It is officially championship season! This past week, the team competed at the NIRCA XC Great Plains Regional. Last year, both the men’s and women’s teams finished second, and they were looking to repeat that same success. This year, the meet was held at the Gans Creek XC course, which held the NCAA DI National Championships just last year. This course is in Missouri, so the trip involved an overnight stay in a Holiday Inn, which was maybe the nicest hotel the club has ever stayed at (long gone are the days of the Knights Inn).

              Before checking into the hotel, though, the cars got dinner. Many cars got Tex-Mex food in downtown Columbia on a recommendation of Max Maloney. Perhaps he was inspired to make the recommendation when driving through Mexico, Missouri. After arriving at the hotel, a short team meeting was held in one of the rooms to set the tone for the races the following day. After that, some went back to their rooms, while others went to the main lobby to play cards or do homework. Everyone made sure to get to sleep early, though, so we could wake up early the next morning.

              The first race of the day was the women’s race, with a start time of 9:00 AM. The course was picturesque cross country. A long straightaway of soft grass veered left and around, doubling back and circling a lake. Then the course ascended slightly and turned to the right, winding around until returning to the start line, marking one lap. Every one thousand meters, there was a billboard straddling the course that would state the time (although they were not turned on for our races). The edges of the course were accented with a wooden fence, bushes, and trees. The course was molded out of the landscape and was form with the small rolling hills of the countryside. A slight fog hung low with a small amount of dew present on the grass. Far off in the distance, a hot air balloon traversed the cloudless, blue sky. As the start time approached, the sun slowly peeked above the trees, showering the course with light and warmth and signaling that today was a beautiful day to run.

               The women finished the last of their strides and were called to the line. The gun went off, and they flew down the first straightaway. First to cross the line, in fourth place, was Violet Schnizlein, with a time of 22:58. Violet stated that she pushed very hard in the first mile, which helped her build good momentum for the rest of the race. Next was Allison Behounek in a time of 23:23 for sixth place. When asked about her race, Allison described it as “good—no notes.” Right behind her was Lenny Sterritt for seventh place in a time of 23:30, which is impressive because she was also writing speeches in her head in the second half. Caitlin Thomas was next, running a time of 24:56 for seventeenth. Her race must’ve been indescribable because I asked her multiple times how her race went, but she always wanted more time to think. Following her, in a time of 26:01, was Annika Luthe. Annika was very happy to PR for the first time since freshman year and also to take home the women’s second place trophy. Next, in a “PR adjacent” performance was Anna Zlatic in 26:17. Not far behind Anna was Jennifer Ruiz in a time of 26:40. Jennifer really enjoyed her race and was happy to PR.

              Dana Reed also had a great race. Dana ran a 40 second PR with her time of 27:02, and she felt like she was racing the whole time! Next up, in 28:07, was Jocelyn Cielo-Grande. This was Jocelyn’s first race of the season, and she felt it went really well. Greta Snyder was after, finishing in a time of 28:24, and she also felt her race went really well. Lauren Frake also ran a great race. She was another runner to PR on her way to a time of 28:55, where she thoroughly enjoyed the weather. Not far behind her was Haley McCune in a time of 29:06, which is the first time she’s broken 30! Next, in a time of 30:48, was Kiley Senall, who surely was repeating, in her own head, the line from Henry V, “Once more unto the breach, my dear friends” throughout the race (and not a slightly different variation!). Another member of the team to PR was Kyariane Joseph, who ran a time of 32:16. Maggie Walsh was the closer for the women, making her season debut in 32:44!

              After cheering the women’s team, the men’s team got ready. First to cross the line was Coach Max Maloney in 26:43 for ninth place. Max was very happy with his race as he was able to keep pushing himself throughout and continuously felt strong. Right behind him, for tenth, was Braden Stillmaker in a time of 26:46. Braden thoroughly enjoyed racing back on Gans Creek, but he was sad to see the cones out again. Shortly after, Alex Demas finished in twelfth and a time of 26:50. Alex was not happy with his race, but the post meet Culver’s did cheer him up a bit. Only one second later, Jeremy Perez crossed the line in 26:51 for thirteenth. Jeremy described his race as “magically delicious.” Alex Herrera was next, in a time of 27:01 for sixteenth place, and he was very happy to get back to form and race on such a beautiful course. Jack Wilkinson, who ran 27:11 for seventeenth place, felt similarly. Jack was happy to be able to race quickly on such a fast course. Keith Solberg, who ran 27:25, was finally happy with a race, and he stated that he felt good the whole way, earning a massive PR.

              After Keith was Gunnar Sulzen in a time of 27:27. Gunnar was glad to have his family visit and put his face on a sign (sadly not pictured). Fellow freshman Ben Hoffman ran a time of 28:06, who was glad to work with Walter and Brendan. Walter Chang was next, running a time of 28:11. Walter decided not to stick with his plan of keeping it easy despite what he was saying at the start line. Perhaps he was fueled by all the food he ate the previous day. Close behind was President Brendan Graven in a time of 28:12. Unfortunately, Brendan could not yell at Kyle McCoskey this race, but he enjoyed yelling at Walter and Ben instead. Next, in 28:39, was Ronin Borgson. Ronin was overall very happy with his race, especially since it was his IXC debut. Marcus Finley, saddened to not run sub 23, still ran 28:48 for a PR. Maybe, if he had worn the Jordans (or the sweatpants he Doordashed), he would have ran his goal time. Not far behind was Eric Ramirez with a time of 28:52. Eric felt that he built momentum well on the downhills and held it well on the flats. Following, in 28:57, was Morgan Frederick, who was very glad to PR, so his PR is no longer from Hershey, PA.

              IXC’s longest standing member, Gabriel Inojosa, was next. Gabe ran 29:02, and he stated that “the old dog still knows a few tricks.” Close behind was Jonah Diehl, finishing in a time of 29:07. Jonah felt he went out too fast, which impacted his ability to kick, but he still ran a PR. Next was myself, Max Boughner, in a time of29:20. Personally, I’m very happy with this time, and I attribute the entirety of my performance to Glenn Hadcock, who paced me the majority of the race. After, Jerome Graessle finished in a time of 29:23. Jerome felt he didn’t pace the race well, but I’m sure that if the race was at night, his midnight running routine would’ve trained him well. Glenn Hadcock was not far behind with a time of 29:27. Glenn stated that he was worried about losing me while pacing, so he always tried to stay in front of me (which I greatly appreciated!). Close behind was Adam Wilson with a time of 29:36. Adam was happy with his time, especially since he broke thirty for the first time. Rounding out the sub thirty club was Joe Gabriel in 29:49. Joe had a good race, and nothing else notable happened.

              Ryland O’Hanlon was next, with a time of 30:15. Ryland was very happy with his time since he was able to PR by over two minutes.  Iñigo Serrano was also very happy with his improvement to a 30:39. Behind him was Ryan Wilson in a time of 31:17, who had a massive PR of three minutes. Not much later, Ryan Taylor crossed the line in 32:10. He also ran a PR, and he split a faster 5k here than in the Grizzly Invite at the beginning of the season. Close behind, running 32:16, was Austin Stevenson. Austin said he felt really smooth while racing and was happy to improve a lot from last week. Brian Allison, who ran 32:52,also felt he had a good race, and he enjoyed the perfect weather. Next was Miles Moomaw in a time of 33:19. Miles was happy because he thinks he ran a PR. After Miles, Tryggve Vilaseca finished his race in 36:16. Tryggve was very happy with his race as it was much faster than he thought and it was a big improvement. Alex Clunan rounded out the amazing performance from the men’s team with his time of 42:22. Alex was very happy with his race because he ran a PR by over four minutes!

              Both teams finished second overall, which was an incredible performance, and many people ran PRs! Normally, this is the part of the write up where I describe whatever controversy the team managed to embroil itself in. However, I can confidently state that the team had no controversies this meet. Yes, that is right, there were no controversies at all. After the awards ceremony, the team packed up and headed to the nearest Culver’s, to the chagrin of some but to the joy of others (myself included). Unfortunately, while we finished second at the meet, we finished last in the race to Culver’s. Almost all of our competitors seemed to have been saving their kick for this moment whereas we left it all out on the course. After eating food and commenting on Strava, we all started the drive home, retracing our steps through Missouri and Illinois all the way until we were at the Armory again.

Photos link: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1zP8hTmygSVKzgSSvMKqkx1XczFuKrdsV

              There are two very iconic races on the second weekend of October. One is the Chicago Marathon, which attracts some of the fastest athletes from around the world. These athletes, however, tremble at the idea of competing at the other iconic race this weekend, the Lucian Rosa Invitational in Kenosha, Wisconsin. This race attracts some of the fastest DII schools in the nearby area, which made it a perfect opportunity for us to get some good competition before Regionals and Nationals.

              Early Saturday morning, everyone met at the armory to drive up to Kenosha. Luckily, this meet is in C.S.T., so we did not have to wake up too early. This is the last time we’ll have to wake up significantly early, however, because the next two meets are overnight trips. Some lucky individuals (myself included) went up to the Chicagoland area the day before and were able to sleep more (705 spent the weekend in Chicago, by the way).

              As we entered the park, the winding roads were flanked by tall, beautiful trees of red, yellow, and orange. The small breeze occasionally knocked leaves free from their branches to fall slowly to the ground. The course itself was a classic cross country course. One big straightaway lead to a big hill that turned into a winding path through the forest, with sprinkles of mud throughout. It was a beautiful day to race.

              Quickly after arriving, the women had to warm up for the 6k. First for the club was Lenny Sterritt in a time of 24:33. Lenny was very happy with her PR of 50 seconds, which she described as “phenomenal.” Following Lenny was her high school teammate Violet Schnizlein in a time of 25:13. Both Lenny and Violet went back to Chicagoland to cheer on a former teammate in the Chicago Marathon the next day. Close behind was Caitlin Thomas running a time of 25:28, who was really enjoying the race until the 4k mark, where the race started to feel considerably more challenging. Following her, in a time of 27:14, was Annika Luthe. She had a very literal and figurative up and down story of a race. At the beginning, she did not feel good, then she felt stronger, then she felt bad again, but finally at the end she rallied and finished strong.

              Not far behind Annika was Anna Zlatic (or Anna Latic because she has no “z” on her keyboard) in 27:55. Anna was nice enough to record some videos for the club Instagram while I was racing, so shoutout Anna! Roughly thirty seconds behind her, in a time of 28:22, was Dana Reed. Dana mentioned how happy she was to run with a good group and that the fall leaves made the course very beautiful. Dana would also take photos for the men’s race later, so shoutout Dana! Right behind her was Maddie Gentsch in 28:23, who was very happy to run better than her last race and PR by over a minute. Following her was Lauren Frake with a time of 29:48. Lauren was glad to be cheered on by her parents during her first ever 6k (automatic PR!). Next was Haley McCune in30:13, who also really enjoyed the pretty course on the way to a PR. After her, Greta Snyder finished in a time of 30:40. She had also never run a 6k before, so she was very happy with the automatic PR as well. She’s also excited to race at Gans Creek next week as she has raced there before. Rounding out the incredible performance from the women’s team was Kiley Senall with a time of 33:32. When asked about her race, Kiley gave a double thumbs-up and said she was happy to finish.

              Next up was the men’s race. After cheering on the women and warming up, the men’s team was ready. A motto, which is similar to “remain firm,” was shared among the team circle, and then the race was off. First to cross the line for the men, in a time of 27:36, was Jensen Bidmead. Jensen loved this course as he felt strong on the uphills and even stronger the downhills. Next up was Alex Demas in a time of 27:45. Luckily, Alex was able to find time away from working on his lab report to run this blazing time. Following Alex,with a time of 28:02, was Kevin Diederich, who thought the race was “fine” but that he may have left too much in the tank for the end.Right behind him was UK native Jack Wilkinson, who finished in28:06. Jack was very happy with this race, and he stated that he felt right at home running in the mud. Following him was Head Coach Max Maloney, who had a “fire” race on his way to 28:17. Not far behind him, in a time of 28:26, was Gunnar Sulzen. Gunnar also had an amazing race, and he stated that he loved the beautiful course as well.

              Close behind, also in a time of 28:26, was Braden Stillmaker. Braden felt that the hills and mud combo was not fun, especially on the second run through of the big hill. Keith Solberg, who finished in 28:57,also commented on how challenging the hills were for him. Next up was ITFC President Alex Herrera, who made his season debut in29:13. He felt he could’ve done better, but he is excited to get after it next weekend at Regionals. Right behind him was IXC’s very own President Brendan Graven. Brendan felt that he ran a “dumb” race on his way to a 30:11, but he “had fun splashing around in the mud.” Behind him was his right-hand man, Secretary Jonah Diehl with a time of 30:47. Jonah wanted to do better, but it’s hard to be too disappointed when you’re a 705 resident in Chicago for the weekend. Kyle McCoskey was caught off guard by the hills but finished strong to run a time of 30:54. Next up, in a time of 31:03, was Adam Wilson, who was happy to PR despite falling into the mud once. Right behind him, also finishing in 31:03, was Gabriel Inojosa. Gabriel stated that, as the race progressed, he always thought the next uphill was the last and kept ending up being wrong.

              Next for the men was Eric Ramirez, running a time of 31:17. Eric enjoyed the race, but he did not enjoy running through all the mud. A little over a minute later Morgan Frederick finished his race in a time of 32:35. Morgan stated that he “had fun getting muddy.” This race was also the day before Morgan’s birthday—hopefully it was a good gift. Behind Morgan was his future housemate Carter Tiemann, who ran 32:55. Carter ran much better than last time, and he was happy to not die towards the end. Boston bound Walter Chang was next, finishing with a time of 33:18. Walter felt he went out too fast, but it doesn’t matter because he’s running the Boston Marathon in the spring. Shortly behind was Ryland O’Hanlon, who thought about applying the mud as war paint halfway through his time of 33:27. After Ryland was myself, Max Boughner, in a time of 33:30. Personally, I’m not very happy, so I’m going to move on. Next up was Iñigo Serrano in 34:06. Iñigo stated that he felt dead early on as the first hill was very challenging.

