Class A Girls Preview: Can Winnebago Win Another One?

2020 Season Finish: 12th at Shazam D1 Championships

Head Coach: Rachael Brewer

Key Returners: Kate Ahmari (Jr.), Mikayla Blanke (Jr.), Maxine Van der donk (Sr.), Stefania Dzhaman (Sr.), Cadi Hu (Sr.), Madeleine Keenan (Sr.), Kara Mathias (Jr.)

Outlook: Kate Ahmari leads a progressing Illinek team that can greatly improve on their 12th place showing at Shazam, which they accomplished with a short-handed group. The aforementioned Ahmari is a serious player in the individual conversation at the 1A level. She is two years removed from her 17:37 three-mile best but posted an 18:35 showing at Detweiller at Dark which represents the fastest she has run this early in a season. Although her 2020 season-best was just 18:10, a 6th place 19:02 (5k) at Shazam was possibly her best race and makes her the fifth returner in the classification. In not for the heat of Charleston on June 10th, Ahmari looked to have a serious shot at her 11:33 3200 best--nonetheless, she clocked her first all-state performance in 5th (11:41). Can Ahmari close the gap between herself and the front pack of favorites in 1A?

Ahmari's supporting cast is formidable. Mikayla Blanke looks to be the second sub-19 runner this year for University. The order for University is less clear after these top two, but take your pick among Maxine Van der donk, Stafania Dzhaman, Cadi Hu, Erin Smith, and Madeleine Keenan to fill in the pack. But Kara Mathias may be most likely to step into the front of this pack coming off a strong track season with multiple personal bests (12:28/5:51). Another breakout season from her and one other athlete can catapult Urbana University into the top 5 of 1A since they have the frontrunner firepower that many other programs lack. 

2020 Season Finish: 3rd at 1A Decatur (St. Teresa) Sectional

Head Coach: Ryan Arthur

On paper, there is some serious pack strength for the Lions. Cailin Morris, Emma Gard, and Isabel Arthur, all broke 20:00 last year but just weren't able to do so at the same meet. Morris in particular looks to lead this pack coming off a 12:45/5:55 track season. Arthur is also a sectional 800 champ. The first key for Marshall will be aligning this pack together--the second is filling in behind it. We need to go back to 21:57 to find their fifth returner, Ashley Sanders. Sanders cut 90 seconds from her 3-mile time last year, and also qualified for state in the 4x400 with Arthur, Morris, and Bender, so she has the chops to make up ground on this front group. Marshall is in a good top-10 position right now but needs a fifth under 20:30 if they want to stay there by the end of the season.

Outlook: The resume for the 2020 Warriors includes third-place finishes at regionals and sectionals, and a fourth-place finish narrowly edging out St. Joseph-Ogden at Shazam. Wheaton Academy's proximity to IC Catholic and Rosary means frequent competitions against these two powerhouse squads, who got the best of Wheaton Academy last year. "It was a challenging year, but a successful year," coach Chris Felinski says about the 2020 season. "Having so many smaller races on the same course allowed the girls to see improvements throughout the year, albeit in a different way."

The 2021 season will be the final year in the Lily Lebo era. Lebo, a senior, has been the team's top runner for the past three years. Her 18:55 three-mile best dates back to the 2018 1A state cross country meet. Without a track season for Lebo, Wheaton Academy will have to depend on her base training to put her in tremendous shape for the team. Next up are Emmas, Vega, and Chatfield, who both can be within half a minute of Lebo. Although Wheaton Academy loses a few seniors from their varsity squad last year, there are still some pack options that return, and more. Anna Africa and Annabelle Glover look to figure in the scoring as well. An interesting roster change comes via transfer-- Brooke O'Carroll, the projected #4 for Rosary, transferred to Wheaton Academy in January and led the team in 3200 (12:46), and factored in the 1600 and 800 as well. This connection will make the inevitable regional and sectional matchups worth following.

2020 Season Finish: 5th at Shazam D1 Championships

Head Coach: Jason Retz

Key Returners: Ava Knap (Sr.), Helene Jones (So.), Chloe Burkhalter (So.), Kailyn Ingram (Sr.), Malorie Sarnecki (Sr.), Lauren Lannert (So.), Addie Allen (Sr.) 

