St. Joseph-Ogden’s Hannah Rajlich wouldn’t have found her passion for running had her brother not nudged her towards cross-country when she was in the fifth grade.

“I was never actually interested in the sport beforehand, but my brother forced me to join,” Rajlich said. “I’ve stuck with it ever since because of the competitive aspect of the sport. We all get to race our individual events, but we all come together to score as a team. It’s unlike any other sport.”

Her senior year has also been unlike any other senior year. With the March 20 stay-at-home order by Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the cancellation of the remainder of the school year on April 17, Rajlich hasn’t been able to finish her running career in the way she imagined.

The things Rajlich accomplished between her freshman and junior years are notable, though.

Rajlich ran with the Spartans at the Class 1A IHSA state cross-country finals all four years: helping the team place first her freshman year, second her sophomore year, fifth her junior year and seventh her senior year. Individually, Rajlich was one of the team’s top five runners all four years at state.

As a junior, Rajlich placed 31st overall in Class 1A, crossing the finish line after 3 miles in 18:35.

The Spartans’ long-distance running program continued to find success during the spring track and field seasons.

As a sophomore Rajlich ran on the third-place Class 1A state-finishing 3,200-meter relay, which was timed in 9:51.85. The 4×800-meter relay team placed third during the state finals, and SJ-O finished as the Class 1A State Champions.

Her 2018-19 3,200-meter relay team placed seventh in Class 1A with a time of 10:12.47. The 2017 and 2019 St. Joseph-Ogden track and field teams tied for third place in Class 1A.

Rajlich has also participated in the 4×800-meter relay and the 1600-meter race, and would fill in on the 4×400-meter relay when coaches needed her to.

“Every time I step onto the track I want to bring competition and passion,” she said. “I’m always up for a good close race and I just love to run. Being able to showcase all of my hard work out on the track is the most rewarding part of this sport.”

Rajlich planned on spending her senior year building on what she’d learned over the years.

Over the last month, she had continued training to reach her goals of the 4×800-meter relay team winning state and placing in the 1600-meter race.

The team had kept its distance, working on their goals alone, but Rajlich said that the team stuck together.

“We still stay in contact everyday through our group messages, snapchat, and video chats,” she said. “Training on your own is tough, but still communicating with your teammates everyday makes it a little easier!”

Rajlich was working towards being a leader that underclassmen could look up to.

“Training at home is hard, so I want my teammates to realize that I am here for them no matter what,” she said. “Additionally, I want my teammates to see all of the work I have been putting in, hopefully motivating them to do the same.

“Being an athlete has taught me to work hard for the things I want to accomplish. I’ve learned how to never give up and how to keep pushing forward, all of which will help me in my future beyond running.”

Over the years, the St. Joseph-Ogden coaching staff has also encouraged Rajlich to push herself.

“All of my coaches have helped shape me into a better athlete and person,” she said. “The daily relationship we have been able to build along with trust have helped me become successful. Specifically though, Coach McD and Coach Retz have influenced me the most throughout my years. They are both very knowledgeable on the topic of distance running and they have always been there for me.”

From teammates to coaches to fans, being part of the Spartan program is about being part of a family.

“Past teammates and community members are always cheering us on, and our team has a special bond,” she said. “This program has helped me grow into the person I am today through the leadership roles I have taken, along with the mentality that I have gained. This program means a lot to me, and it is something I will never forget.

“I will miss everything about this program next year, but I am so excited to see what the future of this program accomplishes.”

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Illinois State Scholars must be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen who is also a resident of Illinois. The student must attend an approved high school, take the ACT or SAT between Aug. 1 and June 30 before the third semester of high school graduation, perform in the top one-half of the high school class at the end of the third semester prior to graduation and/or score at or above the 95th percentile on the ACT or SAT. They must also graduate from the high school during the academic year in which they were chosen as State Scholar.

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St. Joseph-Ogden completed a unique three-match homestand in three nights on Wednesday with its third two-game sweep in as many days.

The Spartans (13-3) turned back Danville 25-13, 25-13 on Wednesday.

Katelyn Berry had 10 digs, Kennedi Burnett had eight digs and Rylee Stahl had six digs.

