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.

GOOOOD MORNING XC NATION! 

We did it! We braved the long drive, survived the early mornings, raced with vigor and determination, and crushed Nationals. Unfortunately, this marks the end of the XC season. I genuinely can’t believe it’s already over. It feels like the Grizzly Invite was only a week or so ago. I’m so proud of this team. I know everyone was working hard throughout the season. Every workout, every easy run, and every mile counted towards this race. You should all be proud of the work you put in. I feel that this team has grown significantly, not only in speed and skill but also in fostering closer team bonds. Now, let’s get into the actual trip. 

It all started on Friday morning. All runners were supposed to meet at the Armoury at 5:50 AM to ensure we could depart at 6. Unfortunately, a couple of runners, who I won’t name *Cough Cough Lenny* *Cough Cough Cole*, slept through their alarms and needed to be picked up. They were also both in my van, so we swung by Ikenberry and ISR to pick them up. If you didn’t know, instead of taking cars down to Hershey, we rented giant vans. Thank you to Mrs. Snider, Mr. Forsell, and Mrs. Harmon for generously driving us around all weekend. None of this would be possible without them. Many of our runners quickly went back to sleep once in the van. However, the van I was in, the Snider Speedwagon, aka the best van, mostly stayed pretty talkative. Along the way, each car stopped to grab lunch before continuing the drive to Barkcamp State Park. Once at the park, the Forsell and Snider vans hopped out and began their shakeout run. It felt nice to get the legs pumping after being stuck sitting for so long. The team ran along beautiful, but slippery trails that were made even more dangerous when the downpour of rain started. After our muddy trek ended, we loaded back into the vans and prepared to go. But right before we left, the Harmon van finally made it! They were making the most of their journey, and if that meant being late to the shakeout, so be it. We continued on with our trip until it was time for Dinner. The Forsell van stopped at the Italian Oven Restaurant, and described it as very delicious. The Snider van stopped at Olive Garden, allowing Jonah to get gluten-free pasta and allowing me to play Plants vs. Zombies on the little iPads they give you. While we left Olive Garden, the Harmon van walked in. But unfortunately for them, the restaurant had begun filling up, and there was now a long wait for a table. Attempting to beat the wait, they instead went to Applebee’s. Eventually, we made our way to Comfort Inn. Due to time constraints and one of the vans running late, we had to postpone nats raps to Saturday. Everyone went to their rooms, showered, hopped into bed, and dreamed about all the wonderful performances to come.

Early next morning, our runners raced outta bed to beat the Tar Heels, who were also staying at our hotel, to breakfast. After many bananas were eaten, water was drunk, and IXC tattoos were applied, we gathered our bags and headed to the course. 

Everyone had dreams that the course would be magical and smell like chocolate. Instead, it smelled like cows and manure, so not exactly what we wanted. To cure our dissatisfaction, NIRCA gave us Orange face wraps, which matched our Illinois merch.  After setting up our camp, some decided to take a sneak peek at the course, while others made sure to get extra rest. 

It wasn’t long before our first race of the day, the Women’s Junior/Senior/Grad race. Luckily, this year we don’t have any runners in a race alone. Annika Luthe and Lia Tondeva got to run this race together. Annika started the day off well, being the first Illinois runner to brave the course and finish. She finished with a fantastic time of 27:27. Lia finished next with a great time of 31:59. Lia said it wasn’t what she was hoping for, but she was glad to be at the meet with such great teammates, and she was excited to visit Hershey World. 

The next race up was the men’s Junior/Senior/Grad race. A lot of runners in this race had experience on the course from last year; they were hoping to use that to their advantage. Simon Hildy was one of those runners, using his experience on the course to land himself on the podium, FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW! Simon ran 29:30, leading the race for the first 2 miles and having an all-around fun time. Thomas Harmon was following his trail, finishing in 29:45. Thomas said it was a beautiful day to run, and he felt satisfied. Up next was Alan Gu, who ran a quick time of 32:56. Alan stated that the most important thing in the race was to persevere through the hills, and that’s what he did to run such a great time. Next was Robert Henke, who said he learned how to pace himself, which helped him run his time of 34:19. Next was Aidan Farrell, rounding out the team with a quick time of 36:01. Now it’s time to talk about everyone’s favorite runner, Terry Ryson. Unfortunately for Terry, the confusing course and strange directions from the course officials caused Terry to go off course. While he doesn’t have an official time, he finished number 1 in our hearts. 

