By Michael Newman

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Anna Sophia Keller – JR – Effingham St. Anthony

Who else but Anna Sophia Keller in this classification!

The junior once again had a great fall campaign going undefeated in the ten meets that she raced in. She went under 17 minutes five times including sizzling a 16:14 to win the St. Joseph-Ogden Spartan Classic. Keller won her third straight 1A state championship running 16:21 in the process. She has never been beaten by another Illinois runner during the IHSA cross country season.

Keller is the sixth fastest girl ever on the Detweiller Park Course for the state meet with this year’s performance. She has the third fastest state meet time ever for a junior, the second fastest state meet time (16:27) for a sophomore, and the fastest ever for a freshman (16:35) at the state meet.

Daly Galloway of Gardner-South Wilmington once again had a great season and is acknowledged here. She ran 16:50 to finish second behind Keller at state as well as finishing 11^th at the NXN Midwest Regional and 17^th at the Foot Locker Midwest Regional.

This is the third year in a row that Keller has won this award.

Congratulations to Anna Sophia Keller of St. Anthony High School in Effingham as the 2015 DyeStat Illinois 1A Girls Runner of the Year.