Northwest Herald Athlete of the Week: Crystal Lake South’s Abby Machesky

Name: Abby Machesky

School, year: Crystal Lake South, senior

Sport: Girls cross country

Why she was selected: Machesky took runner-up as the Gators won their own Rich Eschman Invite at Veteran Acres Park in Crystal Lake. The Gators standout was a Northwest Herald All-Area honorable mention pick last season after finishing 46th at the Class 2A state meet.

Machesky was selected as the Northwest Herald Athlete of the Week in an online vote. Here is her Q&A with sports writer Alex Kantecki.

What sport that you don’t compete in would you be good at?

Machesky: A sport that I don’t compete in, but love, is swimming. Swim team was my first experience with sports as a kid, and I loved everything about it. However, I ended up choosing to run in high school instead. Swimming is very challenging, and for that reason it’s good cross training. Last winter, I swam occasionally for fun and felt like it really made a difference.

If you could get in a time machine, what athletic event would you go to see?

Machesky: If I could see any race, I’d go watch the Nike Outdoor Nationals for track and field at [the University of Oregon’s] Hayward Field. It would be an amazing experience to go watch some of the best up-and-coming runners and athletes.

How do you handle nerves before a race?

Machesky: For me, I like to be prepared in advance. I do everything I need to do the night or even the week before a race, like setting up my bag, getting a good night’s sleep, training hard and eating healthy. This way, I can tell myself I’ve done all the work leading up to the race, and I don’t have any what-ifs in my head. My team also helps calm me down. It’s comforting knowing that they are going through the same feelings, and our team energy is so close that we understand how to talk positively to help calm those emotions. Before a race we say to think or run for each other when a race gets tough, because it helps connect us, even if we’re not together.

What have been the highlights of the season so far?

Machesky: Some highlights have been how connected our team is. I feel like we know each other more personally and really do care about how each other is doing. Even after leaving practice, the effort to support each other is still there, whether we’re at school or home. Another thing our team has been working on is team positivity. I’m really proud of our team and how far we’ve come and grown closer. I’m excited to see how much more we can improve and accomplish.

Where would you most like to take a vacation?

Machesky: I’d like to take a vacation anywhere warm, but honestly, I’ll go anywhere. One of my dreams is to travel the world.

What is your favorite class?

Machesky: My favorite class this year is Probability and Statistics. I like the structure of the class, and the content interests me.

What is the longest distance you have ever run?

Machesky: Twelve miles. When I graduate, I want to work on running longer distances, eventually working up to a marathon. This summer, I want to train for the goal to race in a triathlon.

What scares you?

Machesky: I’m scared of getting hurt and missing out on the season because of it. Last track season I was out because of an injury, and it really impacted me. When I run, I feel like it’s a separate time from everything else going on, almost like time just stops for a while. This is part of the reason running is such an important part of my life. When I can’t participate, I feel like I’m missing something. I’m very grateful for my team as they helped and supported me through this hard time, but an injury is something I don’t want to go through again.

Which of your teammates really inspires you?

Machesky: Every member has different personalities, but when we come together as a team, we bond and all get along very well. It’s inspiring as a runner to see how close we’ve gotten, and to know that we have each other’s backs in tough situations.