By FRED KRONER
Emily Anand is now in a special group of Mahomet-Seymour cross-country runners.
She is No. 1.
En route to earning All-State recognition on Saturday (Nov. 8) at Peoria’s Detweiller Park, for placing 15th individually, she ran the fastest 3-mile time in the history of the M-S girls’ cross-country program.
She was timed in 17 minutes, 31.41 seconds, more than 2 ½ seconds quicker than Elizabeth Sims ran at state (17:34.09) on the same course in 2018.
Anand was the only senior in the lineup on Saturday for the Bulldogs, who registered their third-best team finish ever. M-S placed eighth in the 28-school Class 2A event.
“I was able to get out fast and keep the momentum,” Anand said. “It was the fastest first mile that I’ve had (5:28).
“It has been a long season and I’m tired, but I had a lot of energy in this race. I’m glad I got a last hurrah.”
By comparison, Anand’s fastest 1,600-meter time on the track is 5:21.70.
When preseason cross-country practice started in August, Anand didn’t have the state meet in her sights.
“I wasn’t thinking that far ahead,” she said. “I was hoping to break 18 minutes (for the first time).
“When I did (in the fourth meet), I kept setting small goals.”
Anand is the seventh All-Stater in M-S history and the fifth-best placer in the girls’ cross-country program.
“She stayed with the lead competition and positioned herself well,” sixth-year Bulldog coach Jama Grotelueschen said. “Emily executed a flawless race.”
Joining Anand on the course were one junior teammate, three sophomores and two freshmen.
The Bulldogs were ranked seventh in the final state poll.
“To finish eighth is pretty impressive,” Grotelueschen said. “The top 10 is an exciting place to be. We’re a young team. We wanted to gain experience this year.
“Their strength is each other. They pick each other up. The camaraderie while being competitive is excellent, especially being young and with the pressure.
“The girls enjoyed running.”
M-S saved its best showing for the season’s final meet.
Six of the team’s seven runners recorded lifetime bests for 3 miles. The one runner who didn’t was less than one second away from her PR and ran her fastest postseason time.
Trailing Anand were freshman Paige Jansen (70th in a PR of 18:41.10), sophomore Cecily Smith (79th in a PR of 18:48.53), junior Anniston Huff (109th in a PR of 19:13.84), sophomore Kennedy Ashby (79th in 19:33.20), freshman Ava Cvengros (154th in a PR of 19:46.06) and sophomore Finley Smith (160th in a PR of 19:50.13).
“The team as a whole got out strong and looked incredibly poised for the entire race.”
The only better team state finishes by the girls’ program were matching fourth-place performances in 2017 and 2007.
Jansen, Cecily Smith, Huff, Finley Smith and Cvengros all recorded a faster third-mile time than they did for their second mile at state.
“We hope this is a sign of things to come,” said Grotelueschen, who was assisted for the second year by Kacie Moran.
The coach also paid tribute to the Bulldogs’ two alternate runners.
“Emma DeWitt (freshman) and Jaci Kellenberger (junior) are probably close to the best No. 8 and 9 runners in the state,” Groteueschen said, “as a strength of this team is our depth.”
In addition to 20 underclassmen who were on this year’s team, Grotelueschen said, “we have a few talented eighth-graders coming up.”
Even before the state meet, Anand had a memorable highlight. She won the Apollo Conference championship in the first cross-country race ever held at Mahomet’s 31-year-old Barber Park.
Her time that day (17:36.40) was her fastest-ever until state. She outraced the Apollo runner-up by 42.41 seconds for her first high school victory.
During the final seven weeks of the season, M-S was without injured junior Taylor Mills, the team’s No. 2 runner in the season-opening meet.
The M-S seniors, besides Anand, were Jinan Abdo, Grace Bednar and Camryn Nelson, all of whom dropped their times from between 11 seconds and 2 ½ minutes from their first to last meet of the season.
Anand plans to take a week off from training before rejoining her club team, the Champaign-based Vipers Track Club.
Looking ahead to the outdoor track and field season, she said, “I feel I can drop my times a lot.”
As a junior in track, Anand qualified for state in the 3,200 meters, where she registered a personal-best time of 11:23.02, the fourth-best mark on the all-time M-S track and field honor roll.