Burnett and Lacey Kaiser each swatted six kills. Bigger handed out 16 assists to go with two service aces.

On Tuesday, the Spartans secured a 2-0 sweep over visiting Paxton-Buckley-Loda.

Bigger handed out 26 assists and SJ-O displayed a potent and balanced offensive attack.

Kaiser landed nine kills while Berry and Burnett each delivered seven kills.

Burnett sparked a defense that produced 42 digs. She had nine.

Other team leaders were Berry (seven digs), Lindsey Aden (six digs), Kaiser (six digs), Berry (five digs) and Stahl (five digs).

Bigger had 16 assists and eight digs on Monday as the Spartans blitzed visiting Hoopeston Area, 25-5, 25-5.

Kaiser (six kills), Jenna Albrecht (five kills) and Burnett (five kills) were the offensive sparks.

Berry contributed a team-high 11 digs.

SJ-O (12-3) returns to action on Monday at Urbana.

SJ-O Boys’ cross-country

SJ-O runners were dominant on Tuesday in a non-scored dual meet against Monticello at Kickapoo State Park.

The Spartans swept the second through 10th positions.

SJ-O’s Brandon Mattsey was the meet’s runner-up, running the 3-mile course in 18 minutes, 7 seconds.

The next six Spartan runners finished consecutively and were within 29 seconds of one another.

Eric Poe was third in 19:01, followed by Lukas Hutcherson (fourth in 19:04), Luke Stegall (fifth in 19:07), Logan Wolfersberger (sixth in 19:09), Braden Clampitt (seventh in 19:11) and Elijah Mock (eighth in 19:30).

Completing the top 10 were SJ-O’s Ethan Blackburn (ninth in 20:37) and Charlie Mabry (10th in 20:51).

SJ-O returns to action on Saturday at the Peoria Notre Dame Invitational.

SJ-O Girls’ cross-country

In a non-scored dual meet on Tuesday against Monticello at Kickapoo State Park, SJ-O runners swept all of the first five positions.

Jillian Plotner was the individual winner in 21 minutes, 15 seconds for the 3-mile course.

She was followed by Hannah Rajlich (second in 21:20), Ava Knap (third in 21:27), Ashlyn Lannert (fourth in 21:53) and Ally Monk (fifth in 22:07).

SJ-O returns to action on Saturday at the Peoria Notre Dame Invitational.

SJ-O Soccer

It was a different day, but the outcome was the same for the St. Joseph-Ogden soccer program.

Three days after losing to Monticello 5-0 in a tournament match at Hoopeston, the Spartans lost a 5-0 decision to Monticello on Tuesday at home.

Monticello is 10-0-1 for the season, SJ-O is 2-8-1 entering a match today at St. Thomas More (9-1-3).

The post Spartan Volleyball handles Danville and PBL, SJ-O CC sweeps Monticello first appeared on SJO Daily.

The Spartans had two players eclipse the 100-yard mark in rushing on Friday and continued their unbeaten start to the season with an 18-7 conquest of visiting Bloomington Central Catholic.

One highlight for SJ-O was the play of the defense, which head coach Shawn Skinner said was “outstanding.”

He continued: “I thought our DBs were solid all night. Drew Coursey was a factor at outside linebacker getting pressure on their quarterback and setting an edge to stop their outside runs.”

The SJ-O defense limited the Saints to 48 yards rushing on 22 attempts.

Keaton Nolan ran for a game-high 107 yards and Brayden Weaver gained 104 to lead SJ-O, which registered 339 yards of total offense.

Weaver’s first-quarter touchdown accounted for the only scoring until Nolan reached the end zone in the final 90 seconds of the first half.

Crayon Burnett, who completed 6 of 16 passes for 131 yards, added the final TD in the fourth quarter.

Brady Buss caught two passes from Burnett and turned them into gains of 83 yards. Other teammates with receptions were Ty Pence (two), Payton Cain (one) and Coby Miller (one).

“The offense took some strides in throwing the ball,” Skinner said, “but we left some plays on the field.

“Obviously, when you get two backs who run for over 100 yards, it’s a credit to your offensive line and the ability to get those backs free.”

The Spartans (3-0) return to action on Friday at Unity (2-1).

