Darren Kinnard
Section618.com
Photo courtesy: Lori Buchanan
It may sound like a broken record (young people it look up), but Du Quoin’s girls and Benton’s boys along with Pope County’s Ahry Comer, Benton’s Gavin Genisio, and Carbondale’s Alex Partlow all won Saturday, adding “Sectional Champions” to their already impressive resumes this season.
Comer finished at 18:30 to beat Du Quoin’s Olivia Phillips by 21 seconds to capture Wesclin 1A Girls Sectional medalist honors in Trenton Saturday. Phillips and her Lady Indians teammates cruised to the team title. Pinckneyville, Father McGivney, Breese Mater Dei, Freeburg and Christ Our Rock Lutheran all advance to next Saturday’s state meet at Detweiller Park in Peoria. Hamilton County missed out on qualifying as a team by 1 place. Lady Foxes’ senior Maddie Karcher did qualify as an individual with her fourth place finish. Other individuals advancing including Carterville’s Molly Robertson, Murphysboro’s Miah and Kayden Gilmore, Althoff’s Claire Nash, Roxana’s Riley Doyle, Nashville’s Olivia Verges, Columbia’s Madison Missey, and Wesclin’s Brooklynn McAllister.
It’s another week and another course record for Genisio. After setting the Herrin City Park record at the SIRR Meet, the Benton sophomore set the Benton City Park course record last week to win the regional, and now you can add Wesclin’s course record to the list after he ran a 15:13 to win the sectional championship, beating Pinckneyville’s Isaac Teel by 25 seconds. The Rangers held off Pinckneyville to win the team title. Steeleville, Freeburg, Litchfield, and Breese Mater Dei also will advance to state. Other individuals earning trips to state are Du Quoin’s Landen Swiney, Wesclin’s Gavin Hill, Althoff’s Jack Hiller, Okawville’s Grant Schleifer, Red Bud’s Nick Fehr, Webber’s Seth Hamerski, Breese Central’s Noah Hunt, Wesclin’s Cole Gruenke, Nashville’s Brayden Hunter, and Du Quoin’s Nathan Smith.
Robinson finished fifth to qualify at the Decatur 1A Girls Sectional. Newton finished 8th, Salem 17th, and Paris 21st. Newton’s Rylea Borgic qualified as an individual.
Newton finished fifth to qualify at the Decatur 1A Boys Sectional. Fairfield finished 16th and Salem 17th. Flora’s Isaac Stanford finished third individually to earn a trip to state. Robinson’s Austin Wesley also qualified.
Mascoutah, Waterloo, Highland and Triad all advanced from the Decatur 2A Girls Sectional. Civic Memorial was 13th and Carbondale 16th. Terriers’ senior Anna Schurz did qualify as an individual, as did Civic Memorial’s Hannah Meiser.
On the boys’ side, fellow Carbondale senior Alex Partlow put on a show, winning by more than a minute (1:02) with a time of 14:57. Marion finished third to qualify as a team. Highland also will advance as a team. Other individuals moving on include Waterloo’s Joe Schwartz, Triad’s Andrew Pace, Jerseyville’s Cole Martinez, and Civic Memorial’s Jackson Collman.
The state finals will be next Saturday in Peoria.