              Mikey Crowe was not too unhappy with his time of 35:25 as he enjoyed the race despite the mud. Miles Moomaw also noticed the large amount of mud, but overall felt the race was okay, and he finished in a time of 36:16. Behind him was Austin Stevenson in 36:39, who struggled a lot after the all uphill first mile. Tryggve Vilaseca gave his best while running a time of 41:11, so he was happy. Alex Clunan rounded out the men’s team performance in a time of 47:03. This was Alex’s longest ever race, but he was happy he was able to finish it.

              It would not be an IXC meet if there was not any controversy. This time, the controversy was because the men’s and women’s teams were not scored. Why? I do not really know, but I assume it is related to this meet being NCAA and us being a club team. I heard through the grapevine, however, that the men’s team finished sixth and the women’s team finished fifteenth. Despite not being officially scored, the team competed well and fit in well with the collegiate field.

This controversy was not the most impactful of the day, however, because mutiny arose within the cars with the goal of not going to Culver’s after the meet. Personally, I was quite unhappy with this decision, but I decided to go along with the majority and go to Raising Canes instead. Some cars maintained status quo and still went to Culver’s while others went to Panera. After that, all the cars went back to Champaign-Urbana.

              Except that was not the end of IXC running for the weekend! Two runners, Max Henige and Glenn Hadcock, both ran the Chicago Marathon on Sunday. Max ran an incredible time of 2:27:40, which was much faster than his goal! We look forward to you (hopefully) running NIRCA Nationals in one month! Next up was Glenn, who also met his goal by running 2:39:17! Glenn had to seriously power through the pain as he may have fractured his foot during the race, but he still finished strong! Many members of IXC were present cheering people on, and there were also many IXC alums racing as well.

While the Grizzly Invite is technically the first meet of the season, the Boiler Up Invitational is, in many ways, the true first meet of the season. It is the first time the men’s and women’s teams race the regular distances for NIRCA cross country, 8 kilometers and 6 kilometers, respectively, and it is the first opportunity for us to race against other club teams. These are the same teams we will later compete against at Regionals and Nationals. For these reasons, a strong showing at this meet is usually indicative of a successful season in the future. For example, the men’s team won this meet last year, taking home the hammer, and then went on to finish fourth at Nationals. All of this is to say that the team was very excited to potentially spoil Purdue’s home meet and claim the hammer once again.

As this meet was held in Indiana, which is in the Eastern time zone, everyone had to leave extra early (5:30 am!) to make up for losing an hour on the trip to West Lafayette. There were worries about rain, but luckily it held off for the races. Instead the conditions were quite ideal for us central Illinois runners as we are very used to training through cloudy, dreary days in Champaign-Urbana.

The first race of the day was the women’s 6k, which was slated to start at 9:30. As 9:30 approached, the women’s team finished the last of their warmups and was race-ready. “Big dog big steak” was heard throughout the starting corral, and then they were called to the line. The gun went off, and the women went off, with the men’s team chanting “I-L-L” followed by “I-N-I!” First to cross the line for the women was Violet Schnizlein in a time of 23:35 for second overall. Violet was one of many to comment on the hills on the course and how she regretted checking her watch for pace while ascending one of them. Next up was Lenny Sterritt, who placed eighth overall with a time of 27:01. Lenny was the first to finish within a group of herself, Fati Siddiqui, and Sophia Libman, who were all, unfortunately, led off the course by a Purdue runner. Lenny stated that being led astray gave her extra motivation to run faster, though. Right behind her in ninth place, also running 27:01, was Fati, who was also annoyed about the impromptu extension but still finished strong. Rounding out the group was Sophia Libman, who also ran long but was still happy with her time of 27:21 for eleventh place.

Continuing the strong showing from the team was Caitlin Thomas, who finished twelfth and ran a time of 27:42. As this was her first 6k, Caitlin was quite happy to receive an automatic PR. Following her in fourteenth place was Annika Luthe, running 27:53. Annika missed her running buddies from the Grizzly Invite but overall enjoyed the race. Jennifer Ruiz was next, running 28:12 for nineteenth place. Jennifer tried to enjoy the moment as this is her last first race (we will miss you next year!). Maddie Gentsch followed, who, despite not always knowing where she was going, enjoyed her first 6k and ran 29:31. After her was Haley McCune in a time of 30:39. Rounding out the incredible performance for the women’s team, in a time of 34:44, was Kyariane Joseph. This was her first 6k as well, and she’s excited to race more with the team! Overall, the women’s team ran very well and finished second overall.

After cheering on the women, the men’s team did their warmups as well–everyone still hoping for no rain. For now though, the conditions would stay ideal. As the men approached the start line, the idea of winning this meet in back-to-back years circulated people’s minds, and then the gun went off. As the men raced, the women cheered them on from the sideline, and a small Tarps Off section was started at the finish line. Max Henige would lead the way for the team, finishing in second place with a time of 26:34. He stated that he was happy with how strong he felt throughout the rolling hills. Next up was Jeremy Perez, who ran 27:26 for fifth place. Jeremy felt that he pushed the flats well and moved up through the packs and eventually broke away to finish strong. Alex Demas was right behind him, finishing in seventh place in a time of 27:34. Alex said that he had a lot of fun, especially toward the end when he barely outkicked a runner from Ball State in a drag race down the final home stretch. Following Alex was Blake Saliba in 27:40 for ninth place. He also stated that he was happy with his performance overall but specifically his kick. Braden Stillmaker was next, and he ran a time of 27:43 to secure tenth place. Braden felt he could’ve done better, but he was happy that he was still in the top ten. Jensen Bidmead followed in a smooth and controlled effort for a time of 28:04 for fourteenth place. Right behind him, in a time of 28:19, was Jack Wilkinson. Jack felt that he struggled on the hills but pushed well toward the end to secure seventeenth place. Kevin Diederich was next, finishing in eighteenth place with a time of 28:30 in his IXC debut.

Next up was Keith Solberg, who was unhappy despite running a significant PR of 28:31 because “PRs don’t matter” and he thinks he can run faster. Closely following was Max Maloney, who finished in 28:32. Max was proud of himself for battling through injury last week, and he enjoyed being able to work with Keith and Jack throughout the race. Next to cross the line, but the first freshman to finish the race, was Gunnar Sulzen in a time of 29:05. Following Gunnar was fellow freshman Eli Scott, who ran a time of 29:17. Eli wanted to go a little bit faster, but he was happy to receive the automatic PR as this was his first 8k. Only ten seconds later, Alex Beckerman finished his race in 29:27. Then, in a time of 29:40, the world’s biggest Nike fan and Oregon native, Ben Hoffman, crossed the finish line. Next up was Jerome Graessle, who was hopefully less sick and less tired than he was for the Grizzly 5k and ran 29:48. Rounding out the sub thirty club was Kyle McCoskey in a time of 29:54. Kyle was glad to be sub thirty officially after running tempos at this pace over the summer. 

