Gaudio sets new record on Bulldog home course

By Fred Kroner

Mahomet-Seymour eighth-grader Auggie Gaudio broke the course record at the Bulldogs’ 2-mile cross-country home course at the Swiss Valley area of the Lake of the Woods on Thursday (Sept. 16), but he had the mark in his possession for less than 48 hours.

Gaudio lowered the standard set by former M-S junior high runner Gabe Difanis in 2018, when he posted a winning time of 11 minutes and 13 seconds in a five-school meet. Difanis’ previous record was 11:18.

Gaudio beat teammate Ethan Peterka to the finish line by six seconds. Peterka was second in 11:19.

With teammate Henry McMurry completing the Bulldogs’ 1-2-3 finish (in 11:31), M-S was the meet’s team champion with 18 points.

Team runner-up Mount Zion had 58 points and third-place St. Joseph ended with 74 points.

Parker Wilkins (fifth in 11:57) and Justus Vrona (seventh in 11:58) also broke the 12-minute barrier.

Overall, 23 of the first 40 finishers in a race with 101 participants were representing M-S.

Six others completed the course in 13 minutes, or better.

Emmett Kearns was ninth (12:25), Tucker Loven was 11^th (12:29), Jamison Griffen was 15^th (12:44), Preston Sriver was 16^th (12:49), Tate Bode was 18^th (12:54) and Camden Wood was 22^nd (13:00).

“Our boys’ team is finding their stride,” M-S coach Lisa Martin said.

Other Bulldogs who placed among the top 40 were: Jack Vanhoorn (23^rd in 13:15), Liam Noonan (24^th in 13:15), Henry Carpenter (25^th in 13:16), Evan Shuff (26^th in 13:17), Camden Snodsmith (27^th in 13:18), Jackson Davis (30^th in 13:24), Jack Meyer (31^st in 13:25), Corbin McMinn (32^nd in 13:34), Adam Varga (34^th in 13:39), Gideon Hayter (38^th in 13:47), Dominic Bruns (39^th in 13:55) and Liam Burwell (40^th in 13:56).

On Saturday (Sept. 18), Gaudio ran faster than the course record he had established two days earlier, but he placed third overall in a race where Normal Kinglsey’s Luke Eganhouse dropped the record down to 10:40.

Team honors in the 13-school Saturday race went to M-S (27 points), which edged Normal Parkside (34 points) and Tolono Unity (39 points).

The Bulldogs had seven runners finish among the top-30 in an 88-runner race.

Following Gaudio (10:59) were: Peterka (fourth in 11:04), McMurry (eighth in 11:31), Vrona (10^th in 11:40), Wilkins (12^th in 11:44), Kearns (24^th in 12:21) and Sriver (27^th in 12:23).

“Ethan Peterka led our team for the first half of the race,” Martin said. “Taking a risk and holding his aggressive pace early paid off for his team.

 “With both of them pushing it in the front, I knew we were going to fare well when the finish places were calculated. Henry McMurry, Justus Vrona and Parker Wilkins rounded out the top five. Emmett Kearns and Preston Sriver found their racing legs and ran solid races.”

In the 167-runner open race, M-S competitors swept the top four places, led by Loven (12:20).

He was trailed by Griffen (second in 12:31), Bode (third in 12:32) and Wood (fourth in 12:33).

“Eleven seconds behind Tucker, teammates Jamison Griffen, Tate Bode and Camden Wood were racing it out to push the pack to a solid finish,” Martin said. “One really cool thing about this team is that they all want to do well and when one of them has a good day, it motivates the others to follow suit.”

Ten other Bulldogs collected finishes among the top-25: VanHoorn (sixth in 12:47), Snodsmith (10^th in 13:05), McMinn (12^th in 13:08), Shuff (13^th in 13:09), Carpenter (14h in 13:11), Meyer (17^th in 13:15), Landen Dowers (19^th in 13:24), Dominic Gaudio (23^rd in 13:39), Hayter (24^th in 13:40) and Burwell (25^th in 13:40).

M-S returns to action on Thursday (Sept. 23) at Monticello in a meet that will also include Clinton.