Woodridge cross county runner’s perfect season leads to state championship

After winning most of her cross country races in seventh grade, Thomas Jefferson Junior High School runner Macy Ermitage was inspired to set a new goal for herself: To win them all.

And she did.

The eighth grader crossed the finish line first in every race she competed in this season, including the IESA Class 4A state championship with a time of 11:33.2, a personal record.

“I was really excited because that was my goal coming out of seventh grade because I won most of my races but a few I didn’t,” Macy said. “So that’s what this whole season was built up to really. I was stressing out about it a lot so I was really excited that I got to hit the goal.”

Macy’s success is just as thrilling for Shelley Pavilionis, the girls cross country coach at Thomas Jefferson Junior High School in Woodridge.

“I have been coaching at Jefferson for 20 years. She is my first state champ,” Pavilionis said.

Macy has “an amazing work ethic that has paid off,” Pavilionis said.

“We are so proud,” Pavilionis said. “Last year she placed ninth at the state race with a time of 12:10. This year she came in more determined than ever … and won every meet in the conference, the Yorkville Invite and the sectional race. This speaks to her dedication and work ethic. Her best race this season was at state. She has a very bright running future ahead of her.”

For Macy, the sport almost seems to come naturally.

“In fifth grade, I ran a couple of times with my mom and with my sister and I was pretty good and able to keep up so I was excited to run cross country,” she said.

She joined Jefferson’s team in sixth grade. Besides running, Macy also plays soccer and is in gymnastics.

She’s happy to have a little more free time on her hands now that the season is over.

“Right after cross country I would have to rush straight to another sport so I had some late nights doing my homework,” she said.

For Macy’s parents, the season was at times a nail-biter.

“There were a few that we knew would be really tough because some of the teams she’d raced before and along the way there were runners who popped up that gave her some competition,” said her mother, Jill Ermitage. “So we were always kind of holding our breath and then every race was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, she pulled it off again.’ It was really exciting.”

“We’re super proud of her because we know how hard she worked,” said Macy’s father, Michael Ermitage. “She did a lot to prepare for the season. There were a couple of close ones in there but just to watch her work hard for something and get it is amazing.”

Next year, Macy plans to join the team at Downers Grove North High School, though she is a little nervous about what’s ahead of her.

“I think that it will be a lot more running than at Jefferson,” Macy said.

But she has a strategy that has worked well for her so far.

“I mostly just tell myself I have to want to win more,” Macy said.