Brendan Graven ran 30:02 and was next. Brendan showed why he was voted President as he was encouraging Kyle and Jerome toward the end of their races while racing himself. Second-in-command Jonah Diehl was right behind, running a time of 30:19. Jonah felt that he could’ve pushed more in the middle part of the race, but overall he was happy with a new PR. Roughly forty seconds behind Jonah was Eric Ramirez, who finished in a time of 30:57. Seasoned veteran Gabriel Inojosa turned back the clock to run a time of 31:13. Following behind was Morgan Frederick, who enjoyed the hillier course on his way to a time of 31:36. Roughly thirty seconds later, in a time of 32:07, Evan Kemph completed his race, and right behind him was Josef Gabriel with a time of 32:10.

Alan Gu finished next in a time of 32:14. Alan may have been hoping for some rain because then he could put some of his steeplechase practice from last spring to work. Closely following was Marcus Finley, who ran a time of 32:25. Behind him was Adam Wilson, running 32:45. Adam was another runner to really feel the hills in the middle portion of the race.

In 32:49, Ryland O’Hanlon was next. He felt it wasn’t his day, but he was also still faster than last year. Iñigo Serrano finished shortly behind in a time of 32:51. This race marked his first-ever race for IXC and his first-ever cross country 8k! Not even a second behind Iñigo was Austin Stevenson, also in a time of 32:51. After Austin was Henry Carpenter, who ran 33:14 but felt he could’ve gone faster since he misread the distance markers and kicked too early.

Close behind, in a time of 33:17, was Liam Grady making his season debut. Similarly, Aedric Addington made his IXC debut with a time of 33:49. Just eight seconds later, Ryan Wilson finished his race with a time of 33:57, also making his IXC debut. Making it three debuts in a row, Carter Tiemann came in at 34:15 to complete his race. Brian Allison was next, running a time of 34:48 and making it two IXC races in a row. Ayden Ketelsen felt the hills on his way to a time of 34:47, stating that he considered faking an injury at the top of one of them. Starting his senior year strong was Robert Henkel with his time of 35:19. Just ten seconds after him, in a time of 35:29, was Mikey Crowe, who worked with Avery most of the race and finished strong. Miles Moomaw followed him, running 35:46, which is a faster pace than his 5k from earlier this year! Avery Bennet followed him up in his time of 36:44. Avery was happy to run with Mikey for most of the race. Behind him was Ralph Marcial, who ran 39:13. Terry Ryson rounded out the incredible performance from the men’s team with his time of 41:55, marking his return to racing for the club. Overall, the men’s team followed up the great performance from the women with a great performance of their own, earning first place at the meet and taking home the hammer.

Despite this success, it wouldn’t be a meet with the Illinois Cross Country Club if there wasn’t a controversy. Firstly, in the women’s race, multiple of our top runners were led off course by a Purdue runner. Where they went specifically, I do not know, but I heard they ran past some tennis courts. While it is impossible to know, this unexpected foray past the tennis courts may have cost the women the number one spot at this meet. Personally, I’m chalking this up as a hypothetical victory for the Illini. 

To continue this trend, on the official meet results website, the winner of the men’s section is Purdue, not Illinois. This is due to a scoring bug with the fifth place finisher, a Purdue runner, who actually finished around nineteenth. Luckily, this was only a scoring bug related to the chip time, so the actual results had IXC finishing first, which is why we claimed the hammer. However, to an outside observer checking the results, it would appear Purdue won the meet. I would like to direct all readers to spot the hammer in the team photo below to prove that the men’s team won the meet.

These mild controversies did not significantly dampen our celebrations, however. Overall, the team performed very well, and the rain held off for the whole of the meet. Unfortunately, after the celebrations, the rain finally started up as we made our way to the true finish line, Culver’s.

The beautiful aspect of fall is not the cooler weather or the leaves changing colors–it is cross country. Our first meet of the season was a return to the Grizzly Invite in Shelbyville, Indiana, and all IXC runners were very excited to test their fitness and compete. Unfortunately, we may have been a little eager to schedule this meet on our calendar as the weather was very much still summer weather. In the lead up to the meet, the team was tasked with multiple days of 90+ degree heat (32 degrees Celsius for our international readers), only made worse by the corn sweat.

The meet was a morning meet though, so the full intensity of the sun would be partially avoided. This upside comes with the drawback of an early departure time around 5:00 am CST. Fortunately, everyone made it to the meet on time, and nothing significant was forgotten in our early morning stupor (besides the camera by former Webmaster Max Maloney).

Unlike last year, the men’s race was first, starting at 10:00 am EST. As the only club team at the meet, we expected fierce competition, but we also trusted our training and backed ourselves to compete. Reminders that the biggest dog gets the biggest steak (not the biggest stick!) rang out as we approached 10:00. The gun went off, and the boys went out hot!

First to cross the line for IXC was Braden Stillmaker, making an impressive debut running 16:09 for eighth overall. Braden claimed that he had a lot of fun for the first two miles, but that the “last mile was a grind.” Directly behind him was Jeremy Perez, improving his time from last year with a 16:13 for ninth overall. Jeremy described the race as a “boastful sweat fest,” which I do not fully understand the meaning of. Despite this, it feels like an apt description. Alex Demas was next, who was able to run 16:20 for twelfth place despite almost needing to drop the kids off at the pool around mile two. Rounding out the top twenty was a time of 16:25 from Jensen Bidmead, who enjoyed chasing Alex Demas. Although perhaps he’d change his answer if he were aware of Alex’s midrace gastrointestinal complications. Quickly following was Jack Wilkinson, who ran 16:28 and described the race as “Uh… painful.” Jack was not the only one to comment on the heat, as our next finisher, Blake Saliba, also mentioned how the heat affected him on his way to running 16:43, but he overall enjoyed running with everyone. Following Blake was our new Coach, Max Maloney. While Max did forget to bring the camera, he is forgiven as his mind was on coaching (not everyone can cut it as IXC Webmaster). Max ran 16:45 and stated that he was happy with the team’s performance and that he was excited for the future. 

Eli Scott was next for the men, running 17:19. Like many others, Eli stated that the middle part of the race was challenging, but that the last kick was very fun. Following shortly was Kyle McCoskey with a time of 17:24, who pointed out the heat when describing his race but also that he improved from last year. The next runner for IXC was Cole Payne, who was happy with how he progressed throughout the race, passing many people on his way to a time of 17:49. Jerome Graessle was another runner making his IXC debut with a time of 17:55. After his race, Jerome said, “I’m sick. I’m tired, and I’m sick of being tired.” Unfortunately, our next runner, Walter Chang, followed this theme by describing his time of 18:06 as “terrible.”

