MATTOON - The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Class 1A Sectional Cross Country Meet at Lake Land College in Mattoon saw area powerhouse Unity advance to the state meet for the fourth consecutive year, finishing in first place with a score of 79 points. This year’s event, held on Saturday, November 2, took place under cloudy skies and cool conditions, with crip temperatures in the upper-50s at race time.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Unity's Ashlyn Denney runs a steady pace on her second lap around Detweiller Park at the 2023 IHSA Girls' Cross Country State Finals. Denny and Rockets will make the trip to Peoria on Saturday looking to bring home more state hardware.
The Rockets have dominated Illinois Class 1A cross country in recent years, winning the state title in 2015, 2017, 2021, 2022, and 2023. A fourth consecutive title would solidify their standing as one of the state’s most successful programs, with five state championships in the past decade. The Rockets, who hold five state titles overall, are currently tied with Yorkville for the fourth-most titles in IHSA history, behind only Winnebago’s 12 titles.
Emily Decker led Unity with an impressive fifth-place finish on the Lake Land College course, crossing the line in 17:41.5. She, along with the incredible depth of talent on this year's squad, has made Unity a formidable force heading into this Saturday's state meet at Detweiller Park to defend their title.
Decker was supported by standout junior
Mackenzie Pound, who took ninth in 18:23.3, and senior Ashlyn Denney, who finished 14th with a time of 19:22.4. Other key contributors for Unity included Josie Cler (22nd, 19:58.4) and Grace Wherley (34th, 20:30.3), securing enough points to comfortably claim first place.
St. Joseph-Ogden also delivered a strong performance, placing third with 137 points to secure their place at the state meet. Senior Savanna Franzen was the top runner for the Spartans, finishing seventh in 18:01.0. Freshman Grace Bressner followed closely in 10th place with a time of 18:27.0, showing promise for the team’s future. Freshman
Tessa Walker rounded out the top three for the Spartans with a 15th-place finish in 19:26.8, emphasizing the team’s mix of experienced and up-and-coming athletes.
The Illineks from Urbana University High School, led by freshman Clara Knutson, came close to advancing but fell short in the team standings. Knutson, however, secured an individual qualifying spot for state with her 17th-place finish in 19:34.7. Junior
Ella Ylagan also delivered a strong performance, finishing 25th with a personal record of 20:03.3, and sophomore Cadence Scheunemann placed 46th at 20:50.7.
Top individual honors went to Isabella Keller of Effingham St. Anthony, who won the race in 16:35.0, followed closely by Kate Foltz of Tuscola with a time of 16:36.7. Shelbyville’s Tessa Bowers claimed third place in 17:21.4, leading her team to a second-place finish and a state meet berth with a score of 126 points.
Other notable local finishers included St. Thomas More’s Alex Anderson, who finished 39th in 20:43.1, and Oakwood’s Callie Richardson, who placed 13th with a time of 19:09.5. Both schools demonstrated strong individual performances but did not advance as teams.
Six advancing teams from the sectional will now prepare this week for the season finale at IHSA Class 1A State Championship meet in Peoria, where once again east central Illinois harriers are poised to make a strong showing on the state’s biggest stage.
In addition the Rockets and Spartans, the other four teams advancing out of the sectional included Shelbyville (2nd, 126), St. Anthony's (4th, 161), Fairfield (5, 176), and Paxton-Buckley-Loda, another Illini Praire Conference program, finished 6th also with 176 points.
Keywords: Unity Rockets cross country, St. Joseph-Ogden Spartans cross country, Urbana University Illineks cross country, Illinois sectional cross country results
