Knight Harriers Race To 3rd At Charleston
The ALAH Knights boys cross country team traveled to the campus of Eastern Illinois University this past Saturday to run in a new meet for them, the Charleston High School Cross Country Invitational. They finished in third place in the mostly Class 2A competition behind Mahomet-Seymour HS and Champaign Central. Shown here with their plaque are from left to right Jacob Adcock, Connor Edmonds, Jace Green, Logan Beckmier, Jacob Adcock, Jacob Duzan, Jesus Corona, Steven Edwards and Nathan Cogdill. Jace, Logan and Jacob Adcock are wearing the medals they earned in the race for their eleventh, fifth and eighth places respectively.
On Saturday September 4 the ALAH Cross Country team dodged torrential downpours to race for the first time at the Charleston Invitational. Run on Panther Trail, home course of Eastern Illinois University, this event includes a mostly Class 2A lineup that featured the state’s #3 2A team, Mahomet-Seymour as well as Champaign Central, Urbana, Mt.Zion, Effingham,, Newton, Mattoon, Charleston, Champaign Centennial, Olney, Danville, Flora, Cumberland, BHRA, and Shelbyville as 148 runners toed the start.
The race started fast with the lead pack covering the 1st mile in 5:04. Logan Beckmier is in that group with 2 runners from M-S, and individuals from Flora and Mattoon. Just seconds behind are Jace Green and Jake Adcock. Missing from this group is Lyle Adcock with an injury received earlier in the week in PE class.
In the second mile, state 800 meter champion Eli Mojonnier from BHRA, joins the lead group. During the 3rd mile, the M-S duo and Mojonnier ease away from Beckmier and Stanford of Flora as they pull away from the Green Wave runner. Adