Lyndon Gotelaere and St. Mary's return the fastest squad from 2021.
Can St. Mary's pull it off this year?
A year ago they were three-points away from a state title - there were three squads (Heritage Christian, St. Mary's, and Lyons) within six-point of each other.
This year St. Mary's hit the course with the fastest returning squad. They own a 1-4 average of 17:21, and a 1-4 split of 1:49. Jackson Neppl and Lyndon Gotelaere are their top-two returners - both ran 16:42 last year. Add Neppl's state titles in the 800 and the 3,200. They return three who broke 17:30 last year, including Alex Bodnar, and four who ran 18:32 or faster. The trio of seniors who lead this squad will likely want to cap off their high school careers with a state title.
While St. Mary's return the fastest squad, the 2022 team race still looks tight, just perhaps not as tight as last year.
Peyton is No. 2 on this list. They own a 17:36 1-4 average, and a 1-4 split of 1:37. Nathan Schluessler, Josh Kearse, and Matthew Pe...