“We need to keep getting better,” Skinner said. “It’s really that simple.

“If we continue to play with effort and come to practice focused, and continue to play better, that’s all we can ask as coaches.”

SJ-O Boys’ cross-country

Brandon Mattsey placed 56th for SJ-O on Saturday in the 505-runner Class 2A division of the First to Finish race at Detweiler Park in Peoria.

Mattsey’s 3-mile time was 16 minutes, 30.2 seconds.

SJ-O had a team score of 702 and ended in 24th place. There was a total of 59 full teams. Meet champion Kaneland had a score of 71 points.

Other leaders for the Spartans were Eric Poe (120th in 17:05.5), Elijah Mock (146th in 17:22), Luke Stegall (182nd in 17:34.3), Charlie Mabry (220th in 17:54.1), Logan Wolfersberger (293rd in 18:27.5), Lukas Hutcherson (298th in 18:28.6), Braden Clampitt (327th in 18:43.8) and Ethan Blackburn (353rd in 18:59.9).

In a separate open race, SJ-O’s Tad Pettit was 363th in 19:56.5.

SJ-O returns to action on Tuesday against Monticello at Kickapoo State Park.

SJ-O Girls’ cross-country

SJ-O placed ninth in the 47-school First to Finish Class 2A race on Saturday at Detweiler Park, in Peoria.

The first five Spartans placed among the top 100 in a field of 412 competitors.

Hannah Rajlich was the team-leader, completing the 3-mile course in 19 minutes, 48.5 seconds. She was 45th.

Teammates following her were Ava Knap (59th in 20:00.9), Ashlyn Lannert (80th in 20:18.6), Ally Monk (83rd in 20:20.9) and Kailyn Ingram (97th in 20:32.2).

SJ-O compiled a team score of 364 points. Meet champion Vernon Hills had a score of 87.

Other Spartan times were Hope Rajlich (141st in 21:21.4), Hanna Eastin (149th in 21:29.6), Addie Allen (160th in 21:37.6), Kendra Riddle (170th in 21:43.6) and Malorie Sarnecki (220th in 22:17.5).

There was a separate girls’ 3-mile open race for runners who did not participate in any other race.

A total of 817 runners finished the open race.

SJ-O’s leaders were Sidney Davis (404th in 24:47.8), Kaytlyn Baker (477th in 25:45.2), Taryn Sexton (490th in 25:53.4), Mary Hinrichs (634th in 28:07.4), Izzy Sexton (691st in 28:35.0), Teagan Miller (707th in 29:09.2) and Lili Wentzloff (804th in 35:45.3).

Of the 52 full teams that competed in the open race, SJ-O was 41st with 1,232 points.

The Spartans will return to action Tuesday against Monticello at Kickapoo State Park.

SJ-O Soccer

In a match which was officially scoreless, the SJ-O soccer squad earned a victory on Friday over Oakwood/Salt Fork in the Hoopeston Area Cornjerker Classic.

The teams were tied 0-0 after regulation before the Spartans prevailed on penalty kicks 3-2.

When the schools played to open the season, that match also ended in a 0-0 deadlock.

SJ-O (2-7-1) lost its other two matches in the tournament, falling to eventual third-place finisher Iroquois West 6-1 and to eventual champion Monticello 5-0.

The Spartans return to action at home on Tuesday against Monticello, which is 8-0-1 for the season.

SJ-O Volleyball

All-tournament pick Kennedi Burnett paced SJ-O to four two-set sweeps before the Spartans lost in Saturday’s championship match of the Bulldog Invitational to the host Mahomet-Seymour squad.

The Spartans (10-3) opened with pool play victories over the St. Teresa JV team 25-10, 25-5, Springfield Southeast 25-10, 25-6 and Peotone 25-11, 25-12.

In the semifinals, SJ-O upended Manteno 25-15, 25-18.

In the finals, against an M-S team the Spartans had beaten earlier in the season, the Bulldogs prevailed 25-9, 25-22.

For the five tournament matches, Burnett swatted 31 kills and contributed 35 digs. Emily Bigger had 99 assists as well as 28 digs and seven service aces.

