Dear loyal readers,
WE RACED REGIONALS! No, we did not get to host this year (sorry Brendan), but we were very excited about racing in a new place. Our regional meet was held in Iowa City, a short 3 hours and 40 minutes from Champaign. The physical distance between us and the course meant this was an overnight meet, so we left on Friday afternoon and began our drives out West. Nearly every car stopped at an Olive Garden along the way, except the late van that opted for the restaurant Gabe I used to frequent! We all filled up on breadsticks, pasta, and burritos, fueling ourselves for race day! Everyone slowly trickled into the Coralville Quality Inn. Special shoutout to Laine for seamlessly organizing our hospitality every time. We appreciate you! After some trips to get sweet treats and some bonding in the hotel, our athletes headed to bed to get rest before the big day.
The next morning alarms went off at 0600 and we inundated the breakfast buffet with orange and blue. Once everyone had eaten and caffeinated themselves, it was time to brave the cold and make the quick drive over to Ashton Cross Country course. We effortlessly figured out where to go, hauled the tent, tarps, and spike bags over to the team camp area, and got settled. We had some fun doing hair, taking photos, and desecrating the porta potties. Shortly, it was time for the women to get their bibs and start warming up.
The first race of the morning was the women’s 6K. As the sun rose over the treeline, the frost began to melt, creating some slippery spots, but also illuminating the beautiful fall foliage. After a short preview of the course, which begins with the world’s longest downhill straightaway, the women suited up and began warmups. Expectations were high, especially considering the perfect weather and rolling hills. Coach Ethan inspired us with some words of wisdom, specifically about trying to get around those wearing red. After a spirited ‘IXC’ chant, we ran back to the starting line and got ready to run. If I may insert a personal opinion, this was the best cross country course I have ever run. There were some relatively steep inclines, but they were short and always followed immediately by a downhill recovery. Maybe it was the crisp air, sunshine, or complete lack of wind, but something about this course really did it for me.
Anyways, let’s get into how our ladies team did. They placed second overall with 54 points (I think it was 54 points). Up first was Aubrey Chaney, who finished in a time of 23:07. Aubrey said this was a great return to racing after about a year off, and she thought it was super fun. Aubrey placed 5th overall and got a super sick medal! Also placing in the top ten was Joy Dudley, who got 7th place and ran a time of 23:14. Joy felt awesome during her seasonal PR race and loved the course. We will miss her Nats for sure! Up next was Claire Casiello, who placed ninth and ran a time of 23:36. This was technically a PR for Claire since Auggie was a little long, and she said she felt like she gave it her all. She would like to thank the Rock Island Olive Garden for sponsoring this performance (legend has it Claire once ran an Olive Garden out of breadsticks…) Up next was Bridget Brokaw, who had a legendary cheer squad come out to see her massive PR. Bkay ran a time of 24:17, absolutely smashing her previous best. I am so proud of you Bridget! Up next was Lenny Sterritt, who ran a time of 25:16. Lenny did not have much to say to me about her race, but she was fueled by Albanese gummies (CANDY NOT ANYTHING ELSE) and seemed to enjoy the day. We hope Lenny can join us for Nats. Up next was IXC’s biggest fan, Anna Jablonski. TBJ floated up those hills and finished with a time of 25:40. Thanks for coming Anna, it would not have been as fun without you! I (EMMA BERG) finished after Anna with a time of 25:51! I was relieved to be capable of running faster than Augustana, and I seriously had such a great time. I am so grateful for this awesome team!!!! Right behind me was Anna Zlatic. Anna and I agreed that our little pack was super helpful during this race. Anna (not Anna), ran a time of 25:55, a lifetime PR! Yay Anna! Up next was Suhani Peramanu, who described her race as terrible due to her ‘non-functional’ legs. Luckily, Suhani is Suhani, and she was able to laugh about it as she enjoyed her chorizo scramble hold the chorizo, queso, and eggs. Suhani is deserving of the best race ever, so hopefully she will find that at Nats. She ran a super respectable time of 26:02. Up next was Annika Luthe, who ran a time of 26:44. This is allegedly a 3 second PR, which is the best amount of time to PR by. She felt really good and enjoyed the race experience. Finishing just behind Annika was Sam Anderson. Sam ran a time of 26:44 also! Sam said it was a fabulous experience. She was a great roommate also, even offering us her second chocolate croissant. Great work Sam! Up next was Hannah Madla, who ran an amazing time of 27:13. This was yet another PR for Hannah, but she felt like she had more in her. To PR and still feel like you’ve got something in the tank is a rare occurrence. I can’t wait to see how she does at Nats (assuming she is going)! Up next was Lia Tondeva, who finished with a time of 27:28. Lia PRed, was super happy with the temperature, and just had a really fun time overall. Behind her was another one of my roommates, Mira Bhimani. Mira has been such an awesome addition to the team this year. She ran yet another PR and finished with a time of 30:46. She said she felt strong and executed her race plan beautifully. Rounding out the women’s team was Piper Rieger, who ran a time of 34:54. Piper said it was far better than Augustana, though she still struggled to breathe at times. However, she said she didn’t haul ass to Iowa for nothing, so she finished her race strong. It was such a great day of racing for these hard working women. I am so proud of each and every one of them and extremely grateful to call them my teammates.
