Cross country is primarily considered an individual sport, but at the high school level, everyone out there running is still a part of a team.

Of course, sometimes runners are on their own.

Plainfield North junior Marlie Czarniewski knows that feeling well.

“My freshman year for track, I was out there all alone, and I had a mental breakdown,” she said. “I relied really heavily on my teammates after that. Even just seeing them at the line to meet me makes me feel better because I’m not doing it alone.”

The irony is that for much of the 2025 season, Czarniewski was as alone on the course as anyone could be. That’s how far ahead she typically was.

Before the Class 3A state meet, Czarniewski finished no worse than fourth in any meet his year. She won the Normal Community Sectional with a time of 17:25.19, 21, just seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. At the state meet, she finished better than any runner in the area, taking ninth with a time of 16:51.40.

With that in mind, Czarniewski is named the Herald-News Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year. It’s an honor she said that she was shocked by given her “bad” season in 2024.

“Bad” being extremely relative, of course.

“I could never be first last season,” she said. “I was always just second or third, and I was struggling to break the barrier. It was kind of nice to finally hit some of those times I couldn’t make last year. I’m glad that all my hard work has paid off.”

Czarniewski comes from a family of runners. Her older sister Elsie was a standout runner for the Tigers, and her twin sister Ava is also on the team. In that sense, Marlie has never truly been running alone, but she’s been grateful for the teammates around her all the same.

Tigers coach Andrew Derks noted the team commitment from Czarniewski this season and praised her growth as an individual leader.

“A lot of cross country and being a good runner is doing your own thing, taking care of yourself and doing the work you have to do,” Derks said. “But to be a team leader and captain like her, you have to also have an eye for helping your teammates. You need to encourage them, challenge them and set a good example. She’s done a really good job of that this year.”

He also noticed a difference in Czarniewski at state. Having others around her instead of being alone was beneficial for her, and obviously for the team.

“The experience of having a team go to state with you is better than just running there on your own,” Derks said. “I think she sees that, and other runners see that too. That’s going to make our whole team better.”

Of course, that doesn’t mean that she hasn’t put the work in. Czarniewski was an All-Stater in the 1,600 in track last season, puts in 45-50 miles a week and runs throughout the year, even racing members of the boys team and her assistant coaches for an extra push.

She said she began taking an iron supplement this year after her ferritin level came back at seven. But that drive and her consistency are what Derks believes set her apart.

“She doesn’t need to be pushed a whole lot,” Derks said. “We just try to provide perspective for her. We expect her to remain consistent, continue to be a good teammate, and I think she has the ability to be a state champion runner.”

Czarniewski plans to continue working. She says anyone wanting to reach her level should do the little things, like eating right and getting enough sleep, if they want to be great. She’ll miss the seniors who depart, but she’s hoping the whole Plainfield North team makes it back to state again next season. She also hopes they do even better.

With one more season left before college, where she plans to continue running, her mind is on continuing to make big things happen.

“I’m really excited about next year,” she said. “It’s sad to watch all of the seniors leave because it was their final hurrah, but I get to do something cool, I can come back and know I can do even better next year. It gives me a goal to look forward to.”