2A Girls pre-season preview: there is a new sheriff in town


2020 Season Finish: Shazam D2 Champions
Head Coach: Mike Garber
Key Returners: Ava Gorrie (So.), Emma Leahy (Sr.), Lydia Gurnsey (So.), Carly Wilcoxen (Jr.), Nia Gibson (Sr.), Parker Doggett (Sr.), Cammy Ostermeier (So.)
Key Newcomers: Rachael Behrens (Fr.), Kamryn Robbins (Fr.), Avery Thompson (Fr.)
Summary: The faltering of Latin's pack at Shazam gave the Titans the green light to capitalize and use depth to secure the team victory, which was so narrow that none in Glenwood's camp knew the results until word was leaked just prior to the awards ceremony. Coach Mike Garber reflects on a season without blemish that ended in victory for the Titans: "Glenwood's 2020 campaign was pretty great. Mentally, it was tough but these ladies persevered. Our girls went undefeated last season finishing off our year as Sectional champions and 1st at Shazam. We managed these feats without our number three runner, Lydia Gurnsey. She is back, healthy, and ready to work hard this Fall." In a season where the field is so even and wide-open, returning as defending champions is enough to earn the preseason #1 bid.

Yet Glenwood occupies this spot not just by default, but because the Titans appear to have the greatest number of possible pathways back to a state title. Glenwood does lose a good deal of firepower to graduation but re-loads their team from middle school feeders just about as well as anyone else in the classification. The pack is comprised of a number of runners who have each taken their turn as the front-runner. Most recently that runner has been soph Ava Gorrie, but another frontrunner looking to make strides back to winning races this year is Nia Gibson., who struggled with injury in 2020 but had all-state form in 2019. Between these two and the return of Lydia Gurnsey, Glenwood rivals Vernon Hills to have the best 1-2-3 punch in the state. Some of the returners that may round of the scoring include Carly Wilcoxen, Parker Doggett, and Cammy Ostermeier, but none in a better position to make a large step forward than Emma Leahy in her senior year.

The strength of the middle school feeder program is another major reason the Titans are given the preseason nod for state title favorites. The Glenwood middle school club team won the Shazam Championship title with a 97-113 score over Evanston Northstars. Kamryn Robbins and Rachael Behrens both scored for this group and finished top-40 in a negative split fashion. Avery Thompson may also be a varsity contributor at some point. As we have seen often in the recent past, just one or two additional surprise freshmen can make all the difference in a trophy race, and Glenwood enjoys the greatest chance of this benefit in 2021. The Titans need just another piece or two to materialize to bring home the first official team title on the Girls' side, and they have more resources to tap into than the other competitors at this stage of the game.

Garber says his team knows what they are capable of, and they are going for it with a measured and strategic approach. "We are looking at making a run at a State Championship," he says. "Last season proved what our coaching staff knew, they are a talented group. We lost a couple of runners to graduation but we inject a talented freshmen group into the mix that is hungry and determined to make an impact. We are changing up a few things with training and early season meets, so early on we don't plan on being world-beaters. Track and Soccer gave our girls (and guys) a late start to summer training. 2020-2021 was a different animal and it seemed like many of our athletes were always in a season. The last thing I want is burnout and injury, so we are going to be smart about our progression this Fall. There are some girls that have eyes on All-State this Fall and they will do everything in their power to make it a reality."