BELLEVILLE • Walk up the steps into the Schott Center at Althoff High School and the displays of success in athletics the past 50 years are numerous and impressive.
The skill and talent that has walked the halls of the 370-student Belleville school has been abundant, and the achievements haven't been limited to the major sports.
Area state champions: 2015-16
Area individual state champions, listed by school, for the 2015-16 school year:
Area team state champions, listed by school, for the 2015-16 school year:
In the 2015-2016 school year, big sports did lead the way at Althoff, with the boys basketball team capturing the Class 3A state title for the first time and the football team coming one win short of a perfect season and the Class 4A state championship. Both finished atop the STLhighschoolsports.com small-schools rankings.
Those accomplishments, coupled with overall excellence from the Crusaders' litany of squads, clinched Althoff the honor of STLhighschoolsports.com Small Schools Program of the Year. It is Althoff's third time as Program of the Year, the last coming in 2004-05.
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Here are a couple of examples: Althoff's girls volleyball team made the Class 2A super-sectional round, while its boys soccer team reached a 1A sectional final and fell by a goal to the eventual state runner-up.
The wrestling team had six state medalists, including Chase Bittle, who went 49-0 and won the 1A 120-pound title. Bittle was the only area state champion in Illinois.
The golf teams, which have won state team titles in boys and girls in recent years, had the boys finish sixth in Class 2A and the girls take fifth in Class 1A. The girls also had two individuals finish in the top 10 in Gabby David and Tia Kimbrough.
The boys basketball team had Tarkus Ferguson (Illinois-Chicago) and Brendon Gooch (SIU Carbondale) sign with Division I schools. Also, girls soccer player Shannon Maitland will play at Mississippi, girls golfer David at Lewis University and Alanna Bramwell will continue her volleyball career at Central Arkansas.
The class of 2017 has numerous recruited athletes, including Jaylon Bester (Miami-Ohio) and Jordan Goodwin, who is a top-50 player in the country in basketball with several football offers, as well.
"We're very proud of what our kids have accomplished athletically," Althoff principal Dave Harris said. "They had an outstanding year. I'm also very proud of what they've done in the classroom. We're every bit as excited about 20 of our 22 sports earning the IHSA team academic award. That is an amazing number."
For a team to earn the IHSA academic award, it needs to have an accumulated grade-point average of 3.0 or better by all members of the team.
Athletics director and boys basketball coach Greg Leib, who guided his team to the first basketball state title in school history and the ninth overall in all sports said, "I think it's a combination of good coaches and having great kids to work with. We play schedules in all sports where we go against some big schools. And our kids play and compete. Their attitude toward competing is what carries them."
For the student-athletes, the time and dedication needed to be successful in both areas easily is worth the effort.
"It's a big commitment, but I take a lot of pride in trying to be my best," said senior-to-be CJ Coldon, who plays on both the football and basketball teams. "I look at it as a privilege to play at Althoff. I know there are a lot of people that want your spot. So, if you want to stay on top you have to do a lot of work and put in the time."
Coldon, a 6-foot-2 wide receiver and defensive back in football and guard on the basketball team, is receiving recruiting interest in both sports. The bigger schools like him more for football.
"Even though we had good seasons, I still think we can go back and do more," Coldon said. "In football, that would be winning it. Basketball you can go for an undefeated season or winning it in 4A. There's plenty more we can come up with."
Recently graduated senior Rachel Mertens, who played on the volleyball team, knows the priorities at Althoff.
“I am very proud that we all succeed both on the court and in the classroom," Mertens said. "We are students first, so our academics are our priority. I think that it shows how hard-working and determined we are, and it is a testament to our coach (Sara Thomas), who puts a strong emphasis on success in both areas.”
Kimbrough, who was part of the Crusaders' state champion girls golf team as a freshman and last year's fifth-place team, added: “I think that our team performing well in our sport and in our academics shows that we put in a lot of hard work, dedication, and commitment to be good at both. It also shows that we care about our academics during the season.”
The uber-successful season was also the perfect time to roll out the future of athletics and academics on campus.
The school announced a capital campaign in April with the hopes of raising $2.5 million. The majority of it would go toward an on-campus, multi-use artificial turf football stadium. It would seat 1,500, have an eight-lane all-weather track and facilities for concessions and restrooms. The cost is estimated between $1.7 and $2 million.
It would be the first time the football team would ever play on campus. Currently, the varsity football team plays at Lindenwood-Belleville. The facility would fit on the existing footprint of the practice field on campus.
In addition, funds would be devoted to building a science, technology, engineering and math lab.
There also are hopes for refurbishing the on-campus baseball and softball fields.
"The kids would have ownership of it," Leib said. "It'd also be a great benefit to track, soccer and other sports. It's something that would be incredible for the Althoff community. We've been fortunate to work with Lindenwood-Belleville and have them close by and they have been great to us. But this would be a good thing all-around."
SMALL SCHOOLS PROGRAM OF THE YEAR: FINALISTS
Program of the year: 2015-16 small schools finalists
Columbia
Savanna Stevens (left) of Freeburg battles Ashley Warren (10) and Jordan Hausmann of Columbia the net during a match on Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at Freeburg High School. Paul Kopsky, STLhighschoolsports.com
• Girls soccer: 15-6-2 sectional finalist fell to eventual third-place state finisher Alton Marquette by penalty kicks, finished as No. 7 small school in STLhighschoolsports.com rankings.
