CHRISMAN - A year after finishing outside the top six at the Chrisman Cow Chip XC Invite, the St. Joseph-Ogden girls’ cross country team returned with a vengeance, claiming the team title in front of bright skies and temperatures that made running three miles ideal.
The Cow Chip, a race first conceived in 1981 by Roger Beals, is known for its flighted competition and open-pasture course, dotted with the occasional pasture pie, adding a quirky twist to the classic cross country challenge. On Saturday, Mother Nature provided near-perfect conditions for east-central Illinois runners with sunny skies and a comfortable 74 degrees.
For St. Joseph-Ogden, the difference this year was clear. Sophomores Grace Bressner and Abby Bello emerged as stars, showing the results of a summer of dedicated training. For Bressner, Bello, and their teammates, the hard work over the summer paid off in measurable improvements and team success.
Bressner, who last year finished the race in 20:23.9, cut her time down to 18:57.45, placing sixth overall. Bello, improving more than a minute and a half from her previous 22:16 finish, crossed in 20:02.52 to claim seventh place. Their performances set the tone for the team, complemented by Taylor Vaughn (21:16.28), Allie Bott (21:16.71), and Tessa Walker (21:30.05), leading St. Joseph-Ogden to a winning team score of 85.
More local sports
St. Joseph-Ogden Sports | Unity Sports | Uni-High Sports
Last year, Unity won the girls title thanks to seniors Emily Decker and Ashlyn Denney, who have since graduated. This season, the Rockets’ top performers were senior Mackenzie Pound and juniors Grace Wherley and Galina Fairbanks. Pound blazed a trail early and finished fifth overall in 18:51.43. Wherley and Fairbanks also made their mark, crossing in 21:55.46 and 21:58.25 respectively, helping Unity secure third place as a team with 108 points.
Urbana University High showcased depth and consistency, placing second as a team with 98 points. Clara Knutson led the way with a 20:04.10 finish, followed by Cadence Scheunemann in 20:38.27. Janny Knutson added an 8th-place finish in 20:47.41, solidifying Urbana’s position near the top.
The top five individual finishers reflected the competitive field across the area: Isabella Keller of St. Anthony dominated with a 16:24.89 finish, followed by teammate Aubrey Denning (17:38.28). Marshall High’s Madeleine Fox (18:42.85) and Molly Farrell (18:49.97) earned third and fourth, respectively, before Pound’s fifth-place effort.
Top Ten Individual Finishers — Chrisman Cow Chip XC Invite
- Isabella Keller, St. Anthony — 16:24.89
- Aubrey Denning, St. Anthony — 17:38.28
- Madeleine Fox, Marshall — 18:42.85
- Molly Farrell, Marshall — 18:49.97
- Mackenzie Pound, Unity High School — 18:51.43
- Grace Bressner, St. Joseph-Ogden — 18:57.45
- Abby Bello, St. Joseph-Ogden — 20:02.52
- Taylor Mabry, Monticello — 19:06.14
- Macie Owen, Monticello — 19:30.80
- Grace Thompson, Marshall — 19:48.97
Team Results (Top Four)
- St. Joseph-Ogden — 85
- Urbana University High — 98
- Unity — 108
- Monticello — 115
St. Joseph-Ogden Finishers
- Grace Bressner — 18:57.45
- Abby Bello — 20:02.52
- Taylor Vaughn — 21:16.28
- Allie Bott — 21:16.71
- Tessa Walker — 21:30.05
- Charlene Barbee — 22:02.85
- Sydney Steinbach — 23:14.68
Unity Finishers
- Mackenzie Pound — 18:51.43
- Brooklyn Mumm — 21:05.50
- Mia Reifsteck — 21:52.65
- Grace Wherley — 21:55.46
- Galina Fairbanks — 21:58.25
- Carolina Popovics — 22:11.82
- Giulietta Dibello — 25:04.00
Urbana University High Finishers
- Clara Knutson — 20:04.10
- Cadence Scheunemann — 20:38.27
- Janny Knutson — 20:47.41
- Shriya Nagarag — 21:32.65
- Sophia MacDonald — 21:55.05
- Ella Ylagan — 22:22.56
- Julia Smith — 24:50.12
Unity's Raegen Stringer goes up for a shot between Urbana's Aziyiaha Davis and Mia Schroeder during their non-conference game last December. The Unity girls' basketball team open their season tonight at the Bunny Tip-Off against Iroquois West (0-1).
Oakwood's Jaydah Arrowsmith tries to dribble the ball around St. Joseph-Ogden's Timera Blackburn-Kelley during last season's road game at SJO. After the final buzzer, the Comets fell 53-23 to the Spartans in the non-conference contest. While Arrowsmith, a senior during this game, has moved on, Oakwood opens their 2024-25 campaign today without her leadership, hosting the Purpler Riders of Arcola.
TUSCOLA - The Urbana University girls cross country team placed fourth at the regional race held at Wimple Park in Tuscola on Saturday.
Despite the crisp fall weather, with temperatures hovering around 40 degrees, the Illineks' top three runners set personal bests in the three-mile race.
Freshman Clara Knutson led the way for Urbana University, finishing 12th overall in 19:33.73, breaking her previous best of 19:54.8.
Cadence Scheunemann, a sophomore, also set a new personal record, placing 17th in 20:01.33, improving upon her previous best of 20:31.2. Junior Ella Ylagan rounded out the top three for the Illineks, finishing 18th overall with a time of 20:05.78, surpassing her previous best of 20:10.7.
Urbana University's other two scoring runners were Shriya Nagaraj (32nd, 21:12.66) and Julia Smith (41st, 22:16.49).
Unity won the team title with a score of 40, followed by St. Joseph-Ogden (70), Paxton-Buckley-Loda (94), and Urbana University (106). The top seven teams advance to next Saturday's sectional race at Cumberland High School, including runners from Oakwood, St.Thomas More, and Tuscola.