Other Spartan leaders were Katelyn Berry with 30 kills and 33 digs, Rylee Stahl with 28 digs and Payton Vallee with 18 kills.

SJ-O returns to action tonight at home against Hoopeston Area.

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SJ-O boys’ cross country teammates Ethan Blackburn and Tad Pettit were the top two finishers on Tuesday in a three-team non-scored meet at Kickapoo State Park.

Due to the heat, the race was shortened from 3 miles to 2 miles.

Blackburn led the way, finishing the course in a time of 12 minutes, 53.66 seconds. Pettit’s time was 12:56.66.

Four other Spartans finished among the top 10. Brandon Mattsey was sixth (13:59.67) and Eric Poe was seventh (14:11.23).

In ninth was SJ-O’s Luke Stegall (14:17.83), who placed one position in front of Elijah Mock (14:18.53).

The Spartans were running against Armstrong-Potomac and Oakwood/Salt Fork.

SJ-O returns to action on Saturday at the First to Finish Invitational at Peoria’s Detweiler Park.

SJ-O Girls’ cross-country

Four Spartans finished within five seconds of one another on Tuesday in a 2-mile race at Kickapoo State Park.

The three-school meet was originally scheduled for 3 miles, but was reduced due to the day’s heat and humidity.

Leading the pack for SJ-O were Hannah Rajlich (16 minutes, 51.03 seconds), Jillian Plotner (16:51.65), Ashlyn Lannert (16:52.52) and Ava Knap (16:56.65).

Ally Monk (17:06.41), Hope Rajlich (17:13.76) and Kendra Riddle (17:15.56) were part of the Spartans’ next pack of runners.

Also featured in that group were Addi Allen (17:16.13), Hanna Eastin (17:16.89), Kailyn Ingram (17:17.67) and Taryn Sexton (17:22.19).

The Spartans return to action on Saturday at the First to Finish Invitational at Peoria’s Detweiler Park.

SJ-O Soccer

Freshman Hunter Ketchum had six saves on Tuesday for SJ-O, which was shut out for the third time this season, 2-0, in a loss at home against Fisher/GCMS.

The Spartans return to action on Friday in the Cornjerker Classic, in Hoopeston.

SJ-O Volleyball

Kennedi Burnett and Lacey Kaiser each reached double figures in digs – with 10 apiece – on Tuesday, but SJ-O suffered a 25-22, 25-20 loss to visiting Champaign Central.

Katelyn Berry had seven kills and Jenna Albrecht landed five kills. Emily Bigger handed out 23 assists.

Kaiser had a team-high three blocks.

On Wednesday, the Spartans made visiting Oakwood their sixth victim of a two-set sweep, 25-8, 25-10.

Bigger posted a double-double with 24 assists and 12 digs to go with a team-high three service aces.

Berry swatted 10 kills and Burnett had six kills as well as seven digs. Albrecht collected a team-high two blocks.

In the two-game sweep last Thursday at Teutopolis, Albrecht, Berry, Bigger and Burnett paced a balanced offensive attack with six kills apiece. Burnett and Kaiser each added seven digs.

SJ-O (6-2) returns to action on Saturday at the Mahomet-Seymour Invitational.

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The path to becoming a captain for the St. Joseph-Ogden girls’ cross-country team traveled through the library.

Aspiring captains had required summer reading.

And then, head coach Jason Retz asked the captain candidates to answer questions about the book.

The girls’ team captains – Ally Monk, Hannah Rajlich and Jillian Plotner – found the journey enlightening. All three runners are seniors.

The book they were asked to read was, “How Bad Do You Want It,” by Matt Fitzgerald.

The entire process served a purpose, Retz said.

“As far as the questions, they relate to the book and our team,” Retz said. “Many of the questions connected our team to the book and understanding why reading the book was beneficial for them going forward leading our team.

“In the book we read, every chapter was about the adversity a different person had gone through in their life to find athletic success.  Our goal was to show our leaders everyone struggles from something different. It’s important to understand that to try to connect with them to lead.”

The teen-agers found the book to be an eye-opening experience.

“The main reason for reading the book and answering questions was to show our coaches that we are willing to invest our time into something bigger than ourselves which, in the end, will lead to a stronger team,” Rajlich said. “From the book, I was able to learn that all athletes go through different struggles to get to where they are.