• Girls volleyball: 33-5 sectional finalist lost in three sets to eventual third-place state finisher Mascoutah and was No. 7 small school.
• Boys soccer: 22-2-1 sectional semifinal team finished as No. 3 small school and was Cahokia Conference champion. Also won CYC tournament title.
• Boys basketball: 22-7 sectional semifinalist in Class 3A won two postseason games before losing. Tied for Cahokia Conference title with Breese Central, which finished third in 2A.
• Other core sports: Football 10-1, second round of playoffs and No. 3 small school; baseball 20-14, regional finalist; softball 24-5, regional finalist.
• Individuals: Six All-Metro honorees, including two first-team selections.
John Burroughs
John Burroughs lineman Thomas Bolstad (51) hugs Hunter Wilkins (52) after John Burroughs beat Odessa 30-6 for the Missouri Class 3 Football Championship on Saturday, November 28, 2015 at Edwards Jones Dome in St. Louis, Mo. Ben Loewnau, STLhighschoolsports.com
• Football: Class 3 state champion with 14-1 record, No. 4 final STLhighschoolsports.com small-schools rankings. Four first-team All-Metro selections. Bombers had lost four of previous final state championship appearances.
• Boys track and field: Bombers won Class 3 state team title, which was their first since 1952. Ronald Smith won individual title in 110 hurdles, while 800 and 1,600 relays both were second.
• Girls track and field: Second in Class 3 team standings behind freshman Madison Fuller’s titles in 100 and 200.
• Boys soccer: 16-3-2 district champ was No. 8 small school.
• Other core sports: Girls basketball 16-12 district finalist; boys basketball 13-14 district finalist.
• Non-core sports: Girls tennis won Class 1 state team championship by beating rival MICDS in title match; field hockey 18-3 state runner-up; boys team tennis state third-place finish; girls golf sixth at Class 1 state tournament.
• Individuals: 11 All-Metro honorees, including five first-team selections; Kiki Peters and Maddy Duncan second-place Class 1 state doubles finisher in girls tennis; Tom Bolstad fifth at 220 pounds in Class 2 state wrestling.
Mater Dei
Mater Dei quarterback Colin Schuetz celebrates one of his two rushing touchdowns in a Class 4A second-round game Saturday, November 7, 2015 in Breese. Paul Baillargeon, Special to STLhighschoolsports.com.
• Football: Class 4A state semifinalist went 9-4, won three postseason games, finished as No. 8 small school in STLhighschoolsports.com rankings.
• Girls volleyball: 30-8 team was moved up a classification to Class 4A by IHSA success factor rule, won two matches before falling in sectional semifinals against O’Fallon. Finished as No. 4 small school.
• Boys soccer: Won two postseason games, finished 16-4-3 and in sectional semifinals.
• Girls soccer: Went 11-10-2 and won two postseason games before falling in sectional semifinals.
• Other core sports: Girls basketball 17-12 sectional semifinalist in 2A; baseball 19-4, upset in 2A regional semifinals but finished as No. 4 small school; boys basketball 21-8, regional final in 3A.
• Non-core sports: Boys golf seventh in 1A state tournament, including 11th-place individual finish by Tyler Goebel; girls cross country 14th in 1A state meet.
• Individuals: Five All-Metro honorees, including one first-team selection.
MICDS
Joe McAllister of MICDS finishes a big serve during the Metro League Tennis Tournament finals on Wednesday, April 13, 2016 at Westminster Christian Academy in Town & Country, Mo. Gordon Radford | Special to STLhighschoolsports.com
• Girls track and field: Class 4 team champion behind individual victories from Zionn Pearson (long jump), Cara Johnson (100), Margaret Sliney (400) and 1,600 relay.
• Baseball: Claimed program’s first state championship by finishing 21-7 and on eight-game winning streak to end the season. Rams avenged losses to Westminster and Lutheran South when it counted most.
• Girls basketball: Finished as Class 4 runner-up for second consecutive season with 25-5 record and ended as STLhighschoolsports.com small-schools No. 2 team. Beat three-time defending champ Incarnate Word in state semifinals before losing overtime championship game.
• Other core sports: Football 5-6; boys basketball 18-9 district finalist; boys soccer 13-12 district finalist; girls soccer 9-11 district finalist; girls volleyball 9-14-1 district finalist.
• Non-core sports: Field hockey 21-4-3 Midwest Tournament champion; Class 3 boys golf and Class 1 girls golf team championships; boys lacrosse 19-1 Division I state champion; boys tennis Class 1 team champion; girls tennis Class 1 team runner-up; girls cross country Class 3 team runner-up.
• Individuals: 30 All-Metro honorees, including 13 first-team selections and players of the year Matt Trowbridge (boys lacrosse), Taylor Baur (girls basketball), Bridget Condie (field hockey) and Shannon Gould (girls golf); Joe McAllister (boys singles) and Rex Serituk-Rohit Chouhan (boys doubles) Class 1 state tennis champions; Michael O’Keefe Class 3 boys golf medalist.
