Danie Kelso’s story is not all that much different than thousands of other athletes.

She has had coaches who coached her, coaches who inspired her, coaches who pushed her, coaches who motivated her, coaches who encouraged her and coaches who helped put her on the path to success.

The roles of many of her coaches spilled over into various categories.

The recent St. Joseph-Ogden graduate has committed to Millikin University, in Decatur, to continue her track and field career.

The decision, however, didn’t fulfill a lifelong dream.

“I got a few letters from a couple different colleges approaching me about running, but I was never very interested,” Kelso said. “By about January of my senior year, I knew that this was something I wanted to do.”

Kelso had a star-studded running career, which started before she reached high school. She ran on a state runner-up relay while in junior high and was part of a state championship relay team in high school.

The constant throughout her running career is the contributions from those who were called, ‘Coach.’

“In middle school cross-country, Coach (Corey) Plotner and McD (John McDannald), had a huge impact on me as a runner,” Kelso said. “They pushed the team to be the best we could and to keep going when it gets hard, but to also have fun while doing it.”

Kelso ran cross-country through her freshman year at SJ-O, when she decided to focus her attention on being a sprinter in track.

“Even after I decided to no longer continue running cross-country, I took these life lessons with me to track and life in general,” Kelso said. “Cross-country helped me build up my character.

“The middle school track coaches were Mr. (Grant) Risley and Mr. (Zach) Steele. My passion for track started while being coached by them and they set the foundation for the rest of my running career.”

Kelso’s high school coaches picked up where her predecessors left off.

“Going into high school, my coaches consisted of Mr. (Jason) Retz, Ms. (Kelly) Steffen and Matt Umbarger,” Kelso said. “These coaches pushed me to be the best athlete that I could possibly be and helped me see my potential.

“Throughout all of high school, I felt very cared about and loved by the coaching staff and I wouldn’t be the runner I am today without their support.”

The impact of each coach was tremendous, Kelso said, but one person in particular played a recurring key role.

“Ms. Steffen had the greatest impact on me, as a runner and as a person,” Kelso said. “She has been a role model for me and I am so grateful to have had her as a coach and a teacher.”

Despite Kelso’s contributions to the Spartans’ program, continuing to run after high school was not a long-time goal.

“I actually did not have the plan of running after high school,” Kelso said. “I have always been more focused on starting my path to being a nurse more than anything.”

What changed, she said, was discovering a place where she felt right at home.

“My recruitment process was pretty simple, in all honesty,” Kelso said. “On my visit to Millikin, I met a few coaches and some of the teammates and I loved the environment. It almost reminded me of SJ-O.

“I was convinced pretty quickly after meeting everyone there and I started envisioning myself on the team as a sprinter. After visiting the Millikin track team, I was set on continuing my running career.”

Competing in college became more of a priority for Kelso after her senior season was cut short before it began due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am heartbroken by the way my last high school track season ended, but this taught me to never take anything for granted,” Kelso said. “I didn’t know that when I crossed the finish line (as a junior) it would be my last time. That’s why it’s so important to give all you have, every chance you have.

“Track has shaped my character in many ways and I have learned some hard and good lessons from this sport. Everything I’ve achieved has been through hard work and sacrifice. I’ll carry on these lessons in life.”

Kelso’s last high school race on an outdoor track was the one that enabled her to gather a state championship medal.

She ran the leadoff leg for the 800-meter relay and was followed by Atleigh Hamilton, Hailey Birt and Maclayne Taylor. Anchor runner Taylor was the lone senior on the foursome, which was timed in 1 minute, 44.81 seconds.

In all, Kelso earned two state medals during high school track. In junior high, she ran on the second-place 1,600-meter relay as a seventh-grader.

Kelso said Millikin met all of her needs as she looks to the future.

“I picked Millikin because of their great nursing program,” she said. “It is also very close to home. Being able to come back and see my family is very important to me.

“They have a small campus (about 2,000 students) and this is also very appealing to me. Millikin’s track team was really just the icing on the cake. I’m thankful to find a school with the major I need and great athletics.”

As she conducted her college search, Kelso had a single-minded purpose.

“All of my college searching was surrounded by the school’s nursing program,” she said. “I didn’t really look into track programs or communicate with other schools about running.

“After deciding to attend Millikin University when I was accepted into their nursing program, running track practically just fell into my lap.”

There was a mutual interest.

“The first coach that really reached out to me and pursued me was Andrew Craycraft, the director of Millikin Track and Field,” Kelso said.

Kelso’s ultimate life goal, she said is “working as a registered nurse in either labor and delivery or in the NICU.”

She was involved in a multitude of activities as a youngster, including softball and cheerleading, before finding a favorite sport with sprinting.

“Once running came into the picture, I focused on that more than anything,” Kelso said.

Coaches helped to foster her love for running.

