First to the Finish invite
By Randy Sharer
PEORIA – As they stepped to the starting line for the 38th First to the Finish Invitational cross country meet on Saturday (Sept. 13) at Detweiller Park, the Eureka High School boys had 61 foes standing between themselves and victory.
By the time the post-race dust had settled (and there a considerable amount on the bone dry course), no opponent proved better than the defending champion Hornets.
Coach Olivia Morris’ boys, ranked No. 1 in Class 1A by MileSplit.com, scored 172 points to best runner-up Rockford Christian, ranked No. 3, by 12. Clinton took fifth (295) and El Paso-Gridley sixth (296).
The Eureka girls, who came in ranked second, tallied 148 points in third to trail only Winnebago (110) and Anna-Jonesboro (145). El Paso-Gridley was fifth (203) in the 42-team field.
Highlighting Central Illinois efforts in Class 2A were the Normal University High boys, who finished sixth (321) among 64 teams, and the Normal West girls, who were 10th (401) among 54 teams.
Class 1A boys
Pacing the Eureka boys was Gavin Stalter, who placed 23rd after touring the 3-mile course in 15 minutes, 40.3 seconds. Other Hornet scorers were Timothy Rogers (27th, 15:45.6), Davin Dingledine (36th, 15:52.7), Connell Roth (56th, 16:10.6), and Landon Wurmnest (60th, 16:15.0).
“It’s good to set the tone and now, the next seven weeks, we’ve got to work and hope we come back (for the state series) the same or better,” Morris said.
Winning individually was reigning state champion Chaz Oberkfell of Gillespie, third here a year ago in 15:13.7, who clocked 14:56.4. DuQuoin’s Caiden Cook was second in 15:01.0.
The top Central Illinois finisher was Delavan junior Corie Green, the reigning Class 1A state 800-meter run champion, who took third in a personal best of 15:08.5.
Clinton’s Cayden Bostic was ninth overall and second among sophomores in a school record 15:20.5. He broke the record set by 1991 all-stater Joe Alexander.
Also cracking the top 25 were Prairie Central’s Holden Gerdes (17th, 15:37.9) and EPG’s Drew Cooper (25th, 15:42.7).
Class 1A girls
The Eureka girls were led by Sierra Herrmann, who ran 18:51.7 in 23rd, one place ahead of teammate Ava Otto (18:52.1).
Other Hornet scorers were Sophia Watson (35th, 19:23.3), Adeline Hubert (37th, 19:30.9), and Bre Leman (62nd, 20:02.5).
“We have had a No. 5 position open,” said Morris, whose team finished third here last year. “We had a girl (Leman) step up. We said before the race, ‘you’ve got to have your eyes on your teammates.’ That’s the goal.”
The individual winner was Sundara Weber of Sandwich, the 2024 Class 2A state champion now in 1A, who sped 16:18.7 to best reigning 1A state champion Kate Foltz of Tuscola by 10 seconds.
The top Central Illinois finisher was Delavan senior Annabelle LaFary in 20th (18:31.7).
Class 2A boys
The U High boys, whose first string was making its season debut, had five finishers within 54 seconds of each other, but they wanted to be closer to the front.
“I think it could have been better,” said Pioneer coach Lester Hampton, whose team was fifth here a year ago. “It was not what we were looking for.”
Sophomore Andrew Aldeman led U High in 33rd (15:44.0).
Peoria Notre Dame (190) won the team title while the individual crown went to Kaneland sophomore Caron Kaiser (14:28.3).
Class 2A girls
For the 2A girls, only team champion Chatham Glenwood (134) and fourth-place Crystal Lake Prairie Ridge (249) had a stronger top three than Normal West’s Renee Warren (8th, 18:07.6), Julie Bach (14th, 18:22.5), and Amanda Warren (25th, 18:51.8).
U High, which placed 13th with 452 points, was led by freshman Chloe Layman in 19:05.9.
Class 3A winners
Plainfield North won the 3A girls title with 94 points. Individually, Lennox Szymonik of Algonquin Jacobs won in 17:03.2.
Downers Grove North’s boys, led by individual champion Philip Cupial (14:27.3), topped Plainfield North for the 3A crown, 62-98.
Eureka High School defended its Class 1A boys title in the 38th First to the Finish Invitational cross country meet at Peoria's Detweiller Park on Saturday (Sept. 13). Leading the green-clad Hornets were (from left) Davin Dingledine (1891), Gavin Stalter (1927), Timothy Rogers (1918), Landon Wurmnest (1937), and Eli Scott (1924). (Photo by Randy Sharer)
Clinton High School sophomore Cayden Bostic covered the 3-mile Detweiller Park course in a school record 15 minutes, 20.5 seconds in the First to the Finish Invitational cross country meet at Peoria on Saturday (Sept. 13). Bostic (1166) placed ninth to help Clinton place fifth in the 62-team meet. (Photo by Randy Sharer)
Normal West High School's Renee Warren placed eighth in the First to the Finish Invitational cross country meet at Peoria's Detweiller Park on Saturday (Sept. 13). Warren covered the 3-mile course in 18 minutes, 7.6 seconds to help her team place 10th in the 54-team Class 2A field. (Photo by Randy Sharer)