“This book allowed me to get an insight on some of the struggles my own teammates might experience and how I may be able to help them.”

Monk liked that the book detailed issues from real people as opposed to hypothetical examples.

“Within the novel, each athlete overcame some type of adversity and I talked to my teammates about how they could overcome adversity in similar ways as the athletes did in the book,” Monk said. “Personally, the book changed my mindset because it taught me that even professional athletes go through and deal with some of the same things as me and my teammates.

“As a leader, I hope that me giving my teammates knowledge about the athletes and their adversity helped my teammates feel a connection to these athletes. I also hope that it made them feel like they weren’t alone, and even the best of the best athletes deal with the same things as small-town high school runners do.”

Plotner said her perspectives were also altered after reading the book.

“Some of the best runners, triathletes and many more have had different life stories which helped them become what they are now,” Plotner said. “My mindset changed completely.

“I never thought throughout the course of reading this book that many people have a back story into why they became some of the best athletes, and how intelligent they are. This will help with the leader status on the cross-country team because everyone has a story; some worse than others, but they bring different aspects to the team that helps us become one whole group.”

The book, published in 2015, emphasizes the concept that strong mental fitness can provide an advantage for individuals against someone who may be superior physically.

The focus is on relearning principles involving sports psychology. A wide range of athletes – from a variety of sports – told their stories.

“The book dealt with the adversity of many individuals, and how each overcame it,” Retz said. “It was a great read for our leaders to understand that everyone comes from a different place and has had several challenges to get to where they are.”

Plotner found the stories to be relatable.

“What I learned the most is that average people have life-changing stories and that’s what got them into doing what they either have done before and got back into it or wanting to try something new,” she said.

There are multiple levels to leadership, Plotner said.

“A leader in cross-country is someone who is willing to communicate, give an all-out effort, and is willing to help show our younger – and sometimes older – kids all different kinds of methods and strategies to help improve not only themselves, but others,” she said.

“Our motto for this year is ‘others first.’ A leader does that in every aspect. They simply put others before themselves.”

Monk believes that one characteristic of leadership is keeping everyone together.

“To me, being a leader means being someone that my teammates feel as approachable,” Monk said. “Or in other words, if my teammates feel they need someone to talk to for one reason or another, I can be that person.

“As a leader, I also feel that I am someone that needs to set an example and raise the bar for the betterment of the team. I feel that the title leader means I must encourage my teammates and help them realize that at the end of the day, no matter who beat who out on the course or during the tough workout, we are always family.”

They can take the best qualities from team leaders in the past to help the program move forward.

“I have learned many things from the alumni who have preceded me in this leadership role,” Rajlich said. “I was able to see the amount of work it takes, but also how fulfilling this role is.

“I had great role models to look up to, so they showed me exactly who I wanted to be once I earned this position. They showed me how to put others first and they showcased the strong tradition of a championship culture that our running program has.”

Monk remembers what it was like to be the newbie on the team.

“Going into the program as a freshman, some of the things we do in practice seem a bit scary or even insane,” Monk said. “With these thoughts and feelings, it’s easy to think negative thoughts.

“As a leader, it’s important to be positive and because of this, I’ve tried to spread my positivity within the team.”

Plotner said one emphasis is to make sure everyone is on the same page.

“I believe that one of the major roles I play on the team is a communicator,” Plotner said. “I love communicating with everyone I can talk to. I try to talk to as many of our teammates as much as possible so that they know they have someone to talk to in case of needing help or just wanting to talk.

“Hannah Rajlich and I have been working together this past summer to not only better ourselves, but set those communication roles so our younger kids can follow also. A lot of responsibility comes with being a leader. We try to help our younger kids learn how to properly stretch, warm-up before a race, and know the difference between having fun and getting work done.”

The simple definition of expectations for the leaders, Monk said, can be summarized in one sentence.

“Providing positive energy, setting an example of hard work and being an advocate for those who need help,” Monk said.

One key, Plotner believes, is to not be overbearing.

“I learned that you try to have fun with it as much as possible,” she said. “Many of our old leaders stressed and felt like they were pressured to do everything right.

