PIASA - Jillian Beilsmith is the kind of student-athlete that any coach would love to have on their team. She is one of the athletes that are always persistent and improves throughout each season.
Jillian, a senior, started the girls' cross country season at 30 minutes in the three-mile but finished the season with a best of 24:00 for the Southwestern High School Piasa Birds.
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Jillian is an Altonized Community Federal Credit Union Female Athlete of the Month for the Piasa Birds.
"She has been a top three finisher in every race this year," Southwestern's head girls cross country coach Gary Bowker said. "She is normally our No. 2 runner. She leads the team with her hard-working example every day. Jillian improved her overall time on our home course by over six minutes during the course of the season."
Jillian thanked her parents and sisters and Coach Gary Bowker for always providing her with so much encouragement during the season.
She acknowledged her favorite part about cross country is "pushing myself to beat my personal records."
In the spring, Jillian is a key girl's soccer player for the Piasa Birds, as a middle fielder, but also competes in track and field. She is solid in the middle distances in track and field because of her outstanding quickness.
"We will miss Jillian's leadership," Coach Bowker said.
