Both MSJHS cross country teams emerge as Champaign County champions
By Fred Kroner
Both the Mahomet-Seymour Junior High girls’ cross-country team and the M-S boys’ cross-country teams emerged as Champaign County champions on Tuesday (Sept. 27) in a meet held at Tolono Unity.
The Bulldog boys ran away from the field, compiling a team score of 30 points. Runner-up Champaign St. Matthew totaled 105 points.
Four M-S boys placed among the top seven in a field of 90 competitors.
Tate Bode was third, covering the 2-mile course in 11 minutes, 13.9 seconds.
Teammates running within 40 seconds of Bode were Cody Moen (fifth in 11:31.8), Noah Crane (sixth in 11:41.0) and Tayten Gergen (seventh in 11:53.1).
Other Bulldogs in the varsity race were Adam Smigielski (15th in 12:06.3), Jack VanHoorn (19th in 12:11.5) and Grant Morphew (21st in 12:24.8).
In the 156-runner boys’ open race, the first nine finishers were all wearing an M-S jersey.
The individual winner in the 2-mile race was Liam Noonan, who was timed in 12:06.7).
Following him were Dominic Gaudio (second in 12:20.6), Jamison Griffen (third in 12:39.9), Liam Burwell (fourth in 12:47.0), Caleb Zulauf (fifth in 12:47.2), Kiptyn Fan (sixth in 12:54.1), Gideon Hayter (seventh in 12:55.7), Carter Alderks (eighth in 12:58.7) and Jackson Koontz (ninth in 13:00.7).
M-S had a perfect score (15 points) to far outdistance runner-up Urbana (70 points).
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The M-S girls were also dominant, nearly doubling the score on runner-up St. Joseph, 42-82, in the varsity race.
Bulldog Taylor Mills ran away from all competitors, winning by more than 32 seconds on the 2-mile course.
Mills’ winning time was 11:57.2.
All seven of the M-S entries finished among the top 21 in a field of 84 runners.
Trailing Mills were teammates Anniston Huff (fourth in 12:42.4), Ava Watkins (10th in 12:56.6), Jaci Kellenberger (11th in 13:03.3), Zoey Wallace (16th in 13:15.6), Cecily Smith (20th in 13:26.1) and Kennedy Ashby (21st in 13:26.3).
In the girls’ open race, nine of the top 10 placers were Bulldogs, including meet champion Norelle Eilts (first in 13:19.2).
Other team leaders were Emma Busch (second in 13:35.0), Claire Waggoner (fourth in 13:50.5), Finley Smith (fifth in 13:52.8), Emily Rodriguez (sixth in 13:54.7), Ayla Finfrock (seventh in 14:01.8), Emma Dewitt (eighth in 14:03.2), Phoebe Truax (ninth in 14:09.0) and Alyssa Gray (10th in 14:10.6).
M-S had a team score of 18 points. Runner-up Tolono Unity ended with a composite score of 52 points.
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On Friday (Sept.23), Mahomet-Seymour’s junior high boys’ cross-country team placed second in the 45-school Dunlap Invitational at Detweiller Park, in Peoria.
Morton (123 points) won team honors, followed by M-S (155) and Glenwood (184).
All seven Bulldogs who participated in the 2.1-mile race ended among the top one-third of the finishers.
The first four Bulldogs crossed the finish line within 46 seconds of one another. Bode took seventh individually with a time of 11 minutes, 27.5 seconds.
Moen was 15th (11:48.5), Crane was 28th (12:01.6) and Gergen was 36th (12:13.6).
Other M-S competitors were Smigielski (69th in 12:37.7), VanHoorn (83rd in 12:45.4) and Morphew (92nd in 12:49.1).
There were 318 runners.
“Our boys are actually hitting times that are faster than our varsity times from last season,” M-S coach Lisa Martin said. “This shows us that the competition around us has gotten stronger this year. We are excited for the challenge that this presents.
“This group of varsity runners is a whole new group, as none of them ran at the state meet last year. That is saying something about the work ethic of all of our runners and the patience it takes to grow in this sport.”
In the boys’ open race, three Bulldogs captured spots among the top 30 in a race with 555 finishers.
Noonan was 10th (12:58.0), Gaudio was 20th (13:11.9) and Griffen was 27th (13:18.6).
