Through four very different seasons, Baker stands apart for Sycamore cross country team

Throughout her four years running cross country for Sycamore, Lily Baker got to experience four very different seasons from a success standpoint, starting out as a freshman and ending her career with the third-fastest time in school history.

Throw in the difficulties brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the challenges ran the board for the Spartans’ standout.

“I don’t think freshman year I would have thought I’d love running as much as I did,” Baker said. “I think it was an amazing experience that I got four years that were all so different from each other but amazing nonetheless. I am very glad I ran cross country.”

This season ended with Baker finishing 57th at the Class 2A State Championships after becoming the first Sycamore girls runner to go all-regional, taking third at Burlington. Her 18:45 season-best was the third-fastest time in school history.

For all her accomplishments, Baker was named the 2021 Daily Chronicle Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year.

“She’s been, even from her freshman year on, a very, very consistent runner,” Sycamore coach Adam Bezinovich said. “Sometimes you have an athlete who will run a really spectacular race, and then it’s hard to replicate that. Runners are always trying to define themselves by their PR, but really you’re more defined by the average of your three best races. That really tells you who you are.”

That consistency powered both her and the Spartans throughout the season.

“Even her bad days are close to her best performances,” Bezinovich said. “She really doesn’t waver too much. Through heat, through hills, through rain, through anything – she’s pretty consistent.”

Baker competed without her teammates at the state tournament, an experience she called odd. But she also said she was familiar with most of the runners there, plus some of her teammates came to cheer her on.

It was her first trip to state, but the second time she qualified. In 2020, she would have qualified out of the sectional round but because of health restrictions the state tourney was not held.

“It was super exciting and also kind of scary,” Baker said. “It was very odd because I did not have my team with me. It was very fun to run it, and I just tried to enjoy all of it because it was my last race as a senior. One of my coaches described it as the icing on top of the cake. Just have fun and enjoy every part of it.”

Baker said she hasn’t figured out her college plans yet, but is looking at NCAA Division III schools, hoping to major in biology and then veterinary medicine.

Bezinovich said Baker has also grown in the leadership department. He said she always led by example, but the past two years she’s become a more vocal leader as well, which really benefitted the team.

“She’s probably the No. 1 reason we have as large of a team as we do,” Bezinovich said. “Making girls feel welcome, building that community, helping us as a coaching staff grow the team and making it something the girls want to come back to year after year. We’re going to miss her very deeply on that side as well.”