Preseason Rankings

Sunday, August 19 2018

Both the Boys and Girls Cross Country teams will start the season ranked in the top 20. Below are team previews from 2 state media sources (MileSplit & ILXCTF). As a team we don't read too much into the rankings as we know that they are completely subjective and very opinionated. We appreciate the recognition, but know that ultimately our choices and actions are the only things that will actually influence how the final standings will turn out. We plan to embrace the expectations by focusing on our process. What and how we do things will be the key to our success. We will control what we can and be confident that we have done everything in our power to perform at our best. We encourage you to feel pride in our recognition, but know that we ultimately have the final say in how others view Lakes Cross Country.

ILXCTF Girls #4

4 Lake Villa Lakes Community

2017 Finish – 9^th, 2A State

Coach – Keith West, Travis Shepherd, Dan Jazo

Top Runners – Brooke Stromsland SO (4, 17:15), Olivia Schmitt JR (58, 18:41), Megan Knuettel SR (88, 19:08), Alex Bryant SO (95, 19:11), Morgan Gillespie SR (122, 19:30), Simone Lippmann SR (129, 19:37), Hannah Grant (174, 20:12), Rae Dwyer SR, Tegan Baker SO, Ashley Whitis JR, Breanna Lippmann SO.

Preview – The Eagles finally made that step to state finishing fourth at the Kaneland Sectional and then ninth the following week at state. They were only 31 points out of fifth. Expectations are high for this team is that all their top seven runners from the state meet are back. “Last year was a breakthrough season for the Lakes Girls,” Keith West said. “We have been knocking on the door steps of a state finals berth for the last 4 years. The girls were not to be denied as they punched their ticket with a 4th place finish in Kaneland. The girls were not satisfied with just qualifying for state and made it a goal to finish on a high note.”

Brooke Stromsland emerged as the top runners in 2A as a freshman finishing fourth at state. Olivia Schmitt was injured for most of the season before coming back to finish 58^th at state. At the beginning of the year, the two were only four seconds apart with Schmitt ahead. A healthy Schmitt gives Lakes a strong 1-2 in the front. The pack from their third to fifth runner at state was a mere 22 seconds. The two low numbers in the front will be a definite help. The pack getting all three runners under 19-minutes as well as closing the deficit on the front makes this team dangerous in November.

“We are working on doing all of the little things and taking control of what we can,” West added. “Combining that attention to detail with a desire to compete to the best of our ability will put us in the mix at every meet. They want to build on last year’s performance and have set high expectations. We asked the girls to leave it out on the course each race and we fully anticipate that they will be ready and able to step up in the moment.”

ILXCTF 2A Girls Individual Preview

Both Brooke Stromsland & Olivia Schmitt are previewed as 2 of the top 10 athletes in 2A XC this season!

3 – Brooke Stromsland

SO – Lake Villa Lakes Community

Notes – Stromsland had a breakout cross-country season as only a freshman. After running 18:49.6 at Detweiller Park in early September, she came back to run 17:15 to finish fifth overall in the 2A State race. Injuries forced her to miss most of the outdoor track season. Before she was forced out, she ran 5:05.12 for 1600-meters at Distance Night in Palatine in April. “Brooke will continue to lead the way up front,” said Keith West. “She had a breakout State series culminating in a 4th place finish at Detweiller. She has elevated the performances of her teammates by her consistent dedication to running and classwork and overall just by leading by example.”

7 – Olivia Schmitt

JR – Lake Villa Lakes Community

Notes – If the Belvidere North duo is not the top twosome up front in 2A this fall, it will then be Schmitt and her teammate Brooke Stromsland. Olivia missed most of the cross-country season going out with an injury at the Minooka Invitational. She came back to help her team at state finishing 58^th in the 2A State finals as the team’s second runner. She continued to build during the track season qualifying for the state meet in the 3A 800 Meter Run. Schmitt ran a personal best of 2:16.97 at Palatine in April.

“She trains with Brooke (Stromsland) and should give us a strong 1-2 punch for low team scores,” Keith West said. “Both Olivia and Brooke are motivated to help the team have the best season in school history.”

