MSJHS boys’ cross country wins at 43-school meet
By Fred Kroner
With three runners breaking the 12-minute mark in the 2-mile Normal Parkside Invitational on Saturday (Sept 11), the Bulldogs cruised to the team championship in the 43-school meet.
Auggie Gaudio ran fourth in a field of 311 competitors. His time was 11 minutes and 16 seconds.
Also finishing within 38 seconds of Gaudio were teammates Henry McMurry (14th in 11:48) and Ethan Peterka (17th in 11:54).
“Our front-runners got out and established a solid position early and just never looked back,” M-S coach Lisa Martin said. “Auggie Gaudio has been running with a lot more confidence lately. He has led the team for the last couple of meets, followed closely by his teammate Henry McMurry and Ethan Peterka.
“These three are killing it on the course. Very similar to our girls’ front pack, this trio is solid and will continue to be as we look to continue to reap the rewards of their hard work during prep this summer.
“McMurry really found his stride last track season, reaching goals and then continuing training through summer. His performances have been a game-changer this season and are also propelling his teammates to find their own success. Ethan has taken the front-runner role this season as well. It is nice to know that any of our varsity runners could step up at any time when needed. So, just like our girls’ varsity, these three will continue to be the backbone of a strong varsity team.”
The Bulldogs’ other four varsity runners all finished in the top half of the field at Parkside. They were: Emmett Kearns (29th in 12:13), Justus Vrona (46th in 12:26), Preston Sriver (112th in 13:10) and Jack VanHoorn (153rd in 13:29).
“Our top three runners were rock solid, but the solid performances by the efforts of their teammates rounding out our varsity lineup should be celebrated,” Martin said. “Emmett Kearns, Justus Vrona, Preston Sriver and Jack VanHoorn ran races that were consistent and better than their season best times, which helped us secure the first-place finish.
“Kearns and Vrona really answered the challenge by coaches to run a solid fourth and fifth. We knew we needed someone to close that gap and Emmett took the challenge without fail, pushing teammate Vrona to round out the top five. Without a true team effort of all seven runners, the results could have left us without a trophy in this tough meet.”
In the boys open race, all seven M-S competitors crossed the finish line within 54 seconds of one another and were among the top 42 runners in a field of 524 participants.
Tucker Loven led the way for the Bulldogs, ending 11th in 13:05. Teammates Tate Bode (17th in 13:17) and Jamison Griffen (19th in 13:19) contributed to a solid top pack.
The team’s other open runners were: Evan Shuff (29th in 13:42), Henry Carpenter (35th in 13:53), Corban McMinn (37th in 13:56) and Landen Dowers (42nd in 13:59).
“Finally, when the sun was shining hotter than ever for the day, our open boys went to the line,” Martin said. “This race also proved that the Bulldogs were the team to watch for the day, allowing us to snag three of the 20 medals that were presented.
“More importantly, athletes also found themselves running season and lifetime best times. Tucker Loven led the way for our open boys’ runners by earning a solid 11th place and running confidently. Tate Bode had the race of a lifetime at this meet. It is exciting to see his growth each week.
“Jamison Griffen continues to be a solid runner for us in the open races. The coaches are well aware of these younger runners as they have a big job as they continue to improve this year, learning from the eighth-graders that they practice with each day.”
M-S returns to action with two home meets this week: Thursday (Sept. 16) at 4 p.m. at the Swiss Valley area of the Lake of the Woods in a four-school meet that also includes Holy Cross, Mount Zion and Paxton-Buckley-Loda. On Saturday (Sept. 18), the Bulldog Invitational, also at the Swiss Valley Area, will start at 9 a.m.