The Women’s Championship race was next. Our top 7 made their way to the line while they listened to the cheering of the rest of us. Our team all gathered around to watch the start. Our quickest women crowded in the box, ready to take down the other teams. The championship race started, and by the end, we had another Podium finish. Aubrey Chaney took 2nd place overall, finishing in 22:30. She said she felt good and was proud of her 2nd place finish. Lenny Sterritt was next, crossing the line at 25:17. Lenny ran the hills smartly but began to die toward the end of the race. Not giving up, she locked in for the final stretch and ended up with a new PR. Evelyn Rowan ran a quick race, ending up with a fantastic time of 26:25. Evelyn said she had a great final race and actually enjoyed the hills because they allowed her to see the other runners. Emma Bergmann and Anika Lovisa finished the race back to back. Emma finished first, with a time of 27:06. She had a great race, moving up and passing runners as the race continued. Emma loved being on the team and had a great season. Anika was right behind Emma, finishing with a time of 27:08. Anika stated that the hills cooked her legs, but she was still happy with her race. Next was Samantha Anderson, who finished her race in 27:26. Sam and Annika wanted to say that they not only ran the same time today, but they also did at regionals! Last up in the Championship race was Anna Zlatic, who crossed the line with a time of 27:41. We had a lot of great performances and even a PR! This team didn’t let the nonstop hills of the race stop them, as they laid it all out on the course and ended up taking 15th place. 

Now it was time for the men’s championship race. Most of the team had run this course last year, so they knew how to take the hills. Unfortunately for Max and Jeremy, they only had what we told them and a course map to prepare. The top 7 men gathered in the box with the support of the rest of the team behind them. The race quickly started, and our runners were off. Even though it was his first time running the course Max Henige was the first to finish, with a time of 27:11. Percy Moser was right behind him, running 27:18. They both ran fantastic races and landed spots on the Podium. Max took 12th and Percy took 16th. Percy said he’s already hungry for more.  Ethan Forsell was next up, finishing with a time of 27:54. Ethan was very happy with the team, saying that everyone ran their races very smartly. Next was Jensen Bidmead, who finished his race with a time of 28:15. Jensen was happy he was able to give his race all he had. After Jensen was Albert Szewczyk, who ran a 28:37. Albert said he was happy he could score for the team. Jeremy Perez wasn’t far behind him, with a time of 28:43. Jeremy was shocked when he saw people dropping out of the race mid way through. He was able to persevere with the help of team support in the back stretch. I was next finishing with a time of 29:14. The team fought through the hills and used their speed down the backstretch. Through their determination, they were able to score a 4th place finish! Coach Ethan was very very proud of the team, and the excitement was through the roof (if there had been a roof). 

Let’s not forget about the future of our team! It’s time for the Freshman/Sophomore races. The Men were the first to race. This team was roudy and ready for the race to start. When the gun finally went off, they rushed to the very front of the pack. While that may not have been a great strategy, seeing that they were about to run through 3 miles of hills. It worked out for Walter Chang. Walter was the first men’s finisher, crossing the line at 29:42. Walter actually led the race for the first mile and still finished well. After Walter was Alex Demas, who finished with a time of 30:14. Alex says he could have done better, but was still happy with his effort. Cole Payne was the next finisher, who crossed the line at 30:17. Cole was very happy that he was able to conservatively handle the hills, then have fun speeding down the downhills. Next was  Keith Solberg, who finished with a time of 30:31. Keith actually expected the race to be worse and tougher than it really was. He felt the best racing he had all season. Next was Morgan Fredrick, who raced a fantastic 30:47. Morgan wishes he could have gone a little faster, but he had fun on the hills.  Kyle McCoskey was our next finisher, who crossed the line with a quick time of 31:28. Not far behind was Jonah Diehl, who finished in 31:42. Jonah wishes we had a better hill to train on in Champaign, but still ended up passing many people on the hills. Next was Even Kemph, who ran an amazing time of 32:54. Max Boughner was our next runner to cross the line, finishing in 33:47. Max is currently worried his calf is going to explode after the race, but is still happy with his effort. Last up was Miles Moomaw, rounding out the day for our men with a quick time of 34:54. We had a lot of ambitious racers who fought hard to secure their quick times and well-deserved places. Great job to our Fresh/Soph Men. (We also had a discussion on whether it should be fresh/soph or frosh/sop. I say it should be fresh/soph) 