Upstanding citizen Morgan Frederick was next, who finished in a time of 18:11 despite being tired from volunteering for the club on Thursday. Right behind Morgan was myself (Max Boughner), with a decent performance running 18:11 as well. Personally, I would’ve liked to go faster, but this was faster than last year, so I cannot complain too much (maybe I can complain a little). Right behind us was President Brendan Graven in a time of 18:14, who also commented on the heat and how it wore him down as the race progressed. Dagim Tesfaw was next, running 18:31. He “thought he was going to die” during the race, but afterwards, he felt the race overall went better than he expected. The next runner after Dagim was Henry Rotunno, who finished in 18:49 and stated that the race was “electric.” Following him up with a time of 19:12 was Ryland O’Hanlon, who was happy to improve his time by thirty seconds from last year. Austin Stevenson was next for us, running a time of 19:36. Austin said that he went out peak high school fitness and then slowed down, but that he had fun.

When asked about his race, Alan Gu, who finished in 19:50, gave an enthusiastic double thumbs up stating that he felt pretty good and kicked well at the end. Ayden Ketelsen was next to cross the line for the team in a time of 20:21 and another member of the Went-Out-Too-Fast Club. Mikey Crowe ran similarly, stating that he pushed too early, forgetting the race was a 5k, not a three mile, finishing in a time of 20:29. Ryan Taylor was right behind Mikey, running 20:48. Conversely, Ryan felt that he went out too slow and settled too much in the middle of the race. Brian Allison made his race debut, despite training with the team last year, finishing in 21:03 in “hot” conditions. Next up, with a time of 22:31, was Avery Bennet, who wasn’t too happy with his race, but “was okay with it.” Miles Moomaw followed. Miles felt that he could’ve done better with his time of 24:16 but also that it will improve throughout the season. Caden Streff rounded out the good team performance for the men with a 24:58. When asked about his race, he faked me out by first saying “it was a ten out of ten” and then clarifying that he meant “for difficulty.”

After cheering on the men’s team and warming up, the women’s team was ready to race. The sun, now higher in the sky, was beating down on everyone, but spirits remained high. The gun went off and everyone raced to get a good position before the first turn. Newcomer Violet Schnizlein was first to cross the line for the club with a time of 20:32—snagging herself seventeenth place overall as well. Violet stated that she went out hard, which created a nice buffer for later in the race as she tired. Caitlin Thomas was next, running a “challenging but rewarding” 21:19 to claim thirty-third place. Shortly following was Lenny Sterritt, who ran 21:40. Lenny said she was affected by the heat, but that she appreciated the Tarps Off section the men’s team created towards the finish line. 

In 22:06, Charlotte Kroll crossed the finish line. Charlotte also felt the heat but was overall happy with the race. Evil queen Anna Zlatic finished in a time of 22:29. She enjoyed running with a pack of herself, Annika Luthe, and Danuta Carvalho. Annika, who ran 22:30, pointed out how fun it was to race together as well. Danuta Carvalho rounded out the group with a 22:42, which she stated met the group’s B goal for the race. Dana Reed was next, running 24:12, which beat her goal of 24:30 despite the heat. Lauren Frake followed with a time of 24:42. This was Lauren’s return to cross country as she hadn’t raced in two years. Kyariane Joseph was next and ran 28:29. She was another runner to suffer from the heat, but she also stated she was excited to continue running with the team as she ran all four years of high school. Piper Rieger rounded out the great team performance with a 34:34. She also stated that the high heat made her race extra challenging. 

Overall, the men’s and women’s teams placed second and sixth, respectively, which is a great accomplishment considering we were the only club team at the meet. The only blemish on an otherwise incredible day was the Great Grizzly Invite T-Shirt Schism. In the meet information, the organizers stated that all participants that placed top twenty would get a free t-shirt. This was not a surprise because the same was true last year (and multiple of our runners won a shirt then). Unfortunately, the organizers of the Grizzly Invite decided that, this year, club runners would not be eligible to win any t-shirts. Frankly, this was a disgrace of the highest level. As one of our own men’s top twenty finishers, Alex Demas put it, “I specifically ran this race with the goal of winning a t-shirt,” so to be ineligible is incredibly disappointing. The men’s team and women’s team both finished ahead of the hosts, Franklin College, who only had one runner make the top twenty (or should I say top twenty four since that is what it truly was when you eliminate the club runners) on the men’s side and none for the women’s. We had four for the men and one for the women. I will leave the question of “which team earned the t-shirts more” to the reader.

Despite this controversy, the meet overall was a lot of fun. Perhaps the greatest part of meet days is the post-meet Culver’s, which was enjoyed by all before we headed back to Champaign-Urbana.

As the 2026 Club Relays Champions this was a massive home-turf showcase for the Illinois Track Club, and the team certainly didn’t disappoint the fans. Austin Eckels continued his tear through the season, securing 2nd place in the 60m with a blazing 6.94 and adding a 3rd place finish in the 200m at 22.45. The men’s sprint depth was on full display as Josh Hunt took 7th in the 60m (7.14), followed closely by Andy Wu in 8th (7.15), Lance Moore in 21st (7.29), Tyler Vizgirda in 30th (7.44), Dante Restelli in 32nd (7.46), Mikhail Blinnik in 38th (7.61), and Andrew McLauchlan in 47th (7.78). On the women’s side, Lauren Broome led the charge with a 3rd place finish in the 60m (8.13), while Lyla Repscher took 5th (8.27), Arainna Hammons finished 12th (8.63), Lenny Sterritt took 20th (8.9), Yelim Na took 29th (9.03), and Claire-Michelle Sweet finished 30th (9.21).

The 200m was equally packed with orange and blue jerseys. For the women, Makayla Murrell snagged 8th place in 27.05, followed by Lauren Broome in 10th (27.18), Lyla Repscher in 16th (28.09), Arainna Hammons in 19th (28.48), Lucca Bibbey in 21st (28.53), Nishta Murugan in 24th (28.79), and Claire-Michelle Sweet in 34th (31.11). The men’s field saw Dante Restelli clock a 23.95, Mikhail Blinnik a 24.15, Tyler Vizgirda a 24.18, Andrew McLauchlan a 25.04, and Shailen Zimmerman a 25.46. In the 400m, Darryl Boston Jr. cracked the top ten with a 9th place finish in 53.30, while Koen Brown (54.26) and Dante Restelli (54.91) also put up strong times. Carly Coxworth led the women’s 400m in 1:03.58, followed by Lucca Bibbey (1:04.22), Nishta Murugan (1:05.42), and Shannon Moser (1:09.11).

