Girls All-Area Team

Inaugural Tri-State Cross Country Coaches Girls All-Area Team

Liberty Freshman Katelyn Robbins is your 2015 Runner of the Year(Photo Credit: Russ Tate)

Runner of the Year - Katelyn Robbins, Fr., Liberty

For most individuals, taking a day off of running wouldn't be that big of a deal. However, for Liberty Freshman Katelyn Robbins, one day off is an eternity when she should be training. Now imagine her displeasure when she was forced to take twelve days off as the championship part of her first high school Cross Country season approached. That is exactly what she did as the season came to an end. "She hates taking time off," Liberty Coach Jared Schmidt said. "She would rather run 10 miles than spend an hour in the pool or biking, it's just the way she is." Unfortunately for Robbins, she was forced out of competition for two weeks with pain in her lower leg, which kept her out of the Patriot Invitational in Peoria, the West Central Conference Meet, and the 1A Franklin Regional, some of the biggest on the Eagles schedule. Even without her in the lineup the Eagles were able to capture their first Regional title since 2009 at Franklin. Her return to the Eagles lineup at the Elmwood Sectional boosted the Eagles already stellar squad and allowed them to capture their first Sectional title since 1990 and advance to the State Championships as a team for the first time in 25 years. Robbins' runner-up finish at Elmwood wasn't a bad way to come back after missing three weeks of competition. "It was a pleasant surprise that's for sure, but not something I thought she wasn't capable of" said Schmidt. A week later, Robbins capped her Freshman season with a 6th place overall finish at the IHSA Class 1A State Championships with a time of 17:49. Her placing was the highest by a Freshman at the 1A level, and helped lead the Eagles to a 4th place team finish, the best finish by the girls team in program history.

Her rebound from the injury was something Schmidt had hoped would happen. "As a coach, you hate to have any of your athletes injured and forced to take time off. She worked really hard cross training when she wasn't able to run, and for her to rebound the way she did and place in the top 10 at State shows just how tough of a competitor she is" said Schmidt. "It wasn't easy for her to go through, but I'm glad she was able to come back and end her season on a high note."

In the early part of the season Robbins set a blistering pace that many couldn't match in her first season for the Eagles. With six Individual meet titles, including the Running Raider, Springfield, and Quincy Tom Oakley Invitational's, along with three new meet records as only a Freshman, it will be exciting to see what else the Eagle star can accomplish in the years to come. For her efforts, Katelyn has been named the Inaugural Tri-State Cross Country Coaches Girls Runner of the year.

First Team All-Area - (Alphabetical Order)

Megan Adams, So., Mendon - In the first year of her teams existence, Adams burst onto the scene as a top local threat on the course with a 3rd place finish at the QND Running Raider Invite. A 6th place All-Conference finish at the West Central Conference meet, 8th at the Franklin Regional, and a stellar 14th place finish at the Elmwood Sectional propelled her to a state qualifying birth. Adams capped of her tremendous first year with a 55th place finish at the Class 1A State Meet in a time of 19:09.

Ella Borrowman, Fr., QND - Borrowman progressed throughout the year to become the consistent #1 runner for the young Lady Raiders squad on her way to a fantastic Freshman XC campaign. She finished the year with a 7th place All Conference run at the West Central Conference meet, 10th place finish at the Franklin Regional, a 25th place finish at the Elmwood Sectional, and a top time of 19:19 at the Patriot Invite on her Resume.

Mariah Brodie, Sr., Illini-West - Brodie capped of a fabulous high school XC career with yet another quality Senior season. She was 7th at the QND Running Raider, 4th at the Quincy Tom Oakley, and 12th at the Liberty Invite. A 4th place finish at the West Central Conference meet and her 5th place overall finish at the Aledo Regional helped to prove Brodie is a serious threat when she steps to the line at any race distance.

Kelsey Finley, So., Bowling Green - A sophomore campaign that produces a 3rd place finish at the EMO Conference meet, 6th place finish at the Missouri Districts, and a 21:12 5k good for a 28th place finish at the Class 2 Missouri State Meet, there is not much Kelsey Finley can complain about. Add in that she helped her team secure a Missouri Class 2 3rd place team finish and it would suffice to say Finley was an important cog in the Bobcats run through Missouri teams.