On to our final race of the day, the Women’s freshman/sophomore race. Now that almost everyone had already run their race, all eyes and ears were tuned in to watch and support our women. We had a strong group of 4 runners, excited to speed through the race. Our whole team gathered to watch them start their race. Finally, the race started, and our women were off, passing each runner one by one. Charlotte Kroll was our first finisher, crossing the finish line at 26:53. Charlotte raced an amazing Pr and had a great race. Actually, not only did Charlotte PR, but every one of our runners in this race ran a new PR! Dana Reed was next, finishing in 27:47. Dana had a great race and said it was super fun that she could see the other racers when going down the hills. After Dana was Kiley Senall, who ran a fantastic time of 29:34. Our final racer of the day was Margaret Walsh, who finished with a time of 35:16. Maggie said she had an awesome and fun-filled race. It was awesome watching these girls run. The future for the team is bright!

After Awards, we couldn’t skip going to Hershey World. Just like last year, everyone had a blast buying candy and riding the World of Chocolate ride. Eventually, we left Hershey and drove another 2 hours to our hotel for the night. While we drove, everyone made their final drafts for their Nats rap. Spirits were high, excitement was through the roof, and now it was time for one of the most important traditions. After showering, everyone gathered in one of the rooms and took turns sharing their rap. Some were cheerful, and some were a little mean, but they were all lots of fun. On Sunday, we braved the drive and drove all the way back home. Overall, everyone did an amazing job during their races. I had a great job getting to know everyone better, and I feel the team grew closer together through this trip. 

Thank you guys for an amazing season. I’ve had a wonderful time as your webmaster. Whether it was writing meet reports or making TikToks, it was a fun experience all around. I know the next Web Master will do a fantastic job, I wish them the best of luck 

Signing off, 

Maxwell Maloney

Picture Link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/D4JTuoCTQneLfVyQA

 Hello, all Cross country fans and followers! 

Regionals has kicked off our postseason, and guess what! Both our men’s and women’s teams qualified for nationals! But before I get ahead of myself, let me tell you how the day started out. At 7:50, we all hopped into our cars and began to make the drive. We all took a nice drive north to Wisconsin, going through the suburbs of Chicago. Well, not all of us, Morgan decided to brave it out and go right through the city. Eventually, we all made it to the meeting with plenty of time to spare. While many of us tried to relax before the race, the bees did not agree with that plan and decided to disrupt us the whole time. Many trying to escape to bees, and worried about the hills, decide to do a walk around the course. Eventually, our time of peace was over; now it was time to get ready to race!

Finally, the weather had begun to chill. While still warm during the day, the heat was not overwhelming as it has been during the past meets. Most of the rain and the mud from the previous day had dried, leaving only a few wet patches. It seemed like the perfect day to race. As the women concluded their warmup, they marched over to the line and began their strides. After a team huddle and a speech from Coach Ethan, which I can only assume was primarily focused on trying to beat Wisconsin, the women ran back and through the tunnel the men had created. This tradition, started by the women’s team, is now done before both the men’s and women’s races, hopefully giving some pre-race hype to the racers. I at least think it’s fun, and I’m glad both our Women and Men do it before each race now. After the tunnel, the Women approached the line and prepared for the cannon to fire. Yeah, that’s right, not a gun, a cannon!

