RANTOUL - The Unity Rockets lived up to their reputation at the Illini Prairie Conference Cross Country meet, capturing the team title with a commanding score of 31 points on Tuesday at Brookhill Golf Course. Unity placed five runners in the top ten, showcasing their depth and consistency on the 3-mile course.
Emily Decker led the charge for Unity, winning the individual title in 17 minutes, 24.8 seconds. Running a tenacious race up front, the remaining Rockets packed in behind her for a strong team finish. Decker, who has posted faster times this season, including a 16:55.2 at the Spartan Classic, comfortably outpaced the competition, setting the tone for the Rockets’ conference title.
The Spartans finished second with 63 points, led by senior standout Savanna Franzen. Franzen finished just 10 seconds behind Decker, clocking in at 17:34.2, which was a personal best. Franzen’s performance was a significant improvement over her previous 17:54 showing at the Spartan Classic, where she finished eighth.
Freshman Grace Bressner continued her rapid rise with a third-place finish, shaving nearly a minute off her previous best time to cross the line in 18:10.9. Tessa Walker, another freshman, rounded out St. Joseph-Ogden's top-three with a ninth-place finish in 19:50.8. Having two freshmen in the top 10 is indicator of great things to come for the Spartan running program.
In the end, despite strong individual showing from SJO's top three, Unity’s team depth proved too much to overcome.
Junior Mackenzie Pound finished fourth in 18:36.1, and seniors Josie Cler and Camryn Reedy finished fifth and tenth, respectively, to help secure the Rockets’ conference title. Unity’s fifth scorer, sophomore Grace Wherley, finished just outside the top ten in 11th with a time of 20:25.1, further cementing their dominance.
Behind Unity and St. Joseph-Ogden, Paxton-Buckley-Loda placed third with 81 points, followed by Monticello (108) and St. Thomas More (134).
Top 10 Individual Finishers:
1. Emily Decker, Unity – 17:24.8
2. Savanna Franzen, St. Joseph-Ogden – 17:34.2
3. Grace Bressner, St. Joseph-Ogden – 18:10.9
4. Mackenzie Pound, Unity – 18:36.1
5. Josie Cler, Unity – 19:08.4
6. Taylor Mabry, Monticello – 19:17.3
7. Audrey McCoy, Paxton-Buckley-Loda – 19:31.3
8. Kyla Franckey, Paxton-Buckley-Loda – 19:46.7
9. Tessa Walker, St. Joseph-Ogden – 19:50.8
10. Camryn Reedy, Unity – 19:51.6
The final team standings for the meet were:
1. Tolono Unity - 31
2. St. Joseph-Ogden - 63
3. Paxton-Buckley-Loda - 81
4. Monticello - 108
5. St. Thomas More - 134
6. Illinois Valley Central - 151
7. Central Catholic - 160
8. Pontiac - 171
9. Rantoul - 206
