Bulldog cross country picks up steam heading into IESA Sectionals
By FRED KRONER
With seven Bulldogs capturing top-10 finishes on Monday (Oct. 5), Mahomet-Seymour’s junior high boys’ cross-country team completed the regular season by winning a three-school meet at 13 Acres Park.
M-S had a score of 27 points, followed by Mount Zion (36) and St. Joseph (77).
The trio of Blake Dillman (third in 11 minutes and 56 seconds), Lucas Nykaza (fourth in 12:07) and Ty Clark (fifth in 12:10) were the Bulldogs’ leaders in a field with 45 finishers.
Other teammates in the top 10 were Sean Dady-Dreher (seventh in 12:14), Ethan Peterka (eighth in 12:17), Auggie Gaudio (ninth in 12:28) and Kaden Jackson (10th in 12:29).
Another group of four Bulldogs crossed the finish line within 12 seconds of each other, with both Parker Wilkins (11th) and Ethan Ramirez (12th) clocking identical 12:31 times. Justus Vrona was 15th in 12:41 and Henry McMurry was 16th in 12:43.
Camden Wood was timed in 13:10 and finished in 20th.
Other M-S competitors were: Tucker Loven (22nd in 13:24), Gideon Hayter (25th in 13:27), Liam Noonan (26th in 13:31), Jack VanHoorn (28th in 13:39), Landon Busch (29th 13:39), Bryton Perkins (32nd in 13:58), Will Anderson (36th in 14:16), Corban McMinn (40th in 14:27), Landon Dowers (42nd in 14:46) and Beau Back (43rd in 14:58).
M-S returns to action in an IESA sectional which it will host at 13 Acres Park on Oct. 15.
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The boys produced a no-doubt finish on Saturday (Oct. 3) in a three-school meet in Decatur at Fairview Park.
M-S had the first five finishers, which enabled it to post a perfect score of 15 points. Runner-up Urbana had 55 points and third-place Decatur Catholic ended with 70 points.
The five Bulldogs who led the pack completed the 2-mile course within 11 seconds of one another. Setting the pace was meet champion Gaudio (11 minutes and 48 seconds).
Following him were Clark (11:49), Vrona (11:56), Dillman (11:57) and Peterka (11:59).
The Bulldogs didn’t stop with the first five finishers. They had the next five as well, starting with Wilkins (sixth in 12:00.10), Dady-Dreher (seventh in 12:00.45), Jackson (eighth in 12:02), Ramirez (ninth in 12:05.53) and Nykaza (10th in 12:05.84).
Other participants at Decatur were: McMurry (11th in 12:10), Wood (16th in 13:13.68), Hayter (17th in 13:14), Anderson (18th in 13:15), Busch (19th in 13:21), Owen Mahannah (20th in 13:36), Dowers (21st in 13:37), Camden Snodsmith (22nd in 13:42), Will Slezak (23rd in 13:42), Hawke O’Malley (25th in 13:49), McMinn (29th in 14:24), Mason Turngren (30th in 14:27), Landen McConkey (31st in 14:35), Pearce Slocom (33rd in 14:48), Seth Christensen (36th in 16:36) and Austo Li (43rd in 21:08).
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The Bulldogs finished behind Tolono Unity in a three-school junior varsity meet on Friday (Oct. 2) at 13 Acres Field.
Jamison Griffen led the way for the Bulldogs, placing sixth overall with a 2-mile time of 14 minutes and 32 seconds. Teammate Ryan Pruitt was seventh in 14:37.
They were followed by teammates Braylen McDermand (eighth in 14:43), Max Young (10th in 14:48), Tate Kimball (11th in 14:51), Jack Meyer (13th in 14:56), Corbin Phillips (16th in 15:21), Isaac Biegler (17th in 15:23.1), Nolan Maples (18th in 15:23.5), Kaleb Collins (19th in 15:29) and Max Peters (20th in 15:30).
Thirteen other M-S athletes also participated in an event that drew nearly four dozen competitors.
Other Bulldog finishers were: Colton Arbogast (21st in 15:34), Jesiah Hall-Harpst (22nd in 15:38), Josh Craig (28th in 16:18), Cash Bryan (29th in 16:39), Aden Bergman (30th in 16:45), Henry Parker (31st in 17:08), Izaiah Brotherton (34th in 17:25.6), Elliot Smith (38th in 18:22), Trey Reeves (39th in 18:34.2), Braydon Lamb (40th in 18:34.3), Liam Jessup (42nd in 21:22), Owen Smysor (43rd in 22:07) and Gio Russo (44th in 22:30).
Team honors were won by Tolono Unity (15), followed by M-S (42) and Monticello (90).