MileSplit Girls #3

3. Lake Villa (Lakes)

Head Coach/coaches: Keith West, Travis Shepherd, Dan Jazo

Last year's finish: State- 9th

Key returners: Brooke Stromsland (So), Olivia Schmitt (Jr), Megan Knuettel (Sr), Alex Bryant (So), Rae Dwyer (Sr), Simone Lippmann (Sr), Morgan Gillespie (Sr), Hannah Grant (Sr)

Projected top 7: Stromsland, Schmitt, Knuettel, Bryant, and the other 4 athletes will rotate throughout the season.

Newcomers: We will have some new frosh this season, but there are no expectations for them to break into the varsity lineup.

Coach's thoughts on the team: Last year was a breakthrough season for the Lakes Girls. We have been knocking on the doorsteps of a state finals berth for the last 4 years. The girls were not to be denied as they punched their ticket with a 4th place finish in Kaneland. The girls were not satisfied with just qualifying for state and made it a goal to finish on a high note. They did just that as they finished 9th overall, just 31 points from 5th. This senior led and dominated group is poised to make a run back to the State Finals. They want to build on last year's performance and have set high expectations.

Summer workouts have been crisp and the girls look fitter than last year. Sophomore Brooke Stromsland will lead the way up front. Brooke had a breakout State series culminating in a 4th place finish at Detweiller. Junior All-State Track runner Olivia Schmitt now has a training partner in Stromsland. Together they give us a tenacious 1-2 punch at the top of the lineup. Both girls have elevated the performances of their teammates. Megan Knuettel and Alex Bryant had outstanding track seasons and are poised to make significant time improvements.

They will pace our 3-7 pack. Behind them, we have a collection of ladies who can get the job done on any given day. Senior Captain Rae Dwyer returns this season after missing last Fall. Rae had an 18:47 PR as a Sophomore, which will be huge for our pack. Behind her, we have 3 other ladies in Lippmann, Grant, and Gillespie who will all be near or under the 19 min mark. This group of 4 continue to steadily improve and will be key reasons for team success this year. Our goal will be to have a tight pack behind our top 2 of Schmitt and Stromsland. We have added depth with more girls under 20 minutes than we have ever had. Overall this team has been a joy to coach. They are all about having fun and running fast. Each day seems to be filled with hard work and laughter. We continue to improve each day and will be ready to handle whatever comes our way.

MileSplit Girls #1 to 10

ILXCTF Boys #18

18 Lake Villa Lakes Community

2017 Finish – 7^th, 2A Kaneland Sectional

Coach – Travis Shepherd, Keith West, Dan Jazo

Top Runners – Ethan Schommer SR, Owen Wenberg SR, Talon Knauf JR, RJ Migas JR, Charlie Halberg SR, Jack Erwin SR, Jay Patel SR, Jack Engel SO, Tim Smith JR, Ty Dwyer SO, Sean Humpa JR.

Preview – The Eagles came close to making to state last year but fell short. Lakes placed seventh at the Kaneland Sectional missing the trip for Peoria by nine points. The future looks bright in Lake Villa this fall with their top five runners returning from that sectional team. “I think this Summer training was really solid. I was not pleased with last year as there was a lack of accountability and I felt like guys underwhelmed as far as their mileage. We didn't have the leadership that I was expecting. I challenged the top 7 this year to put in the work and leave no stone un-turned. They have responded quite well,” Travis Shepherd said. “What makes this Summer better is the quality of work up front and the quantity of work happening in the background. In addition, we have a 2nd group forming behind the varsity group. While we have had talent the last few years, we have lacked solid depth. We finally have a group of 5 forming behind the top 7. This should not only help push the guys in front, but also prepare our next group to step up when the Seniors graduate.”

Owen Wenberg and Ethan Schommer ran close to each other and should share the top spot. Talon Knauf had a good summer and has closed the gap on the front runners. RJ Migas, Jack Erwin, and Charlie Halberg close the back end of the pack and give this team depth. 43 seconds separated the top five in the sectional race. Moving those five runners close to the front could advance the Eagles out of this sectional.

