2026 Sub 12:45 Challenge: Indoors

In the wake of the passing of Mike Newman, Illinois Running News is honored to carry forward one of the state’s most beloved traditions: the Sub 5/Sub 6 Challenge. This challenge has long been a staple of the Illinois distance running community, celebrating the pursuit of breaking the 5-minute mile for boys and the 6-minute mile for girls. With the blessing of Noah Lawrence, who played a key role in creating and shaping the original concept, Illinois Running News is committed to preserving the spirit and integrity of the challenge. Our goal is to continue highlighting the athletes chasing these milestone barriers while honoring the legacy that Mike Newman helped build within the Illinois running scene. We continue the same rules that Mike Newman created for the list!

“As track season approaches, I had an idea which I think could foster some excitement among our JV athletes and push us all to be better.  Basically, the goal would be for each coach to maintain a list of the number of athletes on your team that break 5:00 for the 1600 over the course of the season.  This would be an informal competition to determine which team is the "deepest."

​I would send out an email to check in on March 1st, April 1st, May 1st, and finally the week of Sectionals (May 23rd) and will compile the results and update every one of the current and final standings.  As it is a low-stakes competition, this would simply be self-reporting.  You can count any kid that breaks 5:00 either in a meet or a time trial.

I think it could be a fun way to motivate our JV guys to hit that barrier and to make them feel they are an important contributor to the team. In the spirit of full transparency, we had 32 guys run sub-5 last track season, which bested our previous mark of 27 set the year before.  I know some of you have smaller numbers of guys on the team, so perhaps we could also have a category celebrating the team with the highest percentage of team members who break 5:00.”

Noah Lawrence, Hinsdale Central HS , Hinsdale IL - 2014

Sub 5 - Sub 6 Challenge: 2026

Challenge Guidelines

1– All performances must be done between December 1, 2025 until June 15, 2026. Personal Bests from previous seasons cannot be used.

2- You can break either 5:00 or 10:30 for Boys, 6:00 or 12:45 for Girls, in either a meet or a time trial. Coaches: you are on the honor system on this. If a time is performed in a relay, the performance will be allowed.

3- I will publish a final list will be published at the beginning of July.

4- ONLY COACHES from the individual schools may submit performances. We will not accept performances from athletes, parents, or media.

5- What was a tremendous help the past three seasons was the use by Coaches of Google Charts to keep track of their athlete’s performances. Coaches would send in the link for the Google Document. All I would need to do is check the school’s document for updates.

I ENCOURAGE YOU TO USE GOOGLE DOCS TO PLEASE UPDATE ME THIS WAY.

When you set up your document, please set up the fields in this order:

Name | Grade | Time |  Meet  | Date

Example:

FIRST NAME LAST NAME | 12 | 4:30.0 | IHSA State Meet – Charleston IL | 5/29

If you use Athletic.Net to keep track of your athlete’s performances, please let me know and I will pull the performances from there.

6- Indoor lists will be published at the end of March. A complete list of Illinois schools will be listed after the season (June 21).

How to Submit Performances / Contact Info

To submit performances for the

Sub 5 / Sub 6 Challenge,

please e-mail to: illinoisrunningnews@gmail.com

**Due to time constraints we have only mentioned the teams with 4 athletes that have achieved the Sub 12:45 barrier. Our list in the summer will include every athlete in the state that breaks the barrier!**

Chicago (Lane)

1 Ainsley Carter 11 10:51.80 CPL Varsity Indoor Champs 3/21/2026

2 Guadalupe Lopez 9 11:42.27 CPL Varsity Indoor Champs 3/21/2026

3 Hailey Skowlund 10 11:48.31 Illinois Meet of Champions 3/8/2026

4 Izzy Ide 12 11:55.82 Batavia Distance Madness 3/13/2026

5 Samantha Borg-Breen 10 11:56.52 HF Girls ABC Invitational 2/28/2026

6 Gabrielle Stalley 11 12:03.32 HF Girls ABC Invitational 2/28/2026

7 Emma Siegrist 9 12:14.05 Illinois Meet of Champions 3/8/2026

8 Marin Bohnsack 10 12:20.69 Jasmin Jackson Invitational 3/7/2026

9 Ada Lavery 12 12:22.72 Proviso East Lady Pirate 3/14/2026

10 Emma Wojcik 10 12:31.10 Jasmin Jackson Invitational 3/7/2026

11 Sloane Entzminger 9 12:35.09 Proviso East Lady Pirate 3/14/2026

Mt. Prospect (Prospect)

1 Meg Peterson 12 11:00.56 Batavia Distance Madness 3/13/2026

2 Allison Kalkwarf 10 11:20.90 Nagel-Saylor Indoor Invitational 3/21/2026

3 Ella Samlan 11 11:32.32 Girls Huntley Invitational #2 3/14/2026

4 Brooklyn Stocking 9 11:34.94 Hononegah Girls Classic 2/21/2026

5 Kaitlin Miazga 10 11:39.03 Batavia Girls Invite 2026 2/28/2026

6 Anna Zajac 12 11:39.69 Batavia Girls Invite 2026 2/28/2026

7 Caitlin Resac 9 11:46.47 Hononegah Girls Classic 2/21/2026

8 Jocelyn Farina 12 11:51.93 Hononegah Girls Classic 2/21/2026

9 Erin Collins 9 12:09.52 Shannon McNamara JV Invitational 3/18/2026

10 Addison Lenox 11 12:30.45 York Girls Invite #2 3/7/2026

11 Rachel Raub 11 12:41.37 Shannon McNamara JV Invitational 3/18/2026

Arlington Heights (Hersey)