Boom! The cannon fired, and the race began. The first one to cross the line for the Illini was Joy Dudley. Joy made a fantastic return, running 25:08 after not racing since the Grizzly 5k, and came back right when she was needed. She helped out the Women’s team by taking 7th place overall, which was a big help to the team score. Evelyn Rowan finished quickly behind Joy with a time of 25:39, also landing her a top 10 finish, placing 9th.  Third up was Sophia Libman, who, despite the very hilly course, beat her time from last meet, finishing her race in 26:20. After Sophia, the Illini finished 14th-17th, while also starting and ending with an An(n)ika. Anika Lovisa led the pack with a quick time of 26:27, a time she must have put all her energy into because she was very excited to go to Culvers after the meet. Samantha Anderson quickly followed Anika, racing 26:35, securing her a top 5 spot for the Illini.  Emma Bergmann said at our Friday pasta dinner that she was feeling super fast and was feeling quicker by the moment. Despite the possible sarcasm in her statement, she did end up having a fantastic race, finishing her race in 26:45. Annika Luthe rounded out this amazing group, running an amazing 26:53. Sennah Rashidian and Anna Zlatic were the next to finish, both ending up with final times of 27:28! Sennah barely outkicked Anna, beating her by 0.27 seconds. Both ended up crushing the hills and running a fantastic race. Dana Reed was next, pushing herself to her limits and earning herself a new pr of 28:17. Great job racing Dana! Jocelyn Cielo-Grande crushed her 6k debut, finishing in a speedy 28:26. What an amazing job on her first 6k! Lia Tondeva was another one of our fantastic racers who stepped up to the challenge and ran quicker than she did at Augustana. Lia completed her race in 28:41. But not far behind Lia was Charlotte Kroll, running a speedy 28:49 and outkicking a Loyola runner trying to catch up on the last straightaway. Danuta Carvalho was our next runner, who also earned herself a new PR after running faster than her Purdue time. She ran an amazing time of  29:37. The one and only Mira Bhimani finished next. Mira had a great race, almost catching another Mizzou runner at the end and finishing with a time of 30:01. Kiley Senall had a strong race, matching her time at Purdue, despite this course being much hillier. Kiley was our last runner and crossed the line in 30:57. Our women were tough as nails and took 3rd place overall, while racing against a lot of tough teams. Overall the consensus was that the course was very tough, although there was a downhill toward the end that was surrounded by beatiful fall trees, which made the last bit of the race enjoyable. Many of the women warned the men of spots on the course which had bad footing or areas with lots of mud. Now it was time of the men to get ready. 

After the warning from the women, and the look of pure exhaustion, many of the men were worried. The men also decided to warmup by running up the big hill that they would have to run up twice during the race, possibly worrying even more runners. However, once the men got to the line and started their strides, Coach Ethan calmed everyone’s nerves with an inspiring speech. Terry also provided a bit of humor on the line by trying to fit his feet into Avery’s spare running shoes which were definitely too small for him. The men ran back through the tunnel the women made, and towed the line ready for the cannon to fire. 

