Coming off a runner-up finish at the Class 5 state meet, St. Teresa’s Academy has some work to do to bring home hardware in November.
The Stars graduated four of their seven runners, including their top two in Amelia Arrieta and Sydney Swan, who are both running collegiately. Their three others runners from state were all sophomores last year.
But coach Karen Moran has proven she will have a competitive team when the season begins Sept. in Liberty. Moran answered some questions about this year’s team.
1. How did the summer go for your team?
Summer running went well. We met five days a week all summer long and had regular attendance by many new and returning runners.
2. Who is returning from your varsity squad from last fall?
We have three of our top seven from last year’s state team and five of our top 12 returning from last year. Our top three runners are juniors Gracie Jacobs, Hailey Scheuer and Lillie Grever. All three ran in state the last two years. Gracie ran a 19:02 PR last fall at the Gans Creek Classic, Hailey ran a 19:33 PR at state last year and Lillie ran a 19:37 PR at state last year.
3. Who are some newcomers or up-and-comers to varsity that you think might make an impact this season?
Our two other returning runners from our postseason team are juniors, as well. They are Julia Sulzer, who had a PR of 20:18 and was our No. 8 runner last fall. Ellie Welsh was our No. 9 runner last fall and ran a PR of 21:02. In addition, we have a solid group of returning runners, including junior Lucy Wooden, sophomore Bridget Couture, junior Sydney Smith, junior Elizabeth Connor, junior Lina Kilgore and senior Evelyn Parker. In addition, we have several freshmen-Wynn Generally, Maddie Dwyer and Ava Fugate-who are running with our top group this year.
4. What excites you most about this year’s team?
I look forward to our juniors and seniors stepping up into new leadership roles, which they have done very well so far. They are continuing our team’s tradition of excellence while also adding their own personality to the mix. I am encouraged by what I’ve seen in practice and believe we will have a strong team this season.
Schedule: Sept. 3 at Liberty Sept. 10 at Olathe Twilight Sept. 17. at Lee’s Summit North Sept. 22 at Swipe Park Sept. 24. at Gans Creek Oct. 1 at Ray-Pec Oct. 8 at Kearney Oct. 29 Districts Nov. 4 State
KC Preps 