1 Alexa Izenstark 11 11:20.96 Nagel-Saylor Indoor 3/21/2026

2 Sofia Donner 11 11:36.35 Stevenson Girls Indoor Invite 2/21/2026

3 Jamie Laskiewicz 12 11:42.91 Batavia Distance Madness 3/13/2026

4 Joephine Petrelis 10 12:10.82 York Girls Invite #2 3/7/2026

5 Stella Frayder 10 12:34.02 Shannon McNamara JV Invitational 3/18/2026

6 Elizabeth Waltz 12 12:34.48 York Girls Invite #2 3/7/2026

7 Zuzanna Kruszewski 10 12:35.86 Stevenson Girls Indoor Invite 2/21/2026

8 Alice Shemanayev 10 12:38.60 Girls Huntley Invitational #2 3/14/2026

Plainfield North

1 Marlie Czarniewski 11 10:28.65 Illinois Indoor Championships 3/28/2026

2 Laurel Eager 9 11:19.28 Illinois Indoor Championships 3/28/2026

3 Ayla Czarniewski 11 11:27.18 Illinois Indoor Championships 3/28/2026

4 Kate Beavers 9 11:44.97 Southwest Prairie Conference 3/21/2026

5 Olivia Eager 9 11:58.72 Illinois Indoor Championships 3/28/2026

6 Zeta Zbroszczyk 12 12:09.10 Plainfield North Girls Indoor Invite 2/27/2026

7 Emaan Hussain 12 12:36.96 Plainfield North Girls Indoor Invite 2/27/2026

Naperville Central

1 Charlotte Danahy 10 11:04.51 DVC Girls Indoor Championship 3/19/2026

2 Lauren Quigg 11 11:49.82 DVC Girls Indoor Championship 3/19/2026

3 Emma Breese 12 12:06.34 NCC Cardinal Girls Indoor Classic 3/5/2026

4 Maddie Calvey 9 12:16.84 NCC Cardinal Girls Indoor Classic 3/5/2026

5 Hannah Zei 10 12:34.40 York Girls Invite #1 2/20/2026

6 Katelyn Burke 11 12:34.49 York Girls Invite #1 2/20/2026

Naperville North

1 Shania Tandon 12 11:14.93 Batavia Distance Madness 3/13/2026

2 Georgia Karstens 10 11:37.28 DVC Girls Indoor Championship 3/19/2026

3 Valentine Abramov 12 11:47.17 DVC Girls Indoor Championship 3/19/2026

4 Chloe Piot 11 11:50.70 NCC Cardinal Girls Indoor Classic 3/5/2026

5 Lorelai Garlough 10 12:20.77 DVC Girls Indoor Championship 3/19/2026

6 Clara Reckamp 10 12:44.61 NCC Cardinal Girls Indoor Classic 3/5/2026

Wheaton Warrenville South

1 Kate Jeffers 10 11:32.39 Illinois Indoor Championships 3/28/2026

2 Olivia Martinez 12 11:36.12 Illinois Indoor Championships 3/28/2026

3 Emma Yaun 9 11:56.33 NCC Cardinal Girls Indoor Classic 3/5/2026

4 Shyla Paramsothy 10 12:16.53 DuKane Indoor Conference 3/20/2026

5 Ellie Flores 12 12:18.24 Batavia Girls Invite 2026 2/28/2026

6 Abby Barrett 12 12:31.95 NCC Cardinal Girls Indoor Classic 3/5/2026

Barrington

1 Mia Sirois 11 10:13.64 Batavia Girls Invite 2026 2/28/2026

2 Angelica Hil 11 10:47.03 Rockford Auburn Girls Showcase 3/7/2026

3 Victoria Tarara 10 10:53.85 Nagel-Saylor Indoor Invitational 3/21/2026

4 Ashleigh Forbes 9 11:17.37 Nagel-Saylor Indoor Invitational 3/21/2026

5 Natalie Carlson 9 12:34.20 Shannon McNamara JV Invite 3/18/2026

Huntley

1 Isabella Ciesla 12 11:03.40 Batavia Distance Madness 3/13/2026

2 Haley Rahman 11 11:18.53 HF Girls ABC Invitational 2/28/2026

3 Ella Farquhar 10 12:30.14 Girls Sequoit Showdown 2/21/2026

4 Gabrielle Sweeney 12 12:31.30 Girls Sequoit Showdown 2/21/2026

5 Cori Kilvinger 12 12:33.07 Huntley Girls Invitational 2/14/2026

New Lenox (Lincoln-Way Central)