The cannon blasted off, and so did our men, charging down the field and up the large hill for the first time. By the end of the race, the first to cross the line was Percy Moser once again. While Percy said he thought he could have gone faster, he still took 5th place overall and ran a fantastic time of 26:31. Ethan Forsell was our next finisher, quickly following Percy. Ethan also seemed slightly disappointed but still placed 7th and quickly crossed the line in 27:04. I think these guys are being too hard on themselves and believe that they did great! Albert Szewczyk finished his race in 27:31, beating his previous season time from Purdue. Great job Albert! Jensen Bidmead ran an amazing race, almost catching up to Albert with his time of 27:39. Jensen was moving up places the whole race, beating out many of the runners who started their race too quick. Jeremy Perez ran a quick race, crossing the line in 27:47. Jeremy is always a fantastic team runner, encouraging the teammates around him while he’s running. I (Maxwell Maloney) finished next with a time of 27:55. Blake Salbilla finished right behind me, finishing in 28:03. Blake showed that his Augustana time was a fluke by beating his time by over a minute. Amazing job Blake! Unfortunately, he told me that he didn’t think there were going to be any more hills after the 2nd time going over the big one, leaving him with little energy for the next hills. Alex Herrera finished right behind Blake, finishing in a swift 28:06. James Stanley bowled himself down the straightaway, striking down the other teams and not leaving any places to spare! James crossed the line in 28:37. Everett Sinson was determined to have a great race, joining one of the top packs at the beginning of the race. It paid off with a great time of 28:43. Simon Hildy ran a strong race, finishing under 30 with a time of 28:59. Thomas Harmon is looking even better after his rust buster last meet. He raced even faster and finished with a time of 29:03. Marucs Finley ran over 2 minutes faster than his last race, finishing in 29:52. He told me next race, he wants to try to take another 2 minutes off his time. Morgan Frederick showed his previous injury isn’t holding him back by shaving off a minute from his last race. He finished in a speedy 29:53. Keith Solberg tried his best to catch up to Alex Demas, even passing him at one point, but Alex was just too speedy. Alex finished in 30:07, with Keith right on his tail at 30:08. They both ran a great race! Jonah Diehl didn’t listen to racers worrying about how difficult the course would be. He went out there and raced another PR, crossing the line in 30:36. Sam Lambert was next, racing his first race of the season with a time of 31:11. He kept calm before the race by lying in the grass and watching the sky with Percy. Steven Roberts also ran his first 8k of the season, crossing the line in 31:21. Brendan Graven ran a nice time of 31:24. Unfortunately for Brendan, after the race, he had to bring the tent all the way up another hill and back to his truck. Max Boughner ran his season best, beating his Purdue time with his new time of 32:40. Great racing Max! Ryland O’Hanlon stayed strong through the course and ran a wonderful race, finishing with a time of 33:09. Avery Bennett was another racer who defied the odds and ran a Pr. Avery ran a great time of 34:12. Miles Moomaw finished next and raced a fantastic PR. Miles ran 34:46, crushing his time from Augustana. The next finisher was Robert Henkel, who stayed under the 26 minute threshold by running a swift time of 35:59. Finally, we have Terry Ryson, who almost took 3 minutes off his time from last meet! Terry was also a great teammate, even taking some pictures of our runners who were passing by while he was still racing. Terry loved the shoes we used for the race and can’t wait to get his own pair. The Men’s team had a great day, taking 2nd place overall. We had lots of great performances, and I can’t wait to see how we’ll do at Nats. 

After the races, we picked up our awards and took some team pictures. And headed to get food. Most Cars stopped at Culver’s, and some even stopped at the Cheese Castle. The cars, unfortunately, had to brave the rain and drive back through a storm to make it back to Champaign. The team did so well, and I’m so excited to see how nationals turn out. 

Your dear friend, 

Maxw Maloney

Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/sitGMqi8TcxdcFvr8

Helloooooo Everyone!! IXC just finished one of its most famous and highly anticipated meets, Augustana!! This meet is known to be a quick race on a flat course, giving our runners a chance for a PR. Let me tell you, our racers did not disappoint. Despite the heat, we had a lot of amazing performances and PRs. Luckily, once again, we left the armoury later than the last meet, even after the races got pushed earlier in the day because of the heat. Well-slept and ready, we departed for our long drive. This one was longer than the past couple of drives, being about 3 hours away. Fortunately for us, I know many of the cars were talkative, making the drive easier. Finally, we arrived and even had a little time to relax and have fun before it was time to warm up. Photos were taken and TikToks created, but eventually, the time to warm up was upon us. 

