It’s a clear and breezy Saturday morning, and the girls’ cross country season is off to the races as Metea Valley hosts the Aurora City Invite for the second time in a row.
After placing second at last year’s invite on their home course, the black and gold are hoping to land on top against 204 rivals, Waubonsie Valley, and other contenders like East and West Aurora and Aurora Central Catholic. Kaylee Russell and her Mustang teammates eventually emerge victorious as the Aurora City Champions. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
The Mustangs hit the ground running
The forty-seven individual runners line up – and at the sound of the gun – they’re off!
Metea Valley’s Kaylee Russell is chomping at the bit and takes the early lead. ACC’s Maddie Berry, Ailidzie Perez and Giada Fabbi are a few paces away.
Russell’s Metea teammates Swara Kendale and Kailyn-Kira Chhe follow suit.
West Aurora’s Renata Ramirez Garcia & Yuka Toyoshima are neck and neck with Waubonsie’s Dhanya Shanmugasundaram and Mia Bertolini.
Not far off is Aurora Christian’s Amanda Knight and a pack of Waubonsie Warriors.
As mile one winds down, Metea junior Kaylee Russell, donning the black and gold, extends her early lead.
Waubonsie’s Shanmugasundaram is a few seconds behind, as Metea’s Swara Kendale is within striking distance. Mustang runners Kailyn-Kira Chhe and Zoey Tumpach play catch-up; Aurora Central Catholic’s Ailidzie Perez is just behind the black and gold pair, followed by Waubonsie’s Mia Bertolini, Metea’s Meera Srinivasan, IMSA’s Saige Bergbauer, and Waubonsie’s Abigail Swanson.
Wets Aurora runner Michelle Carlos and East Aurora’s Beila Hernandez are just behind, as another group of Waubonsie runners led by Audrey Bertolini continues on the path.
Kaylee Russell sets the pace
Later on, it’s more of the same as Metea junior Kaylee Russell’s hot streak continues into mile two. Shanmugasundaram is a few hundred feet behind in second. Perez is in third, followed by Kailyn-Kira Chhe, West’s Michelle Carlos in blue and red, and IMSA’s Saige Bergbauer still in the top five.
Now with 300 meters to go, Kaylee Russell powers through the home stretch, still in first. At the finish line, Metea’s Russell is the individual champ with a time of 19:05. About 33 seconds behind Russell in second place is Shanmugasundaram with a time of 19:38. West Aurora’s Michelle Carlos crosses in third.
Metea Valley takes the team title
Metea Valley finishes in first place as a team as well, with a score of 33. Kailyn-Kira Chhe, Tumpach and Kendale all finish in the top ten as well for the Mustangs. Waubonsie Valley secures second place with a score of 58. Swanson and Sophia Contreras both crack the top 15 for the Warriors. Aurora Central Catholic finishes in third with 71. West Aurora takes fourth with 104; East Aurora is in fifth with 127, and IMSA is sixth with 128.
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