The boys and girls cross country teams had tremendous success in Geneseo on November 1st for their sectional tournament. Despite the course’s three miles of several large hills, chilly temperatures, and cloudy weather, all competing runners advanced to the upcoming IHSA State Championship.
For senior Sean Kaeb, his persistence paid off as he ended in 7th out of 141 boys running with a time of 15:30. “I had to go up [the hill] twice. It was a killer, but I got past it. It was a tough course. I stayed strong the whole time. I stayed in it the whole time,” Kaeb remarked.
Freshman Greyson Ince posted a 16:24 to finish 35th overall, though he battled through adversity late in the race. “I got a cramp around mile 2, and I started fading a lot,” Ince said. “The hills were pretty bad.”
Also advancing for the boys were freshman Kingston Navarez; sophomores Andrew Aldeman and Lucas Layman; and juniors Aaden Richards and Jacob Bauchmoyer.
The girls’ team showed equal determination, sending seven runners to the state championships. Sophomore Leya Alcorn praised both the course and her teammates. “I think it was really good. The hills were really hard, and it was a tough course, but it was really fun,” Alcorn said. “I just really love this team.”
Joining Alcorn in qualifying were freshmen Chloe Layman, Milli Davis, and Harper Funk; sophomore Nora Bloebaum; and seniors Tessa Ritter and Lana Alcorn.
Jill Burroughs, head coach for the girls team, emphasized the program’s year-round commitment that made Saturday’s success possible. “They have been working hard since June. They’ve practiced in the hot, practiced during the cold, in the morning. They did everything we asked and it came together today, and it is super exciting that we’re going to State,” she said.
Furthermore, she expressed confidence heading into the state championship with the team’s familiarity with the venue. “We’ve been on Detweiler before, which is nice,” Burroughs said. “Every meet that we’re together, we’re just getting better and doing well.”
Junior Nathan Moran, cheering from the sidelines, noted the team’s aggressive racing. “What we had to do today is we had to get out and we had to hunt,” Moran said, referencing Coach Hampton’s huddle. “We gotta get out there, and we gotta find Morris. We gotta find Morton. We gotta get out there, and we gotta put in the work. And that’s what we saw out of these guys.”
Both teams truly “hunted” the competition as every member of both teams advanced to state this weekend.
As a parting thought, Kaeb reflected on competing in his final postseason. “[It is] a little sad. It’s definitely the highlight of the year, but I’m going to enjoy this last week while I have it,” Kaeb shared.
Both teams will compete at the IHSA State Championships on Saturday, November 8th at Detweiler Park in Peoria, marking the final meet of the 2025 season.