For once, the Men’s race was first, meaning they had to warm up first. We took a little tour of the course, laughed at some signs, and put on our spikes. This meet was against a lot of D3 teams, meaning the competition was high, but our men came ready to race. Well… not entirely ready, as when the gun went off two minutes earlier, many of us were still joking around in the box. After the shocking start, our racers sprinted off, but the first to finish was Percy Moser, taking 2nd place in the meet, finishing with a time of 26:22. This was Percy’s third meet, finishing 1st for our team. Great job! Quickly finishing behind him, and taking 5th place overall was Coach Ethan Forsell, finishing in 16:50. Next, we have Jeremy Perez, running a PR of 27:16, crushing his time from last week! Alex Herrera finished next. He was determined to prove himself after the last meet, and he did, running a time of 27:23. Jensen Bidmead was next, cruising through the race and finishing in a time of 27:49. Once again, I (Maxwell Maloney) followed Jensen through the race, finishing in 28:05. Walter Chang was our next finisher, breaking 29 with a time of 28:47. Simon Hildy was next finishing in a time of 28:58, before jetting off to go watch a concert in Las Vegas. Blake Salbila ran his first 8k with the club, finishing with a quick time of 29:15. Thomas Harmon returned, ready to race, speeding through the finish, ending with a time of 29:21. Alex Demas followed Thomas, crossing the finish line in 29:30. Next, we had a Senior + Freshman team-up of Adam Lupatkin and Cole Payne, working together to run times of 30:01 and 30:06. After that duo we had another pack of runners all fighting to stay under 31. First in the pack was Keith Solberg, running his first race back from injury in 30:26. Finishing right behind Keith was Zach Coren, swiftly finishing in 30:33. Morgan Frederick ran his first 8k this year, crossing the line in 30:43 (Let’s hope his PT doesn’t see this). Jonah Diehl closed the sub-31 pack, ending his race with a PR of 30:47. Brendan Graven was our next runner to cross the line, destroying his time from last meet, with a new time of 31:08. Alan Gu finished right behind Brendan and ran more than a minute faster than his time from last week!! He crossed the line in 31:17. Kyle McCoskey was our next finisher, racing a swift time of 31:34. A quick pack of Illinois runners finished next, and Nick Kwentus led the pack, racing a fast time of 31:58. Ryland O’Hanlon was right behind Nick, crossing the line in 32:05, more than a minute faster than his last race! Evan Kemph was next, racing a fast time of 32:11. Marcus Finley rounded out the pack, running a 32:14, without eating any food that day! Robert Henkel was our next finisher, showing up to the meet in a full dripped out fit. Robert ran a swift 33:38, followed quickly by Aidan Farrell, who beat his time from last week and finished in 33:41. Avery Bennett was our next racer, crossing the line in 35:31. Miles Moomaw ran his first race as an Illini, ending his race in 36:02. Assistant to the Coach, Aidan Markiewicz ran this race instead of only being stuck on car duty, finishing in 37:39. Terry Ryson was our last racer, running his first 8k in 48:09, and staying optimistic and smiling the whole time. Overall, the men had a lot of PRs and took 2nd place, despite the tough competition. 

Now it was the Women’s time to step up and run some fantastic times. After watching the men’s race, they headed over to the line and prepared for the gun to go off. They looked more prepared than the men as the race started. Quickly, Aubrey Chaney took the lead and maintained it throughout the whole race, finishing 1st with a time of 23:07. Lenny Sterritt was our 2nd finisher, crossing the line in 25:23, substantially beating her time from last meet. Next up was Carolina Gallegos, who ran her first race in 25:41. Samantha Anderson was out next runner, finishing in 26:08. After Sam, there was a big pack of Illinois runners. Anika Lovisa led the pack, running a 26:28. Quickly after Anika came a large portion of the IXC board, finishing back to back. Sophia Libman ran her first race this season in 26:35, with Emma Bergmann and Anna Zlatic crossing the line quickly after her, finishing with times of 26:42 and 26:46. BTW Anna also ran almost a minute faster than her last race! Charlotte Kroll was our next finisher, racing a PR of 27:18. Next to finish was Jennifer Ruiz, who ran a quick time of 28:18. Lia Tondeva was our next finisher, crossing the line in a fantastic 29:04. Mira Bhimani had an amazing race, finishing a whole minute quicker than her last race and crossing the line in 29:25. Our next runner to cross the line was Kara Lotz ending her race in 29:43. Hannah Madla was next, running quickly to stay under 30. She succeeded with a time of 29:54. Dana Reed quickly followed Hannah with a time of 30:15. Margret Walsh was our last finisher of the day, racing a quick 40:17. A lot of big PRs and great racing led to the Women taking home 5th place. 

Overall, our team persevered through the heat and had a lot of great performances. We celebrated by taking a trip to the Famous Arthur’s Deli and eating some delicious sandwiches. Let’s keep up the good work for Regionals! 

Sincerely, 

Max Maloney 

Pictures: https://photos.app.goo.gl/MsMuosCwsmmAUzmo9