Wichita State junior Sidney Hirsch ignores plantar fasciitis to lead cross country team

Sidney Hirsch’s feet will hurt, a throbbing pain that starts in her arch and moves to her heel and causes her feet to stiffen. She will run anyway, like she has all season.

“The heel is where it’s really painful and with every step it hurts,” she said. “I can feel it all the time.”

Plantar fasciitis in both feet hasn’t kept Hirsch from leading Wichita State’s cross country team through most of the fall. She finished seventh in the Missouri Valley Conference Championships with a 5-kilometer time of 17 minutes, 18.79 seconds. On Friday, the Shockers run in the NCAA Midwest Regional at Rim Rock Farm near Lawrence.

Hirsch, a junior from Omaha, will run and then look forward to several months of rest and rehab before track season and preparations to defend her MVC 3,000-meter steeplechase title. Plantar fasciitis, common in runners, is an inflammation of the tissue along the bottom of the foot that connects the heel bone to toes.

“I take ibuprofen all the time,” she said. “Besides that, I guess I just get through it.”

The pain started last spring. She took two weeks off after track season, with little effect. Tape strengthens the arch and helps stabilize the foot. Ibuprofen helps, as does stretching and water therapy.

“Sometimes it just disappears,” WSU coach Kirk Hunter said. “Sometimes it doesn’t. After the season, that’s all we’re going to do is try to get her healthy.”

On Friday, Hirsch will run through the pain for one final time this fall.

“She just goes out and does her thing,” Hunter said. “You know she’s hurting and she’s right back at it the next day. I could imagine most athletes would call it a season or not be willing to put in the effort to really try after so many months.”

WSU women’s team enters the 35-team regional ninth in the coaches association’s regional rankings. WSU’s men are ranked No. 14 and will compete in a 32-team regional. Hunter’s goal is for both to finish in the top 10.

Hirsch and freshman Rebekah Topham, who finished eighth in the MVC meet with a time of 17:18.87, are the keys for the women’s team. WSU’s men is deep – seven runners placed in the top 25 of the MVC meet.

“We lost the conference meet by not having heavy hitters up in the front part of the race,” Hunter said. “Especially in a meet like regionals, we really need to have a couple breakout performances. We have that ability. We have seven guys who could break out.”

Volleyball on the road — WSU’s volleyball team makes its final regular-season road trip this weekend trying to stay in first place in the MVC.

The Shockers (21-7, 12-2 MVC) play at Loyola (19-8, 8-6) on Friday and Bradley (6-20, 1-13) on Saturday. WSU swept Bradley and defeated Loyola in five sets in October.

WSU coach Chris Lamb said he will continue to use both his one-setter and two-setter offenses. Last weekend, he switched from the 6-2 to the 5-1 in Friday’s 3-1 win over Drake and stuck with it in a sweep of Northern Iowa.

“The 6-2 is doing well, too,” Lamb said. “It depends on the situation.”

Loyola is fighting with Drake and Indiana State for the sixth and final spot in the MVC Tournament. WSU, Southern Illinois, Illinois State, Missouri State and Northern Iowa have clinched spots in the tournament, which starts Nov. 26 at Missouri State.

Second-place SIU (20-7, 11-3) is home this weekend against Illinois State and Indiana State. On Nov. 21, the Salukis visit Koch Arena.

This story was originally published November 12, 2015 at 2:51 PM with the headline "Wichita State junior Sidney Hirsch ignores plantar fasciitis to lead cross country team."