“All you have to do is take it day-by-day, and have fun with it. Don’t stress about it, have fun. But, know when to have those serious aspects, also.”

Rajlich enjoys and appreciates what cross-country offers.

“To me, cross-country is an opportunity to prove myself while also becoming the best version of myself,” Rajlich said. “This sport allows me to push myself beyond what I ever thought was possible and taught me that I am always stronger than I think.

“No matter how my last race went, each new race is an opportunity to show who I am both to myself and my coaches, teammates and opponents. While I have many goals for the upcoming season my biggest is to enjoy my final season at S-O and make the most of the time I have left.”

Monk said cross-country was not her original sport of choice, but she is glad it is one she pursued diligently.

“Cross-country is a sport that means more to me than I ever thought it would when I first started,” Monk said. “I first joined cross-country in fifth grade because my mom told me I had to choose between it and basketball, and I have no coordination whatsoever.

“So, to that little fifth-grade girl, I learned cross-country is a sport full of perseverance. Because of cross-country, I was able to realize how fun and rewarding something so tough can be. But, without my amazing teammates and coaches, I wouldn’t have been able to realize these things.

“My cross-country team is definitely like a family to me and for that, I am forever grateful.”

Plotner has both individual and team goals for her final prep season.

“I set the goal of wanting to be in the top 25 in the state meet and to help our team get a trophy,” Plotner said.

Distance running is an endeavor Plotner grew up around.

“Cross-country has always been in my life,” she said. “My father (Corey Plotner) is the St. Joseph Middle School coach. He has helped me learn to love the sport and have that competitive attitude since Day 1.

“I’ve been loving the sport more and more as I continue to grow. The family aspect of the team is such a wonderful bond to have also. I enjoy going out and knowing I gave it my all on the race course while having those teammates, coaches, and family members on my side.”

Retz shies away from using the word ‘captain.’

“We call our kids leaders, not captains,” Retz said. “Captain is just a word.  The actions of that individual are much more important.”

In previous years, he never officially designated anyone in leadership positions.

“I gave responsibilities to different athletes and the ones who were good at their jobs, we counted on more to be leaders,” Retz said.

Some of the current team leaders would not have considered themselves as candidates for that role, but said the sport has helped them to reach that designation.

“I would say I have more of a shy personality until I really get to know you,” Rajlich said. “However, cross-country has really let me grow into the person I am today.

“With my team, I bring positive energy and an organized personality to keep us on track while still enjoying the sport.”

Monk, too, believes she has grown into her position.

“As a leader, I’ve learned the importance of team bonding,” she said. “As a result, I’ve become more outgoing because I’ve gotten better at helping plan hangouts.

“I’ve also learned to be more considerate and flexible with such a big group full of various thoughts and opinions.”

Rajlich hopes that she is helping to establish a culture that will carry on long after she graduates.

“I enjoy getting to be a mentor for our team and hopefully leaving an impact that will continue to improve our running program in the future,” she said.

The Spartans entered the fall practice season with renewed confidence based on summer workouts and conditioning.

“The summer allowed me to show our team how I can be a dependable and reliable leader,” Rajlich said. “Through planning many team-bonding activities and showing up to daily morning practices (at 6 a.m.) the team was able to see I was invested.

“This summer I was also able to accomplish my highest summer mileage ever with 435 miles and over 60 hours of running put in. My team has also accomplished successful summer training while also building a strong team-oriented atmosphere.”

Plotner said she did more than go through the motions while running.

“I was pushing some of my easy runs to be faster runs to get back into shape,” Plotner said. “Our fellow teammates have seen that in order to get a (state) trophy this year, we need to become faster.

“So, not only have I been speeding up during some of those runs, others on the team have also. On some of the days where I would average 7:20 for over four miles, some of the younger ones would run with me once or twice a week.”

Plotner was leading by example.

“They saw the determination through myself and saw how we all have a goal we all want to reach,” she added. “The team has gotten faster, along with myself. I see the improvements from last year.

“All I have to say is ‘look out.’ ”

SJ-O will open its season on Saturday, Aug. 31, at Paris in the Doc Acklin Memorial Invitational.

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