“I started to focus on track mostly because of my passion that grew for sprinting throughout the years,” Kelso said. “I just wanted to be the best that I possibly could. I loved the feeling after a good race, nothing beats it.

“The appeal of track and field was the team environment and the satisfaction of seeing your times drop from meet to meet. Once I first started running track in middle school, it became first on my list of priorities.”

She didn’t consider herself a natural.

“It took me a while to see the talent and potential that I have,” Kelso said. “I used to always think of myself as the ‘underdog’ or just a few steps behind my teammates, but as I made it into high school, the coaches really lifted me up and they believed in me.”

The coaches showed their support, not just with words, but also by actions.

“They trusted me with a lot, especially my freshman year when they decided to have me lead the 4×4 relay at state prelims,” Kelso said. “There was a lot of pressure placed on me by going out of the blocks and starting a relay at state.

“By doing this, my confidence was boosted. Not every freshman gets a chance to run at state, but the coaches believed in me and this made me believe in myself.”

Kelso didn’t get the opportunity to run in the state finals as a freshman, but she knew nonetheless that she could compete on the state’s largest stage.

Her teammates knew it, too, voting her as the team’s Spartan Award winner as a ninth-grader.

After stepping away from the track for a couple months this spring during the pandemic, Kelso has resumed her workouts.

“Once the track season was officially over, I decided to take a break and focus on the end of the school year and let my body rest for a while,” she said. “Once June started, I began to get back into shape.

“Ms. Steffen creates workouts for me to do on the track, and I’ve also been running some distance as well to build up some endurance.”

Throughout the years, Kelso has learned the value of hitting the weights.

“Lifting was a big part of my growth as a sprinter,” she said. “I gained so much strength and speed from lifting in the weight room. I also built up my confidence in the process.

“Lifting was my favorite part of practices at times. I am proud of the gains I made by lifting and I wouldn’t be the sprinter I am without strength training.”

Kelso hit a squat max of 230 pounds, but added, “I was shooting for much higher during my senior year. It is disappointing to not have been able to see what more I could have done.

Now that she has signed a letter of intent with Millikin University, Kelso has four more years to continue seeing what she can do.

The post Danie Kelso to continue track and field career at Millikin University first appeared on SJO Daily.

What does it take to move past hurdles that continue to knock you down?

For St. Joseph-Ogden’s Anna Tranel, it’s team.

“I had a different track career then most,” Tranel said. “My freshman and sophomore year I did not run for more than half the year due to an injury. My junior year, I was dealing with an injury and multiple other things that led me to the decision of being the track manager. I don’t have a huge highlight like going to state or being state champs.”

She was hoping that her highlight reel might include a healthy senior year where she could end her nine-year track and field experience doing something she has grown to enjoy, running middle distance races.

When the COVID-19 pandemic turned that vision inside out, Tranel began to have trouble with motivation. That is, until her team stepped in.

“A group chat with other teammates has motivated me to continue working hard and staying in shape,” she said. “Seeing other teammates running and working out helps me see that our team isn’t going to give up during this time.”

That team spirit, a loving nudge that keeps each Spartan moving forward, is something that Tranel knows is unique.

“I have always been a Spartan and I wouldn’t want to be a part of any other team,” she said. “I have watched other teams walk off their bus at a track meet and they don’t look like a team. I have watched other teams warm-up and they don’t look like a team. 

“Our team has created a family that’s welcoming and doesn’t give up. We stay for the whole track meet in order to cheer our team on which is one of my favorite things about our track team. We make sure everyone is the best they can be. 

“I love being able to have a family outside of my own and it allows me to make more friends and connect with so many people on a different level compared to during school hours.”

Head Coach Kelly Steffen has also provided a spark for Tranel.

“She isn’t just a coach or a teacher, she is someone you can talk to. She has always been so understanding and always wants the best for everyone. Coach Steffen was always understanding and always helped me work around what I was going through. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have decided to run track my senior year.”

Whether or not the Spartan seniors will step back on the track is still to be determined. St. Joseph-Ogden administration has left the door open to the possibility during the summer of 2020.

“Even though I may not ever run again, I want people to be able to see that even though we didn’t have school or practice we still didn’t give up and we continued to try our hardest,” she said.

It’s a lesson she learned during practice.

“We were running 100 yard repeats every 60 seconds,” she said. “We were told we would run 20 and maybe be pulled out if you were struggling. When we got to the 10th one, everyone wanted to quit, including myself, and I heard someone say ‘Why do we have to do this?’ I responded ‘We don’t have to, we get to.’

“We don’t have to go to practice everyday or run, we get to. I learned not to give up through that practice because it wasn’t something I had to do, it was something I got to do.”

Anna is planning to go to either Parkland College or Augustana University to study actuary science. 

The post St. Joseph-Ogden’s Anna Tranel made it through with her team first appeared on SJO Daily.

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.”

