The West Commons at St. Clair High School was filled to capacity on Tuesday, May 19, as family, teammates, and coaches gathered to celebrate one of the most decorated distance runners in program history. Valerie Quast, a standout track and cross-country star for St. Clair-Immanuel Lutheran (SC-IL), officially signed her National Letter of Intent to run for Lewis University, a premier NCAA Division II program in Romeoville, Illinois.
Quast, who will run both cross country and track and field for the Flyers, also announced she will be pursuing a degree in nursing.
Activities Director Brad O’Donnell opened the ceremony by welcoming a packed room of supporters, which included nearly the entire SC-IL track team. Among them was Head Coach Ashley Swanson, who spoke highly of Quast’s profound impact on the program’s culture. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for the SC-IL program,” Coach Swanson said, addressing Quast directly. “Your hard work, dedication, commitment, loyalty, and leadership have set a standard here. You have been such a great mentor for our program. The Flyers are incredibly lucky to have you, and we wish you nothing but the absolute best.”
Finding the Perfect Fit
Joined by her parents, Sara and Mark, Quast signed her official paperwork, capping off a highly competitive recruitment process. While she explored several strong regional options—including Minnesota State University, the University of St. Thomas, Saint Mary’s University, and the University of Jamestown—it was the private Illinois institution that captured her heart.
The recruitment journey began with a surprise message in the winter of 2025. “Lewis University reached out to me in December,” Quast recalled. “I was honestly surprised they had found me all the way in small town Minnesota.”
Upon visiting the Romeoville campus, Quast knew she had found her next home. The university’s state-of-the-art athletic complex, combined with a highly navigable and peaceful, self-contained campus, set it apart from the others. “The campus was very nice…everything was a short walk and felt very private,” she shared. “When I met the team, I got to stay in the dorms with the athletes for a few nights, had dinner with them, and spent a day seeing what their routine is like. Training is year-round there—you get ready for cross country in the fall, and then the spring brings track. It is definitely scary, but exciting at the same time to be able to experience this next level.”
A Legendary High School Legacy
Quast’s transition to collegiate athletics is a natural next step for a runner who has spent her high school years rewriting the local record books.
Running track for SC-IL and competing in cross country as a key member of the Loyola-Cleveland-MCA Crusaders, Quast has established herself as an elite, generational talent. On the track, she currently holds SC-IL school records in the 800-meter, 1,600-meter, and 3,200-meter individual events. She was also a crucial leg of the record-breaking 4×800-meter relay team, which shattered the school record twice during the current 2026 season.
Though her senior track season is still underway, Quast is putting the finishing touches on a historic career. On May 16, she dominated the Class A True Team State meet, capturing first-place finishes in both the 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter runs. As of May 21, she has amassed over 20 first-place finishes this season alone.
Her senior campaign follows a dominant junior year where she nearly swept every long-distance race she entered. That season featured a 10th-place finish at the prestigious Hamline Elite Meet and a runner-up state title in the 1,600-meter run at the MSHSL State Championships.
Quast’s cross-country resume is equally stellar. After a breakout sophomore season in 2023 that featured four individual first-place finishes, she went on to secure back-to-back top-five finishes at the Class A State Cross Country Championships in 2024 and 2025.
For those who have watched her compete, Quast’s success is defined by more than just raw athletic gift. Distance running is notoriously grueling, requiring a unique blend of physical endurance and mental fortitude. She is known for her stoic, calm, and laser-focused demeanor on the starting line—a quiet confidence that has consistently separated her from her peers.
With Section tournaments immediately on the horizon, Quast is favored to secure a near-automatic bid for her fourth consecutive State appearance. As she prepares to make one final, legendary postseason push for the Cyclones, her legacy in the program is already firmly cemented.
Come this fall, she will trade the Cyclone white for Flyer red, bringing her fearless determination and championship pedigree to Illinois.