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In the 41-team girls’ race, M-S captured third in the team standings. Glenwood (31) was the winner, followed by Martino (141) and M-S (213).
All seven Bulldog entries finished among the top half of the runners.
Mills set the pace, finishing in 12:41.0 and placing eighth. Huff was 15th (12:57.3), Watkins was 49th (13:35.9), Kelleberger was 59th (13:44.7), Ashby was 87th (14:07.0), Cecily Smith was 99th (14:14.0) and Waggoner was 145th (14:41.9).
In the girls’ open race, M-S’ Wallace led the way for her team. She was fifth in a field of 442 competitors, clocking a time of 13:54.2.
Teammates among the top 20 were Busch (15th in 14:18.9), Hannah Martin (16th in 14:21.3), Eilts (17th in 14:22.6) and Finley Smith (20th in 14:30.5).
“Zoey Wallace had her breakout race at this meet,” Martin said. “She ran with the top group the whole race.
“We have been waiting for this moment for three years. She is just going to get stronger in her running career. Big things ahead for this cross-country runner and all-around great kid.”
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On Thursday (Sept. 22), Mahomet-Seymour’s girls’ cross-country team won a three-school meet at Lake of the Woods.
With Finfrock, Dewitt and Graham setting the pace, the Bulldogs outraced both Clinton and Monticello.
M-S’ team composite score was 32 points. Runner-up Monticello finished with 43 points and Clinton had 48 points.
Finfrock placed third, running the 2-mile course in 13 minutes and 55 seconds. She was followed closely by Dewitt (fourth in 13:58) and Graham (fifth in 14:01).
Four other teammates finished among the top 20 in a 72-runner field: McKenna Hayes (seventh in 14:45), Lily Meyer (13th in 15:11), Kebe Kellenberger (16th in 15:21) and Vanessa Oherron (17th in 15:27).
“We had the perfect weather for racing 2 miles and it showed,” Martin said. “This triangular meet is rich in history and rotates yearly. This year was our turn to host, giving many of our runners one last chance to run on their home course.
“Our girls’ team was led by standout Ayla Finfrock, an eighth-grader that has been working hard to have her breakout race and tonight was that night. Ayla went out strong, setting a personal record.
“Sixth-grade teammates Emma Dewitt and Phoebe Graham greatly benefited from Ayla’s hard work and leadership tonight, which also led them to personal records. It was the perfect storm of events and these three ran confidently together, separated by only six seconds at the finish line.”
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Team honors in the boys’ meet went to Monticello (37 points), followed by Clinton (39) and M-S (59).
The Bulldogs’ leader was Hayter (eighth in 13:09).
He was one of nine M-S runners to secure spots among the top 290 in a race with 74 competitors. Those nine runners finished within 33 seconds of one another.
The others were: Caleb Atteberry (10th in 13:15), Dominic Bruns (12th in 13:20), Izaiah Brotherton (14th in 13:23), Henry Welch (15th in 13:26), Greyson Grotelueschen (17th in 13:39), Kade Smith (18th in 13:40), Evan Powell (19th in 13:42) and Blake Patrick (20th also in 13:42).
“Our boys’ team was led by eighth-grader Gideon Hayter,” Martin said. “Gideon went out confidently and found his place in the top group. Gideon led teammate Caleb Atteberry, a sixth-grader, to a personal record. Dominic Burns was close behind and also ran a personal-best time.
“Tonight was a good night for many of our runners. While not all runners ran a personal best, we know they all gave it their best effort. Cross-country is a tough sport- physically and mentally.
“It is rare that athletes see personal records each race and helping our young runners understand that is important. It is more about learning from each race in hopes to build the stamina to end the season with a strong showing.”
M-S returns to action on Saturday (Oct. 1) in the Monticello Invitational. A week later, the Bulldogs will host the sectional meet on Saturday (Oct. 8) at Lake of the Woods).
“The next few weeks are full of a lot of fun and a lot of intensity at the same time,” Martin said. “Our non-varsity level runners are preparing for the end of the season with their final two meets this week.
“So we will be in our taper mode to prepare their legs for a strong finish to the season. We will have several runners sticking around for our post-season following this week.”