Up next was the men’s race at 10:00! The guys ran the same route as the women, but with an additional half lap. After some extremely vivacious cheering for their female teammates, the men suited up in their neon shorts and donned their racing bibs. After the usual warm run and dynamics, Coach E called the huddle. He got the team riled up and ready to show the Great Plains region what we’re all about here at Illinois! The guys ran back to the start line and through the tunnel of jazz hands. Shortly after, the gun went off and the race began. The men also finished in second place!!! Let’s dive into individual performances.
Up first, the regional champion, our esteemed coach, Ethan Forsell. When I asked Ethan before the race if he was going to win it, he humbly said there was a chance, but that he’d have to fight a few others for that title. In the end, he led from the gun to the finish line. Ethan showed some serious grit, strategically competing to a time of 25:28. Up next was Percy Moser. Percy overcame a slew of obstacles prior to the meet, including but not limited to: 45 minutes of sleep two nights prior, a sore back from his training workout (?), and the inability to make left turns. In the end, Percy pulled through and fought his way to a sixth place, medal-earning finish of 26:03. Great job Percy and thanks for queuing Slipknot the whole way home! Up next was Sam Lambert. When asked about his race, Sam said he is quote ‘happy to be alive’. While I am not entirely sure what to make of this statement, I do know that Sam raced wonderfully and has continued to be a valuable addition to the squad. Sam ran a time of 26:23. Just behind him was Thomas Harmon, who finished in 26:30. Thomas believes this is a PR (something I could look into but saying it’s a PR is always the right answer), and felt great during this race. He earned his medium rare steak after that! Up next was Albert Szewczyk, who has continued to dip nearer and nearer to his PR! He was excited to break past the 27 minute barrier for the first time this season, and is optimistic about that lifetime PR at Nats. Way to go Albert! His time was 26:55. Up next was Maxwell Maloney, who asserted his position as our sixth fastest runner. He said it was a good race, a great PR, and he couldn’t be more excited for Nats in a few weeks! Max’s time was 27:04. Up next was Easton Rosen, who finished in 27:31. While this wasn’t Easton’s favorite race of his life, he is grateful to have gotten the bad day out of his system. Onwards and upwards; I love that positivity! After Easton was Simon Hildy, who finished in a time of 27:47. Though he did not achieve his goal of breaking 206 bpm during the race, he loved the course and had a super solid performance. I think 207 is in the cards for Nats. Up next was James Stanley. This was James’s season debut after some time off due to injury. He surprised himself with how well he did and was very happy with his time of 27:55. All the chicken and rice is paying off. Up next was Quinn Born. Quinn was fueled by the support of his family and had an awesome (seasonal) PR. Quinn loved the course and terrain so much he decided to stay in Iowa. I bet the people in his car appreciated the extra room on the way back. He finished with a time of 28:27. Up next was Alex Demas, who really wanted to beat Quinn but fell two seconds short of that goal. Alex still said he felt great and enjoyed the race. He finished in a time of 28:29. You’ll get him next time! Up next was Gabriel Inojosa, who also was gunning for Quinn during the race. Though he didn’t beat Quinn, Gabe still had a huge PR of 28:32, and told me he was looking forward to refreshments after the race. Up next was Zach Coren, who was shocked with his excellent performance. Zach ran a time of 29:19 and absolutely loved the course. Great work Zach! Up next was Brendan Graven, who was very happy to be back to racing after a short hiatus. Considering his previous health status, Brendan’s time of 31:09 is seriously respectable. Kudos to Brendan. Up next was Aidan Farrell, who finished in a time of 31:30. Aidan described his racing experience as fantastic and came away with a shiny seasonal PR. Up next was Nick Kwentus, who appreciated the scenery and the rolling hills of the course. Overall, he enjoyed the experience and finished with a time of 31:57. After him was Mauricio Marin, who finished in 32:52. Mauricio said he did a great job of maintaining consistency and felt like he gave it his all! Great job Mauricio. Up next was a dynamic duo of Farooq Hamza and Max Boughner. These two had big plans for sub-35, and absolutely blew that goal out of the water. Farooq completed his first ever 8K race in 33:05, and Max was just behind him in 33:07. There’s nothing like having someone to chase down! Great job to those two on a fantastic performance. Up next was Robert Henkel, who finished with a time of 33:13. Robert said his race went well and this was a PR for him. Rounding out the men’s team was Aidan Markiewicz, who had fun, and wants to leave it at that. Aidan ran a time of 35:29. Overall, it was a majorly successful day with tons of PRs all around. Although the men fell short of the overall title, they still put up a great fight and showed serious toughness out there in Iowa. I can’t wait to see what Nats holds for these athletes.
Both the men and women’s teams placed second overall and we had plenty of PRs and medals won. It was a great day to be an Illini!
After the awards ceremony, we packed up camp and drove to the Foundry Food + Tap for some grub. They handled our volume of athletes with ease, and everyone found something to pique their interest. Then it was just a short (long) drive back to campus. The scenery on the way home was so beautiful with the golden sunlight shining on the transitioning trees. Coming from someone that gets sick of driving, this journey went by far too fast. I wish I could do it all again.
Alright, that is all from Emma for today. I look forward to returning after Nationals. See you in Hershey, Pennsylvania!!!!
Warmest regards,
Emma Berg
Photos Link (I did not weed through the pictures due to laziness) https://photos.app.goo.gl/TpW81fPeKGp5MPdcA