The distance crew showed off their range in the 800m and Mile. Thomas Harmon took 14th in the 800m with a 1:59.07, followed by James Stanley (2:03.88), Jeremy Perez (2:04.14), Blake Salbilla (2:04.76), Braden Cardamone (2:06.33), Cole Payne (2:14.39), and Morgan Frederick (2:14.65). For the women, Lenny Sterritt finished 12th in 2:30.27, joined by Samantha Anderson (2:47.38), Jennifer Ruiz (2:48.51), and Madeline Rakoci (2:49.03). In the Mile, Simon Hildy put up a great 4:25.59 to take 10th, while Ethan Forsell (4:28.17), James Stanley (4:32.48), Jeremy Perez (4:33.45), Thomas Harmon (4:33.67), Jensen Bidmead (4:40.85), Keith Solberg (4:54.02), and Gabriel Inciosa (4:55.33) all battled through. Fatima Siddiqui took 12th in the women’s Mile with a 5:31.06, followed by Evelyn Rowan (5:34.50), Samantha Anderson (5:54.40), Jennifer Ruiz (6:08.76), and Lia Tondeva (6:26.54). Max Henige closed out the distance track events with a 15:37.38 in the 5000m to take 4th place.

The hurdles and jumps were a goldmine for the club. Melissa Aninagyei-Bonsu dominated the 60mH, taking 1st place in 9.01, while Hailey Liu took 6th (9.75), Christina Jordan 7th (9.93), and Taylor Watson 11th (10.51). For the men, Max Henige grabbed 5th in 8.92, with Matthew Uthayopas in 6th (8.93), Ethan Hung in 11th (9.34), and Ciaran Wall in 14th (10.02). In the High Jump, Christina Jordan cleared 1.52m for 2nd place, while Gwen Bottom (1.42m) and Anna Zlatic (1.32m) also scored. Nelson Heck and Rylan Mui both cleared 1.86m to take 1st and 3rd for the men, with Jack Tolentino (1.71m), Shailen Zimmerman (1.53m), and Braiden Matthiesen (1.44m) adding depth. Melissa Aninagyei-Bonsu won the Long Jump with a 5.17m leap, followed by Hailey Liu in 4th (4.78m), Bella Brunke in 5th (4.74m), Taylor Watson in 8th (4.60m), Yelim Na (4.32m), and Gwen Bottom (3.05m). The men’s Long Jump saw Rylan Mui take 2nd (6.35m), Nelson Heck 3rd (6.33m), Ciaran Wall 8th (5.91m), Andrew McLauchlan (5.56m), and Lance Moore (5.45m). Hailey Liu also claimed 1st place in the Triple Jump (11.02m), with Taylor Watson in 2nd (9.75m) and Shailen Zimmerman in 7th (11.63m) for the men.

Finally, the throwers showing out with Josh Hunt(12.68), Georgios Avdis (10.01), Aaron Murray (10.96m), Keith Solberg ( 9.28), Hayden Lewis (8.67m), and Evan Lin (8.24). Joined by Mia Howard (9.90), Patricia Richards (9.41m), Ivy Del Real (7.44), and Anoosheh Azeem (7.16).

Over in the relays, the Women’s 4x200m A team (Lauren Broome, Bella Brunke, Nishta Murugan, and Makayla Murrell) took 1st place in 1:50.06. The Men’s 4x200m A team (Andy Wu, Austin Eckels, Darryl Boston Jr, and Matthew Uthayopas) also secured 1st place in 1:33.15, while the B team (Tyler Vizgirda, Mikhail Blinnik, Carter Bailitz, and Andrew McLauchlan) took 3rd in 1:36.56. The meet ended with the 4x400m, where the women’s A team took 2nd (4:23.59) and the men’s A team (Austin Eckels, Darryl Boston Jr, Thomas Harmon, and Koen Brown) took 3rd in 3:32.40.

The IC Hilltop Invitational was another showcase of high-caliber performances from the Illinois Track Club, particularly in the relay and distance events. The meet kicked off with a strong podium showing in the Distance Medley Relays, as the women’s squad featuring Samantha Anderson, Annika Luthe, Anna Zlatic, and Fatima Siddiqui secured 2nd place in 14:42.25. On the men’s side, the DMR team of Morgan Frederick, Aidan Markiewicz, Koen Brown, and Albert Szewczyk locked in 3rd place with a time of 11:35.76.

The sprint group kept the momentum going in the short dashes and hurdles. Austin Eckels continued his dominant season by taking 1st place in the 200m with a time of 22.49. In the 60m, Andy Wu led the way for the men in 17th (7.29), followed by Dante Restelli (7.409), Lance Moore (7.463), and Eah Becker (7.731). For the women, Lyla Repscher finished 14th in the 60m (8.46) and put up an impressive 7th place finish in the 200m (28.17). She was joined in the 200m by Lucca Bibbey (28.76) and Meghan Pierce (34.52). Over the hurdles, Hailey Liu took 6th in the 60mH (10.2) and Taylor Watson finished 9th (10.43).

The middle-distance and long-sprint events saw significant depth across the board. In the 400m, Carly Coxworth led the ITC women with a 1:02.97, followed by Lucca Bibbey (1:03.87), Shannon Moser (1:10.25), and Annalie Giang (1:24.24). The men’s 400m featured Koen Brown (57.237) and Steve Lin (1:00.8). The 800m runners also turned in gritty performances, including Jennifer Ruiz (2:49.46), Jocelyn Cielo-Grande (3:07.38), Braden Cardamone (2:04.87), Cole Payne (2:08.77), Alex Demas (2:14.07), and Morgan Frederick (2:15.002).

Distance fans were treated to several heats of the Mile, where Jeremy Perez led the club with a time of 4:35.66. The men’s field was deep with Jensen Bidmead (4:38.14), Walter Chang (4:40.53), Keith Solberg (4:51.36), Alex Demas (4:53.41), Alan Gu (5:10.77), Ryland O’Hanlon (5:13.57), and Aidan Markiewicz (5:35.58). For the women, Jennifer Ruiz clocked a 6:09.32 and Jocelyn Cielo-Grande finished in 6:24.45.

The meet concluded with high-energy performances in the 4x400m and the 4x200m relays. The Men’s 4x200m A team—composed of Andy Wu, Austin Eckels, Mikhail Blinnik, and Dante Restelli—stormed to a 2nd place finish in 1:33.89. The B team of Tyler Vizgirda, Koen Brown, Carter Bailitz, and Andrew McLaughlan also performed well, taking 4th place in 1:38.01. Finally, the Men’s 4x400m A team secured 6th place in 3:41.14, featuring splits from Tyler Vizgirda (56.94), Koen Brown (56.11), Braden Cardamone (53.96), and Austin Eckels (54.14).

The UChicago Phoenix Invitational was another standout weekend for the Illinois Track Club, with the team finding plenty of success against a tough field. Austin Eckels led the charge with a huge performance in the 400m, taking 1st place in 51.22, and he backed that up with a strong 4th place finish in the 60m at 7.02. Andy Wu also had a busy day in the sprints, hitting 7.22 for 12th in the 60m and a fast 23.22 for 6th in the 200m, followed by Lance Moore who clocked 7.44 and 24.582 in the same events.

