-Illinois is always one of the last states in the Midwest to get its season off and running. But when things get poppin', it's a runaway freight train on the scene.
This past weekend marked the first action of the season, and Milesplit IL was able to capture a nice chunk from around the state.
Mascoutah XC Kickoff-
PHOTOS I VIDEOS I RESULTS
Photojournalist Mike Baxter captured the boys' and girls' action at Mascoutah Junior High.
Girls-
Caroline Tepe (Sr., Okawville) stays undefeated on the young season with her second victory in as many starts in 18:25. Tepe was proud of her performance and looks forward to what's in store for her this fall.
Class #1 Anna-Jonesboro was an easy victor over Belleville (Althoff) 36-79. The Wildcats put five runners among the top 11, and all seven were in the top 20.
Jadyn Gerardi (Jr) led the way with a second-place finish in 19:11.
Boys-
It was a much closer affair than the girls' individual race. Good friends
Landen Boman (Sr., Pinckneyville) and
Caiden Cook (Jr., Duquoin) ran virtually step for step and well ahead of the field after the first mile. With just a strip of real estate remaining, Boman out-kicked Cook for the win 15:16 to 15:17.
Class A #6 Pinckneyville put all five scorers among the top 15 to score 30 points over #15 Edwardsville Metro-East Lutheran's 51.
Kane County XC Invitational-
VIDEOS I RESULTS
This meet was held at the recent Northwestern U Medicine course at Settler's Golf Course. This course was a delight, offering views of Batavia, Geneva, and the surrounding area. It was also the first competition of the season on the course. The races were run almost simultaneously, with the boys starting about five minutes ahead.
Boys-
Carson Kaiser (So) and Evan Whildin (Sr) of Kaneland go 1-2 with 15:22 and 15:29 on a rugged course and led their team to the victory with 58 points.
Girls-
Top Batavia kicked off their season with a partial squad, but the Bulldogs deployed their ace, junior Avery Hacker, into battle. After a tight first mile in 5:41, Hacker pulled away from the field about the 1.5-mile mark and didn't look back. She finished first in 17:52. 2A #3 Wheaton St. Francis won with 56 points.
VIDEOS I RESULTS
It was a crisp evening in Central Illinois, ripe for an evening cross-country invitational. So, let's light it up! There was a co-ed race to kick things off, and first-time cross country runner, senior Keegan Dewall of Gibson City won in 16:02. He ran track in previous seasons as well as played basketball. Freshman Paige Jansen of Mahomet-Seymour took the open girls race in 19:40.
Girls-
The all-state cross country and track runner, Klaire Eighner (Sr., Maroa-Forsyth), toured the scenic and energetic course in 17:07. Class A #11 Shelbyville won the team title, scoring 104 points.
Boys-
It was quite a show for some of Central Illinois' top returning runners. Among them was defending Class A state champion Chaz Oberkfell (Sr., Gillespie), who made his season debut. He won in a blazing 14:41 and led two others under 15:00, including Quaid Berger (So., Richland Co) and Johnathan Iacobazzi (Sr., Sullivan). Mahomet-Seymour cruised to an easy team win with 51 points.
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More results---
| 8/30 | Aurora City XC Meet | Aurora, IL | | |
| 8/30 | Bee Bee Invite | Williamsville, IL | | |
| 8/30 | Carterville Beat the Heat Meet | Carterville, IL | | |
| 8/30 | Civic Memorial Twilight Invite | Bethalto, IL | | |
| 8/30 | Clinton Light it Up Invitational | Clinton, IL | | |
| 8/30 | Doc Acklin XC Invitational | Paris, IL | | |
| 8/30 | EIU Showdown | Naperville, IL | | |
| 8/30 | Elgin City Classic Invitational | Elgin, IL | | |
| 8/30 | Harvest-Westminster Fall Classic Invitational | Elgin, IL | | |
| 8/30 | J Hawk Invite | Rockford, IL | | |
| 8/30 | Kane County XC Invitational | Geneva, IL | | |
| 8/30 | Mascoutah XC Kickoff | Mascoutah, IL | | |
|
| 8/30 | McHenry County Invite | Woodstock, IL | | |
| 8/30 | Mossville Warrior Invitational | Chillicothe, IL | | |
| 8/30 | Niles West vs Niles North Crosstown | Skokie, IL | | |
| 8/30 | Normal West XC Invitational | Normal, IL | | |
| 8/30 | Rickover Naval Academy Sea Dragon Invitational | Chicago, IL | | |
| 8/30 | Rocket Run for the Stars Invitational | Peoria, IL | | |
| 8/30 | Saber Corn Classic | Champaign, IL | | |
| 8/30 | Sue Kramer Invitational (Girls Only) | Tinley Park, IL |
-Illinois is always one of the last states in the Midwest to get its season off and running. But when things get poppin', it's a runaway freight train on the scene.
This past weekend marked the first action of the season, and Milesplit IL was able to capture a nice chunk from around the state.
Mascoutah XC Kickoff-
PHOTOS I VIDEOS I RESULTS
Photojournalist Mike Baxter captured the boys' and girls' action at Mascoutah Junior High.
Girls-
Caroline Tepe (Sr., Okawville) stays undefeated on the young season with her second victory in as many starts in 18:25. Tepe was proud of her performance and looks forward to what's in store for her this fall.
Class #1 Anna-Jonesboro was an easy victor over Belleville (Althoff) 36-79. The Wildcats put five runners among the top 11, and all seven were in the top 20.
Jadyn Gerardi (Jr) led the way with a second-place finish in 19:11.
Boys-
It was a much closer affair than the girls' individual race. Good friends
Landen Boman (Sr., Pinckneyville) and
Caiden Cook (Jr., Duquoin) ran virtually step for step and well ahead of the field after the first mile. With just a strip of real estate remaining, Boman out-kicked Cook for the win 15:16 to 15:17.
