St. Anthony's Isabella Keller runs to the finish line and her first state cross country title in the Class 1A race in 2023. Keller, who currently holds the top time in the state across all three classes, won the Spartan Classic on September 28. The sophomore is favored to earn a second state title in November.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
ST. JOSEPH - St. Anthony sophomore sensation Isabella Keller continued her dominant cross country season, winning the Spartan Classic on Sept. 28 with a time of 15:59.6, just shy of her personal record from last year's meet. Keller's performance, highlighted by a nearly 30-second lead over the rest of the field, secured her top standing in Class 1A this season.
Keller, known for her dominance in Class 1A, not only secured her victory but also solidified her status as the top runner in Illinois across all three IHSA classes. She has won every varsity 3-mile race she has entered during her high school career, including last year's Class 1A state championship at Detweiller Park. Her impressive string of victories positions her as the favorite for a repeat state title in November. Her closest competitor, Tuscola's junior Kate Foltz, finished second with a time of 16:28.3, followed by Unity senior
Emily Decker in third at 16:55.1.
The race, held under overcast skies with temperatures in the high 60s, saw 148 girls from 20 teams competing. The three-mile course began on Main Street and wound through the streets of St. Joseph, offering ideal conditions for fast times.
Unity's girls team capitalized on their depth, placing three runners in the top 15 and securing the overall team title with 55 points. Decker led the Rockets with her third-place finish, followed by junior Mackenzie Pound (10th, 18:18.3) and senior Ashlyn Denney (11th, 18:19.4). Unity's consistency helped them outpace Shelbyville, which placed second with 91 points, and Monticello, which came in third with 171 points.
St. Joseph-Ogden's senior
Savanna Franzen was the top finisher for the host team, placing eighth with a time of 17:54.00, while Uni-High’s top runner, junior Shriya Nagaraj, placed 28th with a time of 19:31.79.
Finishing at 17:36.87, Mackenzie Pound helped the Rockets win last year's team title at the state meet in 2023. Now a junior, she was crucial in Unity winning the Spartan Classic team title at the end of September. Coincidentally, she finished 10th in both races.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Urbana U-High finished fifth in the team standings with a score of 192 points, demonstrating their depth with several strong individual performances.
The team was led by Shriya Nagaraj, who finished 28th overall with a time of 19:31.79, showcasing her potential among the top competitors in the state. Other notable finishes for U-High included Clara Knutson in 33rd place (19:54.71) and Ella Ylagan in 41st (20:17.59). Their efforts contributed significantly to the team's overall performance, as they fought against strong competition from schools like Unity.
U-High’s depth was evident at the early season race, as they had multiple runners who consistently challenged for top placements, indicating a promising future for the program. The team's ability to compete at a high level in such a competitive environment bodes well for the remainder of the season.
In addition to Keller and Decker, several elite Class 1A runners competed at the Spartan Classic, with notable finishes from Kate Foltz of Tuscola, who placed second (16:28.31), and Molly Farrell of Marshall, who finished fourth (16:57.03).
### Top 10 Team Scores
1.
Unity - 55
2. Shelbyville - 91
3. Monticello - 171
4. Seeger - 191
5.
Uni-High - 192
6. St. Anthony - 192
7. Paxton-Buckley-Loda - 199
8.
St. Joseph-Ogden - 210
9. Clinton - 236
10. Tri-Valley - 281
### Top 15 Individual Finishers
1. Isabella Keller, 10, St. Anthony – 15:59.6
2. Kate Foltz, 11, Tuscola – 16:28.3
3. Emily Decker, 12, Unity – 16:55.1
4. Molly Farrell, 11, Marshall – 16:57.0
5. Tessa Bowers, 11, Shelbyville – 17:03.8
6. Aubrey Denning, 10, St. Anthony – 17:03.9
7. Klaire Eighner, 11, Maroa-Forsyth – 17:51.5
8. Savanna Franzen, 12, St. Joseph-Ogden – 17:54.0
9. Adelin Bruce, 11, Tri-Valley – 18:13.4
10. Mackenzie Pound, 11, Unity – 18:18.3
11. Ashlyn Denney, 12, Unity – 18:19.4
12. Lily Woolery, 12, Shelbyville – 18:23.0
13. Ellie Emberson, 9, Fisher – 18:32.3
14. Madeleine Fox, 10, Marshall – 18:34.1
15. Aubrey Peterson, 9, Clinton – 18:40.0
Malia Fairbanks, Phillip Hartke and Grace Renfrow are three of 32 members of the junior class who achived a grade point average of 3.75 or better at Unity High after the first semester. Forty-eight students from the class of 2024 will also be recognized as high honors students on January 26 along with the entire list of students below who made the honor roll or attained high honors status from their efforts between August 19 and December 22.
Students earning a GPA of 3.20 to 3.74 are recognized as honor students.