1 Brea Counihan 11 11:02.37 Illinois Indoor Championships 3/28/2026

2 Ava Dughetti 12 11:15.74 Illinois Indoor Championships 3/28/2026

3 Grace Mathis 10 11:28.55 Batavia Distance Madness 3/13/2026

4 Keira Faxel 10 11:56.52 Batavia Distance Madness 3/13/2026

5 Aubrey Shipman 12 12:33.88 SWSC Indoor Girls Conference 3/21/2026

Winnetka (New Trier)

1 Jillian Crane 9 11:54.93 York Girls Invite #2 3/7/2026

2 Lily Rickard-Bugel 12 12:20.36 York Girls Invite #2 3/7/2026

3 Emma Denfeld 9 12:27.44 CSL-South Girls Indoor Champs 3/19/2026

4 Haven Martin 11 12:38.47 Girls Huntley Invitational #2 3/14/2026

5 Nora Brooks 11 12:39.41 CSL-South Girls Indoor Champs 3/19/2026

Algonquin (Jacobs)

1 Lennox Szymonik 9 10:28.44 CYUP Misfits Invite 1/18/2026

2 Matylda Maciejczyk 12 11:23.02 Illinois Indoor Championships 3/28/2026

3 Dani Soto 9 11:33.47 Illinois Indoor Championships 3/28/2026

4 Mackenzie Cronin 12 11:58.10 (Burlington) Central Girls Invite 2/25/2026

Chicago (Whitney Young)

1 Carmelita Vazquez 9 11:44.08 CPL Varsity Indoor Champs 3/21/2026

2 Naveya Bendtsen 9 12:11.30 Jasmin Jackson Invitational 3/7/2026

3 Emelia Buciak 11 12:28.77 HF Girls ABC Invitational 2/28/2026

4 Anjali Mathew 11 12:29.51 HF Girls ABC Invitational 2/28/2026

Downers Grove North

1 Macy Ermitage 10 10:39.32 WSC Silver Conference 3/20/2026

2 Kayla Solem 12 12:02.88 WSC Silver Conference 3/20/2026

3 Sophia Schlueter 11 12:29.10 York Invite #2 3/7/2026

4 Katelyn Cutright 12 12:35.4 DGN Quadrangular 2/21/2026

Frankfort (Lincoln-Way East)

1 Aubrey Clark 9 11:33.29 Girls Huntley Invitational #2 3/14/2026

2 Alice Lowry 9 11:58.20 Illinois Indoor Championships 3/28/2026

3 Eliana Kaitei 10 12:04.18 SWSC Indoor Girls Conference 3/21/2026

4 Kate Roberts 11 12:05.64 NCC Cardinal Girls Invite 3/5/2026

Hinsdale Central

1 Ella Satre 11 10:46.41 Illinois Indoor Championships 3/28/2026

2 Alexandra Furey 11 11:29.91 WSC Silver Indoor Conference 3/20/2026

3 Grace Gruber 12 12:08.71 NCC Cardinal Girls Indoor Classic 3/5/2026

4 Maya Gonzalez 10 12:42.87 WSC Silver Indoor Conference 3/20/2026

Libertyville

1 Corinne Kalvass 10 12:21.16 2026 NSC Girls Championships 3/17/2026

2 Sophia Krummick 12 12:24.75 Lake Michigan Invite (GIRLS) 3/20/2026

3 Claire Rehmer 10 12:43.28 Girls Huntley Invitational #2 3/14/2026

4 Eliza White 10 12:43.35 4th Annual EmpowerHER 3/7/2026

Lincolnshire (Stevenson)

1 Sienna Romero 9 12:03.60 NSC Girls Championships 3/17/2026

2 Camila Pak 10 12:07.66 Stevenson Girls Indoor Open 3/9/2026

3 Olivia Ruiz 12 12:27.91 Girls Huntley Invitational #2 3/14/2026

4 Isabella Wan 12 12:37.81 NSC Girls Championships 3/17/2026

Orland Park (Sandburg)

1 Annika Trehan 11 11:26.09 Girls Huntley Invitational #2 3/14/2026

2 Isabella Van Alst 11 11:55.31 SWSC Indoor Girls Conference 3/21/2026

3 Emma Kanagy 12 12:02.80 Sharon Green Raptor Girls Invite 2/21/2026

4 Clare Snyder 9 12:19.58 Sharon Green Raptor Girls Invite 2/21/2026

Park Ridge (Maine South)

1 Tessie Bradley 11 10:50.00 Illinois Indoor Championships 3/28/2026

2 Lucia Fuentes 12 11:52.43 CSL-South Indoor Championships 3/19/2026

3 Emma Fuentes 10 11:59.93 Plainfield North Girls Indoor Invite 2/27/2026

4 Audrey Frye 9 12:02.11 Illinois Indoor Championships 3/28/2026

St. Charles North

1 Kara Glenn 10 10:48.60 DuKane Indoor Conference 3/20/2026

2 Julia Rodney 11 11:11.53 (Burlington) Central Girls Invite 2/25/2026

3 Alyssa Oblak 11 11:40.62 DuKane Indoor Conference 3/20/2026

4 Skye Santiago 12 12:44.17 DuKane Indoor Conference 3/20/2026