Sims leads Bulldogs in second-place finish at Spartan Classic

By Fred Kroner

The Bulldogs placed ahead of one state-ranked Class 1A girls’ cross-country team, but landed behind two others on Saturday (Sept. 26) in the 49^th Spartan Classic.

Second-ranked Monticello (according to milesplit.com) was the team meet champion with a score of 22 points. Fourth-ranked Unity was the runner-up (35 points), followed by M-S (81) and 15^th-ranked St. Joseph-Ogden (127).

In Class 2A, M-S was unranked.

“They are some of the toughest competition around regardless of class, and there was no shame in getting beat by them,” M-S head coach Jama Grotelueschen said.

Leading the way individually for M-S was junior Elizabeth Sims, the team’s lone top-10 placer. She was ninth overall, recording a 19-minute, 30-second time for the 3-mile course.

The next five Bulldog runners crossed the finish line within 44 seconds of one another.

Junior Klein Powell was 15^th in 20:00.1, freshman Ava Boyd was 16^th in 20:16, junior Grace Lietz was 20^th in 20:43, junior Emily Bednar was 21^st in 20:44.0 and junior Delaney King was 22^nd in 20:44.1.

“For Elizabeth and Ava, this was their first true race back after being sidelined for the last couple of weeks,” Grotelueschen said. “We were excited to have them back, and they both competed well.

“Klein finished second for our team with a great performance.  The rest of our varsity runners worked together during much of the race. We made great progress as a team at this meet.”

In all, 21 M-S students participated in either the varsity or open girls’ race.

The other finishers were: Callie Jansen (26^th in 21:05), Ella Scott (31^st in 21:27), Chloe Allen (33^rd in 21:30), Olivia Bunting (35^th in 21:35), Ella Wolters (39^th in 21:55), Alyssa Christensen (41^st in 22:10), Lauren Bednar (45^th in 22:32), CeCe Abramson (46^th in 22:56), Gretchen Scheele (51^st in 23:59), Meg Turner (56^th in 24:39), Hannah Hofbauer (57^th in 24:44), Fiona Taylor (59^th in 25:16), Emily Bergia (62^nd in 26:12), Sadie Wilcoxon (64^th in 27:52) and Natalie Parrott (65^th in 30:59).

The Bulldogs were competing on Saturday for the second time in five days.

“Every one of our runners on the team did what we asked of them, whether it be to bring more intensity or to work on improving their second- or third-mile splits,” Grotelueschen said. “Additionally, each member of our team who raced on Tuesday at Dodds Park ran faster at this meet.”

Overall, six Bulldogs posted the top times of their careers: Wolters, Abramson, Lauren Bednar, Turner, Bergia and Wilcoxon.

M-S returns to action on Saturday (Oct. 3) at Urbana in a three-school meet that also includes Clinton.

M-S has been assigned to a Class 2A regional at Taylorville for the Oct. 24 meet.

Besides the host school and the Bulldogs, the field will include Centennial, Champaign Central, Charleston, Danville, Effingham, Mattoon, Olney Richland County, Rantoul and Urbana.