Kane County Chronicle Athlete of the Week: Marley Andelman, St. Charles East, Cross Country, senior

Name: Marley Andelman

Sport: Cross Country

Why she was selected: Andelman finished 42nd at the Class 3A state cross country meet Saturday, Nov. 4. Andelman, a four-time state qualifier, was selected Athlete of the Week in an online vote. Here is her Q&A with Jacob Bartelson.

Bartelson: What was it like crossing the finish line for a final time? What’s that moment like for you?

Andelman: It was really emotional just because cross country has been such a big part of my life. I’ve been doing it for seven years now. It’s taken up a lot of my time. It’s taken up a lot of effort. So to have it end – I knew that the end was coming and I knew when I was going to finish that was it – just having that feeling, as I finished, was super emotional for me just to look back at all the years and see what I worked for.

Bartelson: It had to be rewarding, too, though considering you placed so well. Considering everything.

Andelman: Yeah, it was really cool, too, to see the progression within my seven years but also my four years [of high school]. Looking at my state meets as time went on, looking at my times, just the consistency and everything. It was definitely rewarding.

Bartelson: So, four-time state qualifier and all the other accolades that come along with it. What are you most proud of? Accolades? Experiences?

Andelman: The lessons that I’ve learned from cross country. It’s a really special sport. It’s something that you don’t experience with anything else. The dedication, the discipline I’ve learned from it, I’ll carry that with me for the rest of my life and I’ll apply it to so many other aspects of my life.

Bartelson: What’s one lesson that will never leave you?

Andelman: I would say just keep working hard. It’s not going to come the day after you put in a hard workout, it’s not even going to come a week after you put in a hard workout. It’s just the consistency of working as hard as you possibly can for years and years where your efforts finally show in meets, practices, on a day-to-day basis.

Bartelson: There’s going to be another “Marley” coming through. She might be in fifth grade right now, but she’s going to compete in cross country and read your name in the Saints’ record books and everything else. What do you say to the next “Marley?”

Andelman: It’s a little cliche, but dream big. I had so many goals going into my freshman year and high school in general for cross country. A lot of them seemed really lofty, but at the end of the day, when you dream big, you’re going to have things to work toward. You’re not going to be static. You’ll be able to progress. So just keep working at it and dream big.