Carly Garnett, Sr., Illini-West - After narrowly missing a trip to State as a Junior, Garnett got redemption with a 10th place finish at the Elmwood Sectional. Her trip to the Class 1A State meet netted her a 29th place finish and secured herself as one of the top locals of 2015. An 18:18 personal best at the Patriot Invite and Runner-Up finish at the West Central Conference Meet, Running Raider, and Tom Oakley meets just add to this Seniors already extensive XC resume.

Jacki Graham, Sr., Liberty - After a Junior campaign that never got started due to foot surgery, Graham reemerged this Fall with something to prove to the local XC scene. Third place at the West Central Conference along with top 5 finishes at the Running Raider, Quincy High, and Liberty meets proved she was back where she belonged. Graham was a vital part of the Eagles run to a 4th place Class 1A team finish with finishes of: 5th-Franklin Regional, 7th-Elmwood Sectional, and 37th-1A State Meet. She also clocked an 18:21 lifetime best at the Patriot Invite.

Kate Klott, Fr., Bowling Green - The top Freshman on the Bobcats 3rd place State team, Klott was a pivotal piece in Bowling Green's top 5. She was 1st Team All Conference (2nd), All-District (4th), and All-State (13th) in just her first high school season. Look for Klott to build on her Freshman campaign in the next three seasons and continue to help lead her team to top finishes.

Meredith O’Neal, Fr., South Shelby - The South Shelby Freshman started her year off with a top 15 finish at the Running Raider Invite. She then went on to capture the Clarence Cannon Conference Championship with a time of 20:23 for 5k, placed 9th at the Bowling Green District meet, and finished with an All-State performance placing 24th at the Missouri Class 2 State Championships. Look for O'Neal to continue to be at the top of Missouri XC in the years to come.

Sierra St. Aubyn, Sr., Bowling Green - The EMO Conference Champion enjoyed a fantastic ending to her high school XC career. Not only was she Conference Champion, she was also 1st team All-District (3rd), and All-State (14th). Let's not forget that the Senior helped lead the Lady Bobcats to a 3rd place finish at the Missouri Class 2 State Championships. It would be crazy to think that the Senior doesn't have goals of ending her track career in similar fashion.

Maya Stovall, Fr., Macomb - 2015 was a stellar start to her high school career for the Macomb Freshman. Her season included 4 victories and 3 runner-up finishes. The titles of West Central Conference Champion and Regional Champion at Aledo are also on her already lengthy high school resume. Stovall put an exclamation mark on her 1st season as a Bomber with a 9th place All-State finish at the Class 1A State meet with a 17:53 mark.

Kaela Wellman, Fr., Liberty - The Liberty Freshman slowly made her way to the top of the area this Fall as she continued to progress from start to finish. The finish netted her 34th place and an 18:43 clocking at the Class 1A State meet in Peoria. Late season top 15 finishes at West Central Conference (5th), Franklin Regional (8th), and Elmwood Sectional (15th) and it's easy to see that her first season could be just the start of great things from the Liberty Freshman.

Charly Wollaston, Jr., QHS - This year, Wollaston proved she's a big race runner at the end of the season. She gained her 1st ever Western Big 6 All-Conference accolade when she placed 7th in the Conference. She followed that up with a 19:47, 45th place finish showing at the loaded 3A Normal Sectional to lead her team to 14th place. This Junior continues to progress and will be one of the area's top runners next year in her final season as a Blue Devil.

All-Area Honorable Mention -

Bowling Green - Erin Martin, Jr.

Highland - Makayla Dickerson, So.

Liberty - Katie Cook, Sr., Courtney Riley, Fr.

Mark Twain - Madalyn Ford, Jr.

Palmyra - Maddie Bond, Jr.

QHS - Valerie Howerton, Fr., Lydia Kurfman, Fr., Kendall Marks, So.

QND - Lindsey Ayo, Fr., Sarah Lewis, Sr., Peyton Oden, Jr.