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These Peoria-area cross country runners are heading to the 2023 IHSA state meet

Adam Duvall, Peoria Journal Star
·2 min read
Eureka's Meika Bender leads the Hornets to a third-place team finish in the Class 1A race of the First to the Finish Cross Country Invitational with a sixteenth-place finish Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023 at Detweiller Park in Peoria.

Illinois High School Association state cross country will descend upon Peoria next Saturday.

Sectionals took place across the state this Saturday, setting the field for the 2023 state meet.

In the Class 1A field, the top six placing teams along with the first 10 individual runners not on an advancing team qualified to advance to Detweiller Park in Peoria. On the Class 2A and 3A side, the first seven placing teams as well as the top 10 individuals not on a state-qualifying team will head to the state meet.

Top teams: Here are the top 25 boys and girls cross country times for Peoria-area runners in 2023

Here is how the Peoria-area runners fared at sectionals:

CLASS 1A

At Elmwood

  • Where: Maple Lane Country Club, Elmwood

  • Sectional champions: Boys — Eureka. Girls — Eureka.

  • Area advancing schools: Boys — Eureka, Elmwood/Brimfield, Peoria Notre Dame, El Paso-Gridley, Delavan. Girls — Eureka, Peoria Notre Dame, Knoxville, El Paso-Gridley.

  • Individual winners: Boys — Isaiah Hill (E/B) 14:59.35. Girls — Meika Bender (Eureka) 17:59.74.

  • Area advancing individuals: Boys — Joey Bosch (Princeville), Tucker Sennett (Princeville. Girls — Addie Symonds (E/B), Annabelle LaFary (Delavan), Emma Swartzendruber (Olympia), Kyndre Delagrange (Lowpoint-Washburn/Roanoke-Benson), Ava Proehl (Tremont), Bethany Sennett (Princeville), Addelyne Nehmelman (Delavan), Elly Heineke (L-W/R-B).

At Oregon

  • Where: Oregon Park West, Oregon

  • Sectional champions: Boys — Rockford Christian. Girls — Winnebago.

  • Area advancing schools: Boys — None. Girls — Stark County.

  • Individual winners: Boys — Nicolai Martino (Winnebago) 16:04.14. Girls — Evelyn O'Connor (Seneca) 19:07.43.

  • Area advancing individuals: Boys — Karson Shrum (Annawan/Wethersfield). Girls — Kennady Anderson (Annawan/Wethersfield), Daniella Bumber (Henry).

Regional advancers: Here are Peoria's 13 breakout runners so far this 2023 IHSA cross country postseason

CLASS 2A

At Geneseo

  • Where: Richmond Hill Park, Geneseo

  • Sectional champions: Boys — Morton. Girls — Washington.

  • Area advancing schools: Boys — Morton, Washington, Dunlap. Girls — Washington, Dunlap, Morton, Metamora.

  • Individual winners: Boys — Dale Johnson (Sterling) 15:10.00. Girls — Niki Tselios (Lemont) 18:47.00.

  • Area advancing individuals: Boys — Zach Born (Metamora), Dominic Cantarini (Galesburg), Brecken Fahrenkrug (Illinois Valley Central), Jack Dunseth (Macomb). Girls — Ashlee Lord (LaSalle-Peru).

CLASS 3A

At Granite City

  • Where: Wilson Park, Granite City

  • Sectional champions: Boys — Plainfield North. Girls — Yorkville.

  • Individual winners: Boys — Camyn Viger (Plainfield South) 14:12.90. Girls — Tessa Russo (Plainfield North) 16:53.55.

  • Area advancing individuals: Boys — Devon Hayes (Pekin). Girls — Morgan Coker (Pekin).

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA cross country state finals: Peoria-area sectional advancers