2016 Girls All Area

2016 Tri State Cross Country Coaches Girls All-Area Team

Macomb Sophomore Maya Stovall is your 2016 Runner of the Year (Photo Credit: Russ Tate)

Runner of the Year - Maya Stovall, So., Macomb

Setting goals, working to improve, and trying to be the best you can be are things that most distance runners strive to do on a daily basis. It's a process that many find intriguing along the way, and it's that process that leads them to their dreams. This is no different for Maya Stovall of Macomb HS. " Maya has only seen what (others before her) did in High School and set high goals for herself since she started High School. When the team goes on a long run, she always continues on another 2-3 miles. And when doing repeats or speed work she always strives to run better than the last time," said Macomb Coach Randy Ames. It's these attributes that allowed Stovall to have such a strong 2016 Sophomore season.

Along the way, Maya had big race finishes with 2nd at the QND Running Raider, and a 3rd place showing at the Patriot Invite in Peoria placing her among some of the best individuals in Class 1A in Illinois. She also won several races including the West Central Conference meet held at South Park in Quincy in October. It was here that she began the post season that ended in her best State finish of her young HS XC Career in 8th running a career best at 17:54. Between the WCC meet and the Illinois State meet however, things weren't the smoothest for Stovall. After a 2nd place finish on her home course in Macomb for the Regional meet where she ran 18:02, Stovall became ill and was forced to run the IHSA Sectional meet in Elmwood under the weather. Trying to qualify for the State meet is hard enough for most, but having to do it at the historically deep Elmwood Sectional didn't play into Maya's favor. Fortunately for Stovall she was able to place 8th in a time of 19:02 at Elmwood to secure one of the last individual qualifying spots and advance to the 2016 IHSA Class 1A State meet. "After finishing 8th at Sectional where she was sick, she dropped 68 seconds and finished 11th at the State Meet running 17:54. She beat all but two of the girls who finished ahead of her at the Sectional (meet)," said Ames. It was this turn around along with the strong regular season that placed Stovall among only a few that were considered for this award.

In only her 2nd year at the high school level, Stovall has already placed herself at the top of about every list in Macomb HS girls history and also placed herself among the elite individuals at the 1A level in Illinois cross country state wide. For her efforts in the 2016, Maya has been named the Inaugural Tri-State Cross Country Coaches Girls Runner of the year.

First Team All-Area - (Alphabetical Order)

Megan Adams, Jr., Mendon- 2015 was a great year for Megan Adams. 2016, however was the year she put herself on the map both locally and state-wide. The Mustang Junior racked up top 5 finishes at the QND Running Raider, the Liberty Regional, and the Elmwood Sectional. Along with runner-up finishes at QHS and the West Central Conference meet, her 2016 resume shined brighter. Her crowning achievement of 2016 came in November when she placed 16th at the IHSA Class 1A State Meet in Peoria, running a career best at 17:58, earning Megan her first All-State cross country medal.

Megan Barry, Sr., Liberty- Arguably the most improved runner in the Tri-States, Barry turned a corner in 2016 and propelled herself to be the Eagles consistent #2 runner. The QHS Tom Oakley Individual Champion also had top 10 finishes at 9 meets throughout the season, most notably 4th at the WCC Conference Meet, 7th at the Liberty Regional, and 9th at the Elmwood Sectional. Barry capped her Senior season with a 42nd place finish at the IHSA Class 1A State meet where she helped the Eagles bring home their first State trophy with a 3rd place finish.

Ella Borrowman, So., QND- Making her 2nd straight All-Area first team selection, Borrowman lead the Lady Raiders throughout 2016. She was a WCC All-Conference selection placing 7th overall with a time of 21:20. She lead the lady raiders to a Sectional team appearance by placing 16th at the Liberty Regional, and ran 21:36 to finish her season at the Elmwood Sectional. Ella will look to build on 2016 and keep herself in contention as a top local in 2017.

Nichole Bruni, Jr., Bowling Green- Bruni was a constant for the Bobcats team success throughout the 2016 season. The 1st team All-Conference(4th) and All-District(4th) runner was pivotal in the 2nd straight top 3 State team finish for Bowling Green. A clutch run by Nichole at the Missouri State meet where she ran 21:57 good for 45th place was exactly what Bowling Green needed to secure their 3rd place State trophy.

