Teagan Monfils success last year as a freshman on the Shawano Community High School girls cross-country team was undeniable.
The fastest runner on the team, Monfils made it all the way to the WIAA state meet at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Monfils, who finished 77th overall with a time of 15:43.01, has high expectations again this year and expects her Hawks teammates to be not too far behind.
“We have a really, really good team this year,” Monfils said. “We had a lot of girls come out and they are really strong. … I’m excited to have them coming up, because I think we can win a couple more meets than we did last year and get closer to our goal of winning conference. If not this year, hopefully, in the future.”
Shawano coach Steve Stomberg is hoping Monfils’ success is as contagious as her personality.
“Our boys team has been very competitive in the Bay Conference. Our girls team, we’ve been to the middle of the pack to the bottom of the pack in all my years of coaching,” Stomberg said. “But, I want the girls to get a taste of some success. I will do whatever I can to get those girls a taste of success because, once they get it as a team, it’s incredible how that will build confidence.”
However far the girls team goes this year, Monfils is likely to play an important role.
“She is a leader on this team as only a sophomore,” Stomberg said, “She leads by example. There are kids looking at her and following her with her positive attitude and her drive to be the best that she can be. There are kids that look up to her for what she has done.”
“We’re excited. We have some young girls that are coming up that are just as energetic and lively with enthusiasm as she is. It’s fun to watch.”
Monfils took sixth in the team’s first meet at the Terror Invitational, and she knows she has a lot of work to do to get back down to her state-qualifying times.
“I still have a long way to go to get where I was last year, but everyday I’m getting closer,” she said.
Over the summer Monfils competed in marathons and attended a running camp to help her with her form and technique.
Stomberg says his whole team has to work hard to compete.
“Competition is getting stronger and stronger every year,” he said. “There are kids that are running remarkably fast in the state right now. … It’s important for these kids to understand that there are kids that are faster than them right now. There’s a lot of work that they can do. It’s going to take some hard work and some self motivation to get where we need to be.”
If the girls run the way Monfils and Stomberg expect they can, the rewards could begin Oct. 17, when the Hawks host the Bay Conference meet.
“I would really love to win conference, especially with it being here on our home turf this year,” Monfils said.
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