The post SJ-O family atmosphere helped propel Hannah Rajlich in running career first appeared on SJO Daily.

fred@mahometnews.com

The final installment in our series on all-decade athletic teams (fall, winter) concludes today with the release of the elite spring-sport athletes.

Before we get to the particular sports, we will recognize two athletes. The designation is for Male and Female Athlete of the Decade.

In a sense, the winners picked themselves for their high level of involvement and achievement in sports during the school year.

St. Joseph-Ogden had nine boys and four girls who were chosen for all-decade teams in two sports.

The Female Athlete of the Decade is Chelsea Blaase, who was a two-sport state champion. She won titles in both cross-country and in track and field, in the 3,200-meter race.

Other SJ-O girls who were all-decade in two sports were Hanna Atwood, Hannah Dukeman and Josey Fruhling.

The Male Athlete of the Decade is Wesley Kibler, a state champion in wrestling and an All-Area first-team selection in football.

Other SJ-O boys who were all-decade choices in two sports were Andy Bensyl, Ty Brown, Jack Cook, Zeke Elkins, Austin Hedrick, Griffin Meeker, Jake Pence and Justin Phillips.

Before turning our attention to the spring-sport all-decade teams, two points should be remembered. The selections are based entirely on what the athlete did during high school. Subsequent college accolades were not taken into account.

Also, a great number of athletes from the school received All-Area first- or second-team honors during their time in high school and that recognition was the foundation for compiling the all-decade lists.

ST. JOSEPH-OGDEN BASEBALL

NAME                  POS.  GRAD YR.

Cole Berry            P          2015
Ty Brown             OF        2016
Austin Cain           P          2018
Colton Carr           P          2016
Mason Coon           OF 2017
Chase Gadau        C         2015
Colton Hale          P          2017
Hunter Hart          P         2014
Blake Hoveln     INF       2012
Brock Immke        P         2014
Dalton Parker      P          2016

Player of the Decade – Dalton Parker, who had an earned run average of 0.25 as a senior, 0.31 as a junior and 0.45 as a sophomore. He had a streak of 46 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings as a junior. He was the winning pitcher in eight games as a senior, 10 as a junior and four as a sophomore and totaled 289 strikeouts during those three seasons.

 ST. JOSEPH-OGDEN SOFTBALL

NAME                  POS.          GRAD YR.

Hannah Bowen       INF         2011
Stephanie Canfield   OF         2012
Andrea Coursey    SS         2017
Bailey Dowling        SS               2020
Hannah Dukeman      C               2020
Elizabeth Everingham  P 2012
Mickaela Fleming       C               2013
Emmy Graver         INF                 2018
Abby Immke         INF                 2012
Kenzie Pence         OF                 2018
Mady Poulter        INF                2015

Player of the Decade – Bailey Dowling, who has had batting averages of .650 as a freshman, .657 as a sophomore and .674 as a junior. She hasn’t hit less than 21 home runs in any high school season and owns the all-time IHSA state record with 65 career home runs. She has driven in 181 career runs.

 ST. JOSEPH-OGDEN BOYS’ TRACK AND FIELD

NAME                     EVENTS GRAD YR.

Alex Arteaga       Hurdles        2012
Riley Baker          Hurdles        2018
Chas Cox          Mid-Distance 2012
Zeke Elkins        Mid-Distance 2012
Sam Gilly             Weights       2012
Thomas Jean          PV             2011
Cole Johnson       Sprints        2013
Matt Knipfer          PV             2016
Gabe Lyons       Mid-Distance   2016
Ethan Mizer          PV              2016
Cole Nachowicz  Hurdles      2016
Justin Phillips      Distance     2017
Eric Rydell              HJ              2013
Landon Vowels  Mid-Distance  2012

Athlete of the Decade – Zeke Elkins, who won three individual medals at state and a total of seven medals overall, including participation on relays.

ST. JOSEPH-OGDEN GIRLS’ TRACK AND FIELD

NAME                  EVENTS     GRAD YR.

Hanna Atwood     PV              2016
Rachel Ballard    Sprints        2012
Hailey Birt           Sprints        2020
Chelsea Blaase   Distance    2012
Parker Francisco Hurdles      2017
Kristen Hamer    Sprints       2015
Atleigh Hamilton Jumps        2021
Frankie Izard       Sprints       2018
Danie Kelso         Sprints       2020
Zea Maroon       Hurdles       2018
Abbey Mizer       Sprints       2018
Aleesia Reeves    Sprints     2017
Rylee Sjuts            Sprints     2019
Maclayne Taylor Sprints      2019

Athlete of the Decade – Atleigh Hamilton, who won two Class 1A long jump state titles and was also a member of two relay units which captured state title. She was the school’s only two-time individual state titlist for the decade.

The post Kroner’s Picks: St. Joseph-Ogden All-Decade Team (Spring), Blaase and Kibler named Athletes of the Decade first appeared on SJO Daily.