1. Lakes
Head Coach: Travis Shepherd
Last year's finish: 5th place- State Championship
Key returners: Rebecca Runyan (Sr.), Madison Perez (Sr.), Paige Caruth (Jr.), Madison Twarling (Jr.), Hannah Rojas (So.), Brianna Gara (So.), Lauren Rymer (So.)
Summary: The first year for the Eagles post-Brooke Stromsland showed that the program is still ready to go. "We had a wonderful 2021 season," reflects Travis Shepherd. While we lost a strong group of Seniors who had a large impact on the team, the girls continued to build on the momentum that they created. They trained diligently and patiently, waiting to put everything together at the end of the season."
The Lakes girls' did just that by running season bests for every athlete at state, with the exception of Becca Runyan who ran an excellent season including an 18:11 best from regionals.
"They carried that momentum into an outstanding track season," says Shepherd. "At state, the girls knocked 16 seconds off of the 4x800 team to finish runner-up in 2A by about 2 seconds (to Mt. Zion). It was a wonderful performance and we are so proud of them (Twarling, Perez, Caruth, Runyan). We also earned All-State in the 4x400 to cap an awesome Spring."
This momentum carries the Eagles into the start of the 2022 season, where the Eagles return as much on paper as any other school in the state. The same four that ran on the runner-up 4x800m lead the Eagles in battle: Runyan, Madison Perez, Madison Twarling and Paige Caruth. All four athletes ran under 18:40 last year, and each strode forward with a smattering of great times in the spring. Caruth ran 11:25 and 5:17, Twarling 5:18 and 2:29, Perez 5:32 and 2:22, and Runyan 2:22 with the team's only sub-60 400m as well. The combination of foot speed and endurance, as well as coherence and state final experience, makes these four the strongest returning group of four in 2A. There can be multiple all-staters from this group, and although Perez and Runyan are the top returners, look for Caruth as a breakout candidate on the heels of a strong performance in the longer track events.
Lakes take the #1 spot preseason on the strength of this pack.
Of course, looking for runners to follow four is crucial. The next three varsity returners, all sophomores, fit the bill. Lauren Rymer, Brianna Gara, and Hannah Rojas each return for a second state-run, with Gara and Rojas returning bests under 19:30. Rojas has the best three-mile time of the three (19:10), but Gara showed great speed in track by just barely missing an individual state qualification in the 800 (2:29.40 for third at sectional by .25). These runners each have the capability to dip into the 18-minute range along with the rest of their group.
Don't mistake the placing of Lakes at #1 as a label of 'runaway' favorites. This year mirrors last year in 2A: a wide-open field with over a dozen teams that can end on top. Lakes know this and is focusing on the journey and the controllable. "The thing I enjoy best about our team is how we push each other and work together to achieve our goals," says Paige-Elicia Caruth. "Our goals are to have fun and compete to the best of our ability," says Shepherd, looking ahead to a season with improved leadership and identity. "The girls have built so much confidence in the last year and figured out how to have fun and train hard. They're a joy to be around and fun to work with each day. Without listing anything specific, we'll bring our best when it matters most and see where the chips fall."