placing in the team’s top three five times. Colligan has scored twice for NU.
And even though Blakeslee and Colligan are not yet among the nation’s elite, Wildcats coach April Ecke sees a bright future ahead for the tandem.
“Emily has probably been the most talented high school girl that we’ve recruited in our program in terms of what she’s done in high school,” she says. “Nora’s definitely got the mid-distance talent. They’re different types of runners.
“There’s no telling where they’ll go. It’s a matter of how focused they can stay and how much they want it.”
Blakeslee said the national meets she and Colligan ran in high school helped prepare them for college competition. That also made it a lot easier for Ecke to select them as members of her 2000 recruiting class.
“One thing that’s very appealing for those girls is that I had no doubt that they could handle collegiate running,” Ecke says. “It was a bonus having the two together. I think they feel a sense of security.”
The bond between Colligan and Blakeslee dates back to fourth-grade dance class. They each decided independently to come to NU. And having competed together over the years, the women find themselves able to work together better as runners.
Colligan explains it simply: They know what to expect from each other.
Having each other’s company doesn’t quite dispel all the struggles that come with adjusting from high school running to the collegiate ranks. The women suffer from the typical problems that college freshmen have such as homesickness, managing a new schedule and missing mom’s home cooking. But the closeness of the team has provided a comfort level to counteract the freshman jitters.
“What helped me adjust was the girls were very welcoming,” Colligan says.
The new coach that the two get to work with at NU is also welcoming.
“I like April a lot,” Blakeslee says. “My coach at Rockford was 60 and a male. April is 30 and a female. She gives us a lot more encouragement. (He) wanted us to run hard and then gave encouragement. But April encourages us everyday to keep us going. They have different styles.”
Ecke’s personality helped attract Blakeslee and Colligan to NU. After considering various schools in Michigan, Blakeslee found the right mix of athletics and academics at NU.
“It was a good fit,” she says. “It was a great opportunity to get to come to a school like this. I’m also glad that we don’t have a full track season.”
For Blakeslee, not having a track season helps her focus entirely on cross country, which she enjoys more. Colligan, on the other hand, was a mid-distance specialist in track, and is affected more by the absence of a track team. But Colligan does not regret missing out on a school with a track program because she still has the opportunity to run year-round at NU.
As the season continues, Colligan and Blakeslee are getting used to the intensity of college running. They believe that their time to be team leaders will come as they apply the lessons of teamwork that they learned at Rockford to running collegiately.
“A lot of (our high school accomplishments) came from relays because of our team,” Blakeslee says. “None of us were All-Americans on our own. We look forward to coming together more as a team here to earn more national recognition.”