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ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Isabella Keller (Fr., Effingham St. Anthony)
Coming into the new school year, we knew Isabella would be good, if not great. She turned out to be sensational in every aspect. From her initial race of the season, she ran 17:10 at the Cowchip Classic- just seven seconds behind her legendary sister Anna Sophia Keller's meet record. Isabella would be compared to her sister almost on every occasion. But let's make things clear: Isabella Keller is writing her own story.
At best, Keller might be 4'10", but she has the heart of a lion. She roared through September without a hitch against state competition and at her first major competition at the Nike XC Town Twilight Invitational. In this highly competitive race at night in Terre Haute, Indiana, Keller toured the 5K layout in 17:06- just five seconds behind the winner, Zariel Macchia of New York.
Back on home soil, Keller completed the deal, breezing through October and making her way to the hallowed ground that is Detweiller Park for the state championship. Against a very competitive 1A field, Keller brought home a state title in a personal best of 16:26. Not only was the time the fastest of the day in a merge, but it was also the top overall time of the season.
Keller would complete her season by entering the Nike Cross Nationals series and earned All-American honors with a magnificent 8th-place finish at the NXN Championship in Portland, Oregon, clocking 17:43.
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Anna Lester (Sr., Vernon Hills)
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Not many people knew who Anna Lester was for a while, even though she was an all-state runner from West Virginia. It wasn't until she won the legendary Niles West Pat Savage Invitational at the end of September that she received acclaim.
Lester won four contests, including the CSL XC Championship. She later took fourth in the Hoffman Estates Sectional, beating the likes of Meg Peterson (Prospect), Lily Ginsberg (Prospect), and Danielle Jensen (McHenry) in 17:37.
The ultimate test would be the 3A state championship, and Lester passed with flying colors, taking down a fleet of great runners and earning fourth place with a massive PB of 17:03. The aftermath among the prestige of the Illinois state championship, Lester was no longer just another runner among the fray.