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Eagles in the News
August 30, 2020
8/21/22 - ILXCTF
Lakes Girls Update
There is one thing that will not change this fall. The majority of top 2A Girls teams will come from the sectional that will be run at Kaneland. The top seven teams that all qualified last year out of the Woodstock North Sectional all finished in the top 11. Not too many other sectionals regardless of classification in the state could boast of that.
There is no clear favorite this fall just because the top 10 ranked teams are that good. Grayslake Central will be in good shape to defend their 2A state team title. They will start second this year behind Lakes Community who finished fifth in Peoria. Vernon Hills was slated to be ranked first starting this season. Losing two runners out of last year’s top five changes their outlook at the start of this season but they will again be in the hunt for a trophy by the time we get to mid-October.
There are so many storylines that we will follow this fall in Class 2A. Let’s look at some of those teams that will toe the line this season.
1 Lake Villa (Lakes)
Coaches – Christine Zucker, Travis Shepherd, & Dan Jazo; 2021 Finish – 5th, 2A State
Top Runners – Madison Perez SR (21, 17:59), Paige-Elicia Caruth JR (38, 18:27), Madison Twarling JR (49, 18:40), Becca Runyan SR (80, 19:02), Hannah Rojas SO (96, 19:10), Brianna Gara SO (19:28), Lauren Rymer SO (201, 20:20), Krista Glesser SR, Rachel Colwell JR, Riley Beerbower JR, Aine Boyd JR, Thea Lungay SR
Notes – The Eagles got close to a trophy last fall but finished fifth in the state meet. This was after finishing third in their regional and then fourth in their sectional. It shows how strong their sectional is. Expectations should be extremely high for this team this fall especially with all seven runners from that state team coming back. “The team had a productive summer, with the majority of the ladies attending cross country summer camp,” said Shepherd & Zucker. “Emphasis was really placed on having the athletes concentrate on their mileage by identifying the appropriate speeds for them within a given workout, and on having fun.”
This is a strong team with an emerging front three developing into one of the top 2A trios in the state. It starts with Madison Perez who was all-state last fall. She may climb higher into rarified air this fall. “Madison has made a commitment to be a leader on the team, which started at the beginning of her junior year,” said Zucker & Shepherd. “Her dedication to this responsibility has helped the team advocate for themselves and has aided in developing an atmosphere where our student-athletes support one another. Her success within this role, successful training, and positive mental outlook has allowed her the confidence that she needed to start seeing herself in the next tier of athletes. In addition, she showed great range from 400 to 3200 this Spring and ran on both of our all state relays. She is a complete runner who has the ability to impact our team in so many ways. We are really proud of the athlete and person that she is.”
Paige-Elicia Caruth is the second of the trio and made huge strides of improvement first last fall and then in track and summer training. I could see a top 25 finish in her future beginning this fall. “Paige-Elicia such a positive attitude and is so coachable,” stated Zucker & Shepherd. “She brings success to our program by concentrating on her mileage by running appropriate paces and dedicating herself to proper warm-up and cool down dynamics. She takes advantage of every opportunity to improve. She runs with strength and confidence and loves to challenge herself.” Madison Twarling could be the surprise on this team and also in Class 2A showing improvement in the past year. “Madison had a phenomenal summer,” added Zucker & Shepherd. “Coming off of a successful state meet (led off our 2nd place 4x8), she is motivated to have a great fall. She made training a priority and has been so consistent. She has taken her game to the next level and is running with a lot of confidence.”
This team is more than their front three. That trio will power their team to a trophy. It seems that it is more than that. “So far, the "hay is in the barn" motto has started with our team completing mileage and having fun for the summer,” said their coaches. “More than just the running, their mental game is strong. They're brimming with confidence off of last year and a successful Spring. They're hungry and excited to compete. They're also keeping things in perspective and finding time to enjoy the journey.” Lakes had five runners finish in the top 96 in Peoria. Those numbers should come down. Becca Runyan was 22 seconds behind Twarling and would like to close that gap. Sophomores Hannah Rojas and Brianna Gara were close to Runyan and stay within the senior.
This team has flown under the radar especially with so many great teams in their sectional area. They will be noticed more so than they have in recent years. 3 all staters with 5 in the top 50 would shut the door at state. 5 in the top 70 looks to be more realistic. “Without sounding cliche, the goal is to be at our best at the end of the year, Zucker & Shepherd concluded. “We haven't had an official goal session yet (we will soon), but through conversations this Summer it's clear that all of the girls are driven to improve and propel the team to great heights. The goals we have are focused more on developing our skills and performing at our best for each other. Last year gave us great experience and the girls came away excited and eager for another opportunity. They know that if we focus on our team and on controlling what we can, then we will be successful.”
8/21/22 - ILXCTF
Lakes Boys Update
21 Lake Villa (Lakes)
Coaches – Travis Shepherd, Christine Zucker, & Dan Jazo; 2021 Finish – 21st, 2A State
Top Runners – Payton Whitehead JR (79, 16:03), Micah Lind SR (115, 16:17), Quin Maloney SR (201, 17:03), Brady Mock SO (206, 17:08), Liam Makela JR (221, 17:28), Jackson Summy SO, Blake Salbilla SO, Matthew Powley SO, Connor Vinson FR, Dylan Gates FR
Notes – This is a team that we can say is a “wait and see” this fall. The Eagles made it to state finishing 21st with five runners returning. Replacing their fourth and fifth runners will be something to watch for. “We had a good summer,” said their coach, Travis Shepherd. “June was an especially strong month for us. Most of the team is around and putting in the hard work. We had some athletes step up and host some optional runs outside of our summer camp. A nice group of athletes showed up to those and put some miles. In addition, they used that time to gel as a group. July was a bit hit and miss with so many athletes gone on vacation. Through training logs and conversations, it seems like our training has gone well. We'll get a better idea in the next few weeks.”
