Behind Kloe Froebe’s dominant 36-point performance, Lincoln wins first state championship in school history

NORMAL, Ill. — After completing her television interview, Lincoln guard Kloe Froebe raced toward one person, eschewing anyone in her path: her mom.

“My mom started us, she took us in and we wouldn’t be who we are without her,” Froebe said. “She believed in us ever since we were little, and having her down at the court and being able to go hug her and tell her that we wouldn’t be here without her is a great feeling.”

The Railsplitters (38-0) won the 60-44 IHSA Class 3A state championship in their win over Glenwood at Illinois State’s CEFCU Arena. Froebe set a Class 3A championship scoring record with her dominant 36-point performance.

When the game started, Froebe showed her readiness to become a champion.

The Colorado State commit set the tone for her team, scoring or assisting on her team’s first 22 points.

“I just think that we came out fired up and wanted to hit hard right there in the first quarter,” coach Taylor Rohrer said. “Our experience helped us.”

Froebe finished with 36 points, six assists and five rebounds. She controlled the offense for the Railsplitters with countless drives to the basket, breaking presses and operating as a distributor. But senior guard Becca Heitzig also turned in a strong performance with 13 points.

The Railspliters are a close-knit group. Many have known each other since they were in Kindergarten. Backed behind a strong crowd that traveled to watch them win the first athletics state championship in school history, the Railsplitters basked in the championship glow.

“We saw in the stands when my sister’s group — Kaelyn Froebe — went to supersectionals; we saw how the Lincoln community came out and supported the girls,” Froebe said. “We’re going to have a parade in Lincoln today.”

Against a team as potent as the Railsplitters, it’s paramount not to allow easy baskets. Lincoln scored 18 points off 16 Titans turnovers. The Railsplitters’ press creates chaos for opposing teams. Even when they back off the press, it still changes the game’s pace and how opposing teams run their offense.

When Glenwood cut the lead to as low as 12 points in the third quarter, Froebe drew a foul and shot free throws. Whenever her team needed her, she stepped up. She knew what this state championship victory meant for the Lincoln community.

“Legendary, that’s the first word that came to my mind,” Froebe said of how she would describe her team. “The legacy that we’re going to leave and the memories that we’ve made is just, I can’t even explain them all.”

The Railsplitterss gave credit to Nazareth for this year’s championship victory. Senior guard Taylor Stoltzenberg said they wanted to thank Nazareth because of how hard the loss pushed them. The team had to endure the crushing loss to understand what it took to be champions.

“Last year was probably one of the worst feelings ever,” said senior guard Jenna Bowman, who scored three points and played 28 minutes. “I hate getting second, but it really just motivated us so much, and now this is one of the best feelings I’ve ever had.”

Kyle Williams is a staff reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times via Report for America, a not-for-profit journalism program that aims to bolster the paper’s coverage of communities on the South Side and West Side.