“We really like to set high targets. We don't shy away from pursuing excellence,” Shepherd added. “Last year we had an expectation to make it to state and finish in the top 15. While I think we were a top 20 team, it just didn't work out for us to race at Peoria. We embrace being in a tough Sectional, so we know it will be a battle to make it Detweiller every year. We have been knocking on the door the last few years and in 2017 we were agonizingly close. We talked with the guys about the race and I was happy with how they responded. We felt like we did everything in our control to be ready to run our best. The guys had good races, but we got beat by other teams who had better days. We let the athletes drive the expectations and they are high again. The target is not just to get to Detweiller, but to do something there. We have such a strong pack (top 5 under 16:20 w/ a 16 sec pack) that should put us in the mix in every race. Teams with an average of under 16 minutes typically finish in the top 15 at the state meet. We have the potential to have an average under 16 and if we can continue to keep our pack tight, we should be right in the mix. This Senior group wants to be the 1st ever team to qualify from Lakes and they want to leave a legacy of excellence. They are an inspired group who are ready to compete each meet. They welcome the spotlight and are pumped when they have an opportunity to compete against good teams. They are diligent in their preparation as they meticulously take care of what is in their control. When the moment is here, they will be ready to strike. A team with this makeup is a delight to work with and I am beyond excited to coach this group.”

MileSplit Boys #14

14. Lake Villa (Lakes)

Head Coach/coaches: Travis Shepherd/Keith West, Dan Jazo

Last year's finish: Kaneland Sectional- 7th place

Key returners: Jack Erwin (Sr), Charlie Halberg (Sr), Ethan Schommer (Sr), Owen Wenberg (Sr)

Projected top 7: Erwin, Halberg, Schommer, Wenberg, Talon Knauf (Jr), RJ Migas (Jr), Tim Smith (Jr)

Newcomers: Jay Patel (Sr), Ty Dwyer (So), Jack Engel (So), Aidan Gillespie (So), Sean Humpa (So), Gavin Murrie (Fr), Nathan Rolla (Fr)

Coach Shepard's outlook:

We come into the 2018 season with big goals and expectations. We have a group of seniors that have had a large impact on our program over the last three years. Each year the team has performed at a high level when it counts and continued to raise the bar. Last year we won the Grant Invite and just missed a conference title. We turned in our 2nd best Sectional performance in school history and missed qualifying for state by nine points. Fueled by a narrow miss at the State Finals, the team put together a quality track season. We set a new school record in the 4x8 relay (8:04) along with numerous personal bests. They have carried a successful Spring into a motivated Summer. We return Six of our top seven return with four very driven seniors. While we don't have a true leader, the team has done a nice job of feeding off of each other in workouts and practice. New people step up daily, which has made for quality Summer practices.

A key addition this year is sophomore Jack Engel. Having only trained for a few months, he ran 2:07 and 4:55 for us as a freshman last Spring. With a full summer under his belt, I anticipate he will have an immediate impact on the top 7. Also, for the first time in years, we have a 2nd pack forming behind our top 7. That is huge and will push everyone to bring it daily. We have a few guys that may develop into true front-runners, but ultimately we will have success this year based on the strength of our pack. As we do in practice, the guys often race together. Our pack is often tight as evidenced by the fact that our top 5 guys have PRs within 16 seconds of each other. I believe that split can stay under 20 seconds all year and regardless of a front-runner, will keep us competitive in every meet.

The top 5 have PRs under 16:20 and we'll look to get all 7 guys under 16. That would put us squarely in the top 15 teams in 2A. The guys have been working all Summer with their sights set on Peoria. Overall this is an inspired group who are ready to compete each meet. They welcome the spotlight and are pumped when they have an opportunity to compete against really good teams. They are diligent in their preparation as they meticulously take care of what is in their control. When the moment is here, they will be ready to strike. A team with this makeup is a delight to work with and I am beyond excited to coach this group.

MileSplit Boys #1 to 15