Like many of her runners, new Riverside Brookfield High School girls cross country head coach Lisa Voigts-Guzman enters this season with a strong training base. She previously was an assistant coach for Blair Jensen, who retired as an RBHS teacher and after 10 seasons as head coach in May. Jensen was also an assistant coach for the girls track and field team.Â
“Jensen ran a great program. The girls already miss him,” Voigts-Guzman said. “Even though I was an assistant coach previously, now I’m transitioning to the head coach role. It’s a slightly different light and role but there are some really wonderful things that Jensen did that we’re still carrying on, whether it’s warmups or kinds of workouts, or just the certain culture of being supportive, having some fun, too. Being silly and then working hard when we need to work hard.”
Voigts-Guzman is a third-year RBHS guidance counselor who ran at Downers Grove South and at NCAA Division III Aurora University. She will continue as a girls track and field assistant coach.
New assistant coach Maddie Cranny also is a new RBHS math teacher and 2020 Lyons Township graduate who competed multiple times at the state cross country meet. Returning volunteer assistant Vika Bursua ran at Lemont and Division III Augustana.
“I feel like we’re pretty well equipped to know the ins and outs with what we went through in high school and college,” Voigts-Guzman said. “I feel like that kind of transfers over pretty nicely with the girls as well. It’s kind of nice, too, to have female coaches.”
The RBHS girls and boys cross country teams are scheduled to open their season Wednesday, Aug. 26, at Elmwood Park’s annual Trial on the Trail. RBHS junior Elise Clark, starting her third cross country season, said during summer training that it was going well with good participation and some minor tweaks from previous summers.
“I feel like it’s been pretty smooth (transitioning to Voigts-Guzman) because she was an assistant coach for cross country, for track,” Clark said. “I think she’s been really good at building connections with people, especially at the start of the year, and just trying to get to know people as soon as she can.”
Clark and Voigts-Guzman believe that her job as a counselor has helped the coaching transition.
“I think (my job) very easily transfers over to being a coach and being in tune with the girls and, hopefully, being a little intuitive with where they are and where they need to be,” Voigts-Guzman said.
Clark said during summer training that things were slightly more structured with groups given more specific goals. When there were optional running days, Voigts-Guzman added optional meeting sites so runners could have teammates to run with, followed by snacks and drinks afterwards.
“She’s building a plan and having me stick to it and keeping me consistent and determined,” Clark said. “I just hope that I can be a good role model for the freshmen and underclassmen and hopefully a good leader.”
Voigts-Guzman said she hopes to continue increasing camaraderie and team bonding. One idea is resuming pasta parties consistently.
Already the coaching staff has formed a strong bond.
“Obviously there’s different responsibilities (now) but I feel like I’ve got the support of (Cranny and Bursua) that has been wonderful,” Voigts-Guzman said. “Then I’ve got my own (running) experience. You kind of put that all together and you create a really nice program for these girls.”