Kelsey Finley, Jr., Bowling Green- With 3 Juniors in the top 5 for Bowling Green, it may be easy to overlook Finley's contributions to the always strong Bobcats team. However, All-Conference(6th) and All-District(7th) finishes show that without her, it would be tough for the team to succeed the way they have. Add a 69th place finish, running 22:32 at the Missouri State Meet to Finley's resume and you can bet that she was as valuable as anyone in the Tri-States in 2016.

Kate Klott, So., Bowling Green- Sophomore's in the Tri-States are a hot commodity and Klott is no different. The Bobcats #1 throughout 2016, she lead the way with a 3rd place finish at the EMO Conference meet before placing 3rd again at the Bowling Green District meet. Klott ended 2016 by placing 13th overall in a time of 20:45 for 5k at the Missouri Class 2 State Meet where the Bobcats placed 3rd as a team for the 2nd straight year.

Lydia Kurfman, So., QHS- In a nutshell, Kurfmans 2016 season was a roller coaster to say the least. For someone who did most of her training on a bike or in the pool due to a stress fracture midway through the season, the roller coaster ended up being a good ride. Kurfman took runner-up honors at the Western Big 6 Conference in her first race back in months which propelled her into the post season. A 9th place finish at the QHS Regional was followed up by a 25th place finish at the Edwardsville Sectional and qualifying her for the IHSA Class 3A State Championships. The first Blue Devil state qualifier since 2012 finished her season with a 30 second person best running 18:33 at the State Meet.

Claudia Nichols, Fr., Hannibal- The EMO Conference Runner-Up had a stellar Freshman campaign leading the Pirates. Nichols placed 8th at the QND Running Raider and was 3rd overall at the QHS Tom Oakley asserting herself as a top local runner. She ended 2016 with a 17th place finish at the Missouri District meet before placing 34th overall at the Missouri State Meet where she ran a time of 21:35 for 5k. Look for her to build off her first high school season and be at the top again next Fall.

Katelyn Robbins, So., Liberty- 2016 was the next step for the 2015 Tri-State Runner of the Year as she begins to build on her already strong high school XC resume. 3 individual meet championships at PORTA, QND, and Liberty stand out on the talented sophomores season resume. However, her individual finishes of 3rd WCC Conference, 2nd Liberty Regional, and 10th Elmwood Sectional in the post season shine as the Eagles #1 lead her team back to the State Championships in Peoria for the 2nd straight year. Robbins again lead the Eagles in Peoria with a time of 17:56, good for 14th place overall and her 2nd straight All-State medal in XC which helped the Eagles secure their first State trophy with a 3rd place finish.

Kaela Wellman, So., Liberty- From start to finish, the Eagle sophomore was a consistent figure among the top of the results in every race she ran. With finishes no lower than 20th in every regular season meet except 1, it's easy to see why this Sophomore was vital to the Eagles team success. Late season 5th place finishes at the WCC Conference meet and Liberty Regional set up another strong postseason run for Wellman that was capped off with a 44th place finish at the IHSA Class 1A State meet where she ran 18:44.

Kara Williams, Fr., Pittsfield- Making a name for herself and Pittsfield girls XC was exactly what this Freshman did throughout the 2016 season. Top finishes at Macomb(2nd), QHS(4th), Liberty (11th) help her prepare for a strong first post season. Williams placed 12th at the Liberty Regional helping guide the Saukees to their first team Sectional appearance in years. Williams went on to finish 13th overall at the Elmwood Sectional, narrowly missing a trip to the State Championships. Look for Kara to build on her Freshman season and be a strong contender at the top of the Tri-States in 2017.

Charly Wollaston, Sr., QHS- The linchpin of the Blue Devils squad for the past 4 seasons, Wollaston has been a constant at the top of the local girls XC list. 2016 was no different as the Senior capped a remarkable 4 year career with a 4th place showing at the Western Big 6 Conference meet earning her a third straight all-conference selection. She finished her XC career with 17th place finish at the QHS Regional, and a 49th place finish running 21:00 at the loaded Edwardsville 3A Sectional. The Blue Devils will have to look hard to find a more consistent runner than Wollaston as they try to fill her gap when graduation rolls around.

All-Area Honorable Mention-

Bowling Green- Erin Martin, Sr.

Clark County- Madison Kauth, Fr.

Highland- Makayla Dickerson, Jr.

Liberty- Katelyn Obert, Sr., Courtney Riley, So.

Mark Twain- Madalyn Ford, Sr.

South Shelby- Meredith O'Neil, So.

QHS- Valerie Howerton, So., Kendall Marks, Jr.

QND- Lindsey Ayo, So.

West Hancock- Zarra Humphry, So.