Outlook: The 2021 Spartans are a great test case for the benefit of experience in a high school cross country season. Of their top 17 returners from 2021, all but one return, and six of the top nine are seniors in 2021. Depth is not an issue for St. Joe-Ogden, who has won two state titles under Jason Retz' direction (2014, 2016) and three in state history (1990 as well). The question for SJO this year is can some of their runners ascend into all-state contention to grab low point totals? There is an outside trophy shot for the Spartans but there is a lot of front-end improvement that will be needed. Senior Ava Knap is SJO's best shot for this profile athlete. Knap bested at 12:22 and 5:35 (at state) in 2021, and led an all-state 4x800 effort in 4th as well. 

As referenced, the entire 5th place squad from Shazam returns-- the highest placing team at Shazam who returns all seven. These seven are seniors Knap, Kailyn Ingram, Malorie Sarnecki, Ashlyn Lannert and Addie Allen, and sophs Helene Jones and Chloe Burkhalter. The 1:19 split produced from Knap to Sarnecki placed SJO just 3 points behind Wheaton Academy. Knap, Sarnecki, Lannert, Allen, Ingram, and Hope Rajlich, and Jones have all broken 19:40 but none have been under 19:30 since 2019. The potential for pack power is there but needs to be realized. What might coach Retz and this historical powerhouse have up their sleeves for this season?

2020 Season Finish: Shazam D1 Championships Runner-Up

Head Coach: Vic Mead

Key Returners: Lianna Surtz (Sr.), Olivia Kunio (So.), Katie Ubertino (Sr.), Vivian Wylier (So.), Ava Ketterman (Sr.), Ana Hathaway (Sr.)

Key Newcomers: Chiara Surtz (Fr.), Beth Goettsch (Fr.) 

Outlook: Although there are many strong teams ranked outside the top 6, it is at this point in the rankings we move to the most likely trophy contenders in 1A. We begin our discussion with Rosary, the Shazam runner-up, which was a big improvement from a 9th place finish at state in 2019. Although Rosary was quite some distance behind winner Winnebago, they were also clear of third-place IC Catholic. Outside of the champions, Rosary featured the highest-scoring two through seven runners, including a 60 second split from two through six.

Of course, for Rosary, the 1-5 split is an irrelevant metric because of one-time state champion Lianna Surtz, entering her final chance to repeat on the cross-country course. Her individual champion prospects are discussed more fully in the lead for the 1A Girls' previews, but it goes without saying that the inevitable 1 or 2 stick she will grab each week is a great advantage for the Rosary Royals. Behind Surtz, Rosary loses a key cog in Maia Italia to graduation, as well as Katie Lifka, Vivan Wyller (graduation) and Brooke O'Carroll (transfer).

This is by far the most turnover of teams ranked this high, but this large team from an all-girls school is able to absorb those blows depth-wise. Returners under 21:00 include Olivia Kunio (19:37), Vivian Vyller, Katie Ubertino (19:52), and Ava Ketterman. And if one Surtz wasn't enough for you how about another? Chiara Surtz made an impressive opening statement at Detweiller at Dark by turning in an 11th-place 18:54. Surtz was followed by Kunio and fellow frosh Beth Goettsch, who gives Rosary a well-defined top-7 entering the season. But with so much depth waiting in the wings, expect at least one surprise name to throw herself into the mix.

2020 Season Finish: 3rd at Shazam D1 Championships

Head Coach: Dawn Calcagno

Outlook: Immaculate Conception Catholic Prep was the third and final podium team from Shazam. The Knights did this with some real firepower at the front, as our look at IC Catholic has to begin with veteran Carly Manchester. Manchester's 7th place finish at Shazam was necessary for ICCP, and she is the 6th returner from that group. Manchester held the 1A state lead in the 3200 throughout the track season (11:15 at Distance Night in Palatine) and walked away with a double all-state performance in the 3200/1600. She will look to make her career a 4 for 4 on all-state places, which she has maintained since her freshman year in 2018.

Manchester is the clear harrier, but a lynchpin runner in ICCP's trophy repeat quest is Kennedy Calcagno. Calcagno lacks the lengthy cross country resume of Manchester but showed in track her freshman year that she has all-state chops (5th in both the 800 and 1600 finals). Moreover, Calcagno and Manchester were practically neck-and-neck during the 2020 cross country season and rarely finished more than 10 seconds apart until a tough race for Calcagno at Shazam. Calcagno missed the track season while Manchester was making waves, so unfortunately they will not be entering the season in the same places, but Calcagno can put the Knights in a great spot by joining Manchester at the front of fields once again. After these two a young great of Kelsey McDonough, Hayden James, Megan Van Koughnet, and Ava Falduto will likely be the ones to round out ICCP's scoring.