The women’s sprint and hurdle group was equally productive. Hailey Liu snagged 2nd place in the 60mH in 9.86, while Christina Jordan was right behind her in 3rd at 10.02. Lyla Repscher took 5th in the 60m (8.23) and 8th in the 200m (27.88), with Arainna Hammons finishing 10th (8.54) and 12th (28.83) across those two dashes. The 200m field also included Lucca Bibbey in 10th (28.64) and Annalie Giang in 28th (37.26), while the men’s side saw Morgan Frederick hit 28.34 and Tyler West cross in 30.22. Yelim Na rounded out the 60m crew with a 9.25.

In the longer sprints and middle-distance races, Lucca Bibbey took 3rd in the 400m with a 1:03.36, followed by Annalie Giang in 1:24.33, while Koen Brown took 9th for the men in 55.00 and Jose Ocequeda Zuniga finished in 1:03.19. The 800m was packed with ITC jerseys; Fatima Siddiqui led the women in 10th (2:25.43), followed by Laney Bullivant (2:41.24), Madeline Rakoci (2:50.13), Samantha Anderson (2:51.68), Annika Luthe (2:52.61), and Jennifer Ruiz (2:53.47). For the men, Simon Hildy grabbed 6th in a quick 1:58.67, with Max Boughner (2:05.96), Walter Chang (2:09.33), Esteban Medina (2:11.15), and John Bledsoe (2:11.54) all putting in solid work.

The distance crew turned in some impressive times as well. Lenny Sterritt finished 8th in the Mile (5:25.54), followed by a deep group including Fatima Siddiqui (5:45.24), Samantha Anderson (6:01.89), Annika Luthe (6:05.75), Jennifer Ruiz (6:16.343), and Lia Tondeva (6:29.20). The men’s Mile featured Walter Chang (4:40.80), Max Maloney (4:47.21), Keith Solberg (4:58.94), Gabriel Inciosa (4:59.14), Alan Gu (5:04.76), Morgan Frederick (5:06.04), Ryland O’Hanlon (5:07.50), and Robert Henkiel (6:23.33). In the 3000m, Percy Moser cruised to 4th place in 8:53.10, with Albert Szewczyk in 6th (9:02.36), Keith Solberg in 13th (9:36.38), and Lia Tondeva finishing in 12:43.28.

Field events provided even more highlights. Christina Jordan took 2nd in the High Jump with a 1.58m clearance, while Bella Brunke (1.43m) and Gwen Bottom (1.38m) followed. Nelson Heck cleared 1.77m for 5th in the High Jump and also took 7th in the Long Jump with a mark of 6.24m. Hailey Liu placed 7th in the Long Jump (4.86m) and put up a mark of 10.98m in the Triple Jump, while Bella Brunke (4.63m), Yelim Na (4.31m), Braiden Matthiesen (5.05m and 9.85m in the TJ), and Shailen Zimmermann (4.74m) all competed well in the jumps. In the Shot Put, Georgios Avdis took 7th (11.70m) and Aaron Murray 8th (11.73m), joined by Hayden Lewis (9.00m), Patricia Richards (9.12m), and Ivy Del Real (7.21m).

To end the day, the relays kept the energy high. The Women’s 4x400m A team finished 5th in 4:51.65, with Lenny Sterritt leading off in 1:05.377. The Men’s 4x400m A team of Simon Hildy (55.075), Koen Brown (55.91), Max Maloney (54.612), and Esteban Medina (1:02.85) took 6th in 3:48.45. Finally, the Men’s 4x400m B team took 7th in 3:59.01, featuring Robert Henkel (1:02.171), Morgan Frederick (1:02.996), John Bledsoe (57.406), and Max Boughner (56.438).

The Aurora Grand Prix saw a wide range of impressive performances across all disciplines. Austin Eckels led the sprint group by taking 7th place in the 60m with a time of 7.00s and 5th place in the 200m in 22.19s. Other 60m competitors included Andy Wu in 59th (7.411s) , Lance Moore in 61st (7.42s) , and Mikhail Blinnik in 90th (7.737s). In the 60m hurdles, Ciaran Wall finished 23rd (10.12s) , Christina Jordan 24th (10.2s) , and Taylor Watson 34th (10.91s). The 200m featured Dante Restelli in 47th (23.71s) , Andy Wu in 53rd (24.13s) , Lance Moore in 62nd (24.67s) , Carly Coxworth in 33rd (28.44s) , and Christina Jordan in 44th (29.97s).

The relay events were highlighted by the Women’s 4x200m team finishing 4th in 1:50.45 with splits from Lauren Broome (26.76s) , Bella Brunke (28.73s) , Nishta Murugan (28.05s) , and Makayla Murrel (26.62s). The Men’s 4x200m team finished 9th in 1:37.11 with splits from Darryl Boston Jr (23.28s) , Mikhail Blinnik (24.36s) , Carter Bailitz (24.62s) , and Luke Nelson (23.34s). In the open 400m, Luke Nelson took 39th (53.55s) , Darryl Boston Jr 42nd (53.82s) , Dante Restelli 48th (55.12s) , and Danuta Carvalho 21st (1:01.96).

Middle distance results featured Thomas Harmon finishing 7th in the 800m (1:57.24) , followed by Blake Salbilla in 13th (2:00.46) , Brody Curtis in 44th (2:10.66) , Lenny Sterritt in 18th (2:33.81) , and Christina Li in 42nd (3:05.33). In the mile, Simon Hildy took 14th (4:22.35) , Jeremy Perez 25th (4:34.41) , Keith Solberg 32nd (4:43.01) , Dakota Amar 34th (4:44.79) , Lenny Sterritt 23rd (5:29.92) , and Evelyn Rowan 24th (5:29.98). Long distance events included James Stanley in 17th for the 3000m (9:02.53) , Albert Szewczyk in 31st (9:22.97) , and Liam Grady in 43rd (10:16.89). The 5000m saw Max Henige finish 6th (15:25.60) , Jack Wilkinson 16th (16:08.02) , Kyle McCoskey 22nd (16:44.23) , and Morgan Fredericks 26th (17:53.85).

Field event athletes also delivered strong marks, with Christina Jordan taking 4th in the high jump at 1.59m , followed by Gwen Bottom in 18th (1.49m) and Bella Brunke in 24th (1.44m). In the long jump, Lance Moore placed 32nd (5.73m) , Bella Brunke 30th (4.79m) , and Taylor Watson 35th (4.46m). The triple jump featured Taylor Watson in 23rd (9.36m) and Henry Martinez in 29th (11.53m). Over in Shot Put Aaron Murray stayed consistent with a 10.49m toss. Hayden Lewis comes in with a 8.04 while the women, Patricia Richards (9.23) and Ivy (7.45) finish off the field events for the day.

The IWU Titan First Chance meet was a massive day for the Illinois Track Club, especially for the distance squad, who seemed determined to claim every inch of the track. Danuta Carvalho set the tone early, snatching 1st place in the 800m with a smooth 2:24.33. It was nearly an ITFC sweep at the top, as Lenny Sterritt crossed right behind her for 2nd place in 2:24.61, followed by Piper Rieger in 2:37.10.