Payton Whitehead was the team’s top runner last fall. He made a huge step up during the rack season running under 1:55 for 800-meters earning all-state honors. That confidence will carry over this season. “Payton is a wonderful person,” added Shepherd. “He is humble, a great teammate, and a hard worker. He is also a really talented runner and I think he is truly just scratching the surface of his talent. He really figured things out during his Sophomore year culminating with an outstanding finish at State. He is a savvy racer who knows how to finish. He has a unique ability to push when tired and compete. At this point he has put together multiple quality training blocks and we're excited to see what he does as a junior.”
Micah Lind was 14 seconds from Whitehead last fall and will look to close that gap. Quin Maloney, Brady Mock, and Liam Makela also ran in state but were 46 seconds behind Lind in Peoria. That gap could close down during the season. It will need to if they want to advance to the state meet.
“Focus was placed on mileage and continuing an emphasis on being consistent with fueling, sleep, and warm-up/cool down procedures,” added Shepherd. “As far as workouts, while we try to work all of our systems throughout the season, this Summer we placed a larger emphasis on hills than we have in the past.”
8/16/22 - MileSplit
Lakes Girls update:
8/18/22 - MileSplit
Lakes Boys update:
9/8/21 - Daily Herald
Lakes girls update:
The Lakes girls cross country team got off to a hot start with two runners earning all-county at the Lake County invitational and three making the Top 10 at the Racine Horlick invite.
Becca Runyan was ninth at Lake County and third at Racine, while Paige Caruth was 13th at Lake County and sixth at Racine. Madison Perez was ninth at Racine. Aine Boyd has dropped more than 60 seconds from her best time last year.
Lakes boys update:
Gavin Murrie finished 11th at Lake County to earn all-county honors.
"Gavin has started off on a great note," coach Travis Shepherd said. "He has been our No. 1 in both races. He is on pace for his best season yet as he looks to break into our Top 20 of all-time."
Also for Lakes, Liam Makela, a sophomore, has improved his time by more than one minute and earned himself a spot on the varsity. Senior captain Jackson Sayre already has dropped 30 seconds from his previous personal record on some challenging courses, Shepherd said. "We are young, but have a lot of potential. It will take time to develop, but you will see our best at the end of the season."
MileSplitIL and ILXCTF cover Cross Country for the state of Illinois. Below are the preaseason rankings for 2021.
It should be mentioned that rankings ultimately mean nothing. We appreciate the positive press, but it will not change how we prepare or preform. Our focus will always be on what WE can control, not the subjective opinions of others or the performances of others. We will take advantage of our opportunities and do the best that we can.
Enjoy the positive comments about our athletes and team.
#9 Lake Villa (Lakes)
Coach: Travis Shepherd | North Lake County Conference
Preview – It will be a big difference for this team in their first meet not having Brooke Stromsland leading the way like she had the past four years. Stromsland has graduated. It does not mean that this team will not make it back to state again. The Eagles won the Antioch Regional, finished fifth at their own sectional, and then finished fourth at the ShaZam Club Championships where they missed winning the meet by five points.
“Training went well for the most part. Most of our athletes (except the 4x8) were able to start training in early June,” said their coach, Travis Shepherd. “Those athletes are getting the typical Summer training. However, I think the biggest thing, especially for athletes who raced longer into the season, is the need for a break. The circumstances with which the school and athletic year were conducted took a mental and emotional toll. Our goal was to encourage our athletes to fill up their mental and emotional tank before really resuming serious training.”
Madison Twarling and Paige Elicia Caruth, both sophomores, appear to be the runners that will step into the #1 spot. Rebecca Runyan (JR) and Madison Perez (JR) are also back with top five experience. Hunter Savell (SR), Riley Beerbower (SO), and Julia Veres (JR) are also possibilities among the top five runners. Lauren Rymer (FR) could also be part of that top five group.
The four returning runners could have a tight pack of 25 to 30 seconds. A key will be watching that group develop and move closer to the front. The fifth through seventh pack needs to move to within 45 seconds of their first four for this team to advance to race in November.
30 Lake Villa (Lakes)
Coach: Travis Shepherd | North Lake County Conference
Preview – Lakes will have some work to do to get into one of the top seven teams in their sectional. The Eagles finished third last year at the Antioch Regional and then 12 at their own sectional. Five runners that ran in the state series meets are back. “Athletes were on their own for the first half of the Summer. We had camp from July 12 to 29. It's clear that some athletes have put in some great miles while others have clearly not,” said their coach, Travis Shepherd. “Having a late track season slowed the beginning of our training, but we had a really nice camp. Overall, I would say the Summer was a mixed bag. Going into the season we have yet to have some athletes take the lead and really give our team a sense of identity. I anticipate we will struggle a little until we gel more.”
Micah Lind (JR), Payton Whitehead (SO), and Gavin Murrie (SR) should be the top runners for this team separated by less than 10 seconds. Juniors Quin Maloney and Zack Wigginton should lead the next pack. The northern sectional area is talented but at the same time wide-open. Their pack will need to get closer than 55 seconds on which they are projected at right now to be in the hunt for one of those seven sectional finishes.
Shepherd: "As always, our goals are to elevate our program and compete at a high level, while simultaneously building our culture. We will look to get back on the podium at the state finals. Racing against some of the state's best at NLCC, Regional, and Sectionals will help prepare us to perform at our best in Peoria. Individually we have the potential for multiple all-state athletes. It should be another exciting year. Looking forward to adding to our history."
Lake Villa (Lakes)
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