Schools from across Illinois gather at Detweiller Park for the 2A Cross Country finals on a rainy overcast day. We start with the girls as Benet Academy faces off against schools such as Sandwich, Washington, and St. Ignatius. The 29 schools line up for the start as the gun fires to get this race underway. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Helenhouse and the Redwings compete in the IHSA 2A Girls Cross Country State meet
On the one-mile mark, it’s a dead heat between Sundara Weber of Sandwich and Annika Swan of St. Ignatius who are neck and neck in the opening section of the race. Meanwhile third through seventh are under a tight blanket with Normal teammates Zoe Carter and Natalie Bierbaum fighting St. Francis teammates Erin Hinsdale and Elena Mamminga and Klarke Goranson from Manteno for position.
Now onto the second mile, Weber maintains a slight advantage over Swan as they now race nose to tail for the lead. Carter prevails in the third place battle sitting comfortably ahead of the rest of the competition.
Coming to the finish line, Weber puts a good sized gap between herself and Swan and claims the 2A race with an overall time of 16:11.3. Swan takes second with a time of 16:27.8, while Carter secures third. Rounding out the top five are the St. Francis teammates Hinsdale and Mamminga.
The 2A Girls Cross Country team state champion is St. Ignatius with a score of 76, DePaul finishes second with 177, while Chatham takes third at 217. Claiming all-state honors is Benet senior Delilah Helenhouse who finishes in eighth with a time of 17:12.6. Also finishing in the top 35 for the Redwings is Keira Jenke in 32nd
Benet’s Finn Richards wins the 2A boys state race
Now onto the boys’ race as Benet Academy is taking on teams such as DePaul, Dixon, and Payton. With the darker clouds and the rain picking up, the 2A boys’ race is underway with muddier conditions.
Finn Richards leads at the first mile, but the rest of the top five are bearing down his neck with Glenbard Souths Thomas Jochum and the Marion twins of Raphael and Gabriel Greer all in hot pursuit as the field is still running close together.
At the second mile mark, the top two have now distanced themselves, as Richards leads but Jochum running right behind him lurking for the lead. Behind them, Kaneland’s Evan Nosek moves into third while the Greer twins still round out the top five.
However, at the race end, it’s Richards who puts a comfortable gap between himself and Jochum as he runs the distance and claims the 2A individual race win with a time of 14:21.10. Jochum takes second with a 14:31.90 time, while Nosek holds on to finish third with Cuyler Swanson from Morris taking fourth, while Payton’s Tra’Monti Williams rounds out the top five. Also finishing in the top 50 for Benet is Aidan Hulett in 47th as Richards takes the first-place medal.
Payton wins the IHSA Boys 2A Cross Country State Championship with a final score of 113. Morton finishes in second with a 191, just four points ahead of Latin in third with a 195.
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