The men’s 800m was just as crowded with orange and blue. Simon Hildy led that charge in 4th place (2:00.69), with a long line of teammates following: Jeremy Perez (2:03.11), Kyle McCoskey (2:06.41), Dakota Amar (2:06.63), James Stanley (2:07.37), Max Boughner (2:08.41), Koen Brown (2:11.14), and Cole Payne (2:11.33).

The Mile was essentially an ITC time trial. James Stanley and Ethan Forsell fought their way into the top tier, taking 5th (4:27.23) and 6th (4:28.46). The rest of the pack kept the officials busy: Thomas Harmon (4:29.66), Jack Wilkinson (4:36.91), Everett Sinson (4:37.48), Albert Szewczyk (4:43.89), Alex Demas (4:50.27), Braden Cardamone (4:54.93), Nick Kwentus (4:57.74), Liam Grady (4:59.92), Jonah Dishi (5:00.52), Morgan Frederick (5:04.81), Marcus Finley (5:08.83), Ryland O’Hanlon (5:22.61), and JP Moore (5:40.14). Later on, Jack Wilkinson jumped back on the track to grab 2nd place in the 3000m (9:30.13), while Annika Luthe clocked a 13:00.53.

Over in the explosive events, Lyla Repscher had a busy afternoon, hitting 8.39 in the 60m and 28.42 in the 200m. Joshua Hunt showed off his range, running 7.26 in the 60m and 23.86 in the 200m. Other sprint standouts included Lance Moore (7.39/24.23), Jack Tolentino (8.00 in the 60m), and a deep women’s 200m crew featuring Makayla Murrell (27.17), Nishta Murugan (29.06), Lucca Bibbey (29.51), Laney Bullivant (29.99), and Christina Jordan (30.58). Christina Jordan also handled the 60mH in 10.36. In the 400m, Carly Coxworth secured a podium spot in 3rd (1:02.97), with Lucca Bibbey (1:05.53) and Laney Bullivant (1:05.80) right on her heels.

The field events featured a major highlight from Christina Jordan, who cleared 1.62m to take 1st place in the High Jump. Hailey Liu stayed airborne all day, taking 6th in the Long Jump (4.81m) and 3rd in the Triple Jump (10.65m). Lance Moore also put up a 5.02m mark in the Long Jump. At the Shot Put circle, Joshua Hunt threw for 12.44m (10th), followed by Hayden Lewis (8.40m) while on the womens side Patricia Richards (10.24m), Mia Howard (9.92m), and Ivy Del Real (7.32m).

To cap it all off, the relays were a masterclass in teamwork. The women’s 4x400m (Carly Coxworth, Nishta Murugan, Lucca Bibbey, and Lenny Sterritt) took 5th in 4:23.04. The men flexed their depth with three squads: Men’s C (Jonah Diehl, Ethan Forsell, Everett Sinson, Simon Hildy) took 4th in 3:43.54; Men’s A (Koen Brown, Dakota Amar, James Stanley, Braden Cardamone) took 5th in 3:45.37; and Men’s B (Max Boughner, Alex Demas, Jeremy Perez, Albert Szewczyk) finished in 3:50.78.

The Illinois Track & Field Club men brought electric energy to the track, delivering standout performances across every event. The sprint crew set the tone early in the 60m dash, where Austin Eckels stormed to a commanding 6.94, a statement of pure acceleration. He was followed by strong finishes from Lance Moore (7.31), Tyler Vizgirda (7.43), and Dante Restelli (7.45) in a tightly packed opener that immediately energized the crowd.

The speed continued into the 200m, where Eckels once again led the charge with an impressive 22.08, showcasing both power and control through the curve. Restelli (23.91) and Moore (24.09) followed with determined efforts that rounded out a competitive sprint contingent. In the 400m, Darryl Boston Jr. took command of the race with a smooth and powerful 53.84, outpacing teammates Koen Brown (55.20) and Restelli (55.58), each demonstrating consistent pacing and strength down the final stretch.

Mid-distance and distance athletes matched the intensity with equally impressive performances. The 600m featured a strong performance from Max Boughner in 1:32.07, followed by Jonah Diehl in 1:34.16, both showcasing excellent race strategy. The 800m continued that theme, with Brody Curtis taking the win in 2:11.89, backed by gritty runs from Boughner and Cole Payne. Distance standout Keith Solberg delivered one of the best doubles of the meet, running 4:50.91 in the mile and an outstanding 9:55.34 in the 3000m. Diehl added depth to the distance squad with a strong 10:17.49 in the longer event.

The men’s relay teams closed the track events with high energy, highlighted by crisp exchanges and strong anchor legs that pushed the squads to competitive finishes. Meanwhile, the field events showcased the team’s technical range. In the long jump, Ryan Pearlman soared to 4.93m, narrowly edging out Braiden Matthiesen (4.79m) and Taylor Watson (4.73m) in a tight horizontal jumping battle. The shot put added even more momentum, where Aaron Murray launched a throw of 11.36m, with Solberg and Georgios Avdis adding important depth with marks of 10.67m and 9.54m, respectively.

From sprints to throws, the Illinois men displayed exceptional versatility, energy, and competitive spirit—setting a high bar for the rest of the season.

The women of the Illinois Track & Field Club delivered an equally exciting slate of performances, highlighted by standout efforts across the track and field spectrum. The sprint events opened with the 60m dash, where Christina Li led the group with a quick 8.99, setting the tone for the women’s squad with sharp acceleration and great poise out of the blocks.

The hurdles brought even more intensity, as Hailey Liu flew to a winning 9.76 in the 60m hurdles, combining speed and precision to clear the field. Right behind her, Taylor Watson (10.11) and Christina Jordan (10.12) battled closely in one of the most competitive women’s events of the meet. Liu returned later to dominate the triple jump with an impressive 11.06m, demonstrating her technical mastery and explosive phase transitions.

In the 200m, Makayla Murrell delivered a powerful race in 27.28, pacing the women’s sprint squad with exceptional turnover and curve running. The 400m added even more depth, led by Danuta Carvalho, who clocked a smooth 1:03.46, with Laney Bullivant following in 1:07.38. Both athletes displayed great pacing and endurance as they battled through the final meters of the race.

The women distance runners also contributed strong efforts, highlighted by Piper Rieger in the 800m, who ran a steady and controlled 3:42.08 to secure the top spot. Her performance reflected the resilience and consistent work of the women’s mid-distance squad throughout the season.

In the field events, the women continued to shine. Liu’s triple jump victory led the way, and the long jump saw competitive marks from several athletes, contributing valuable scoring opportunities. The women’s squad demonstrated excellent technical skill and consistency, rounding out a well-balanced meet for the group.

Altogether, the Illinois women showcased speed, precision, power, and grit across all events. Their performances revealed excellent momentum heading into upcoming competitions, proving that this squad is primed for an outstanding season.