4. Eureka

2020 Season Finish: 7th at Shazam D1 Championships

Head Coach: Olivia Morris

Key Returners: Anna Perry (Sr.), Elle Knapp (Sr.), Laurel Munson (Jr.), Callie Schumacher (So.), Natali Roth (Jr.), Claire Albertson (So.), Elle Hoffman (Jr.)

Key Newcomers: Meika Bender (Fr.) 

Outlook: Every team had to deal with COVID-19 issues during last year's chaotic season, but Eureka was hit especially hard when senior Alexi Fogo was unable to compete at Shazam. Although a seventh-place finish is not shabby, the Hornets of Eureka certainly knew they could give a better showing at full strength. A glass-half-full approach is that most of the impact placements from that race return in 2021.

There is no runner with a greater impact than Anna Perry in the 1A division. The 2020 Shazam D1 champ is the favorite to repeat this year after a strong track season, and her prospects of that title will be discussed in the individual preview. Three of her teammates broke 20:00 last year: Elle Knapp, Laurel Munson, and Callie Schumacher. Natali Roth and Claire Albertson, who ran good track times (5:50/12:48) are not far behind. Before Perry ran the 3200/1600 double at state, a quartet that included Knapp, Albertson and current soph Grace Wegner edged Morton by thousandths of a second for 4th place in 9:50 (Eureka is 2A in track). Wegner did not run cross country in 2020 but could be a key impact runner if she does, as she brings a 12:56 two-mile best from her 8th-grade season in 2019. Can Eureka recapture the glory they achieved with their 2018 state title, once that only Perry and Knapp are still around to remember?

3. Tolono (Unity)

2020 Season Finish: 2nd at 1A Decatur (St. Teresa) Sectional

Head Coach: Kara Leaman

Key Returners: Erica Woodard (So.), Reagen Stringer (So.), Malia Fairbanks (Sr.), Caelyn Kleparski (So.), Olivia Shike (So.), Audrey Remole (Jr.), Anna Clark (Jr.), Briana Ritchie (So.)

Outlook: The Unity Rockets, who twice state champs under the watch of Coach Leaman, were a notable team absence from Shazam in 2020 after their runner-up to Monticello at the St. Teresa Sectional. Frosh star Erica Woodard did produce a 25th overall placement, but where Unity would have placed is a mystery. With the possible inclusion of Winnebago, Unity returns perhaps the most depth of any team in the division this year, with eight returners under 20:00 and 14 under 22:00.

Between this depth and the front-end firepower that Woodard and fellow soph Reagen Stringer provide, Unity is very well built for a run at a trophy and challenging Winnebago if the Indians falter. Who will be the main Rockets players? How about Olivia Shike, whose 12:20 and 5:46 times are the best returning track marks after Woodard. Caelyn Kleparski led the team in the 800 (2:26) and anchored an all-state 4x800 (7th, 9:55, and like Rosary, Eureka, and Monticello, in 2A). Malia Fairbanks is the lone senior, and she and Audrey Remole bring experience from the trophy-winning teams in 2018 and 2019 (3rd place).

2020 Season Finish: 1st at 1A Decatur (St. Teresa) Sectional

Head Coach: David Remmert

Key Newcomers: Sylvia Miller (Fr.) 

Outlook: The two teams with the best shot at Winnebago are Unity and Monticello. While Unity brings the depth of a long team to the battle, Monticello has the front-end firepower needed to challenge Winnebago, and it will take a number of all-state finishers to win so Monticello gets the nod at this early juncture. The Sages have at least three returners fit for an all-state spot: Mabry Bruhn, Rachel Koon, and Estella Miller. Bruhn finished third at Shazam and Miller 12th, which would have put Monticello in a fantastic position if they had run the meet as a team. Koon also finished all-state as a sophomore in addition to Bruhn's all-state that year as a frosh. 

Coach Remmert says that the top three can make a large impact but it will be difficult to project beyond this. Some of the varsity returners include Kyara Welter, Rose Talbert, and Clara Rudolph, all sub-20 capable runners but still with some ground to make up on the 19:00 mark.

Watch out for newcomer Sylvia Miller, who is training at a high varsity level and can join that front pack of three. If Miller and another pack runner close the gap on the top three then the Sages are in fine trophy shape, but Remmert is setting his sights on progressing and improving at the start of the season. Remmert: "Our girls had a very successful season in 2020. Although every team struggled with the COVID-related restrictions, our girls embraced the challenges and repeated as sectional champions. I purposely don't set goals per se and have no expectations because our circumstances change throughout the season and we rely heavily on athletes that at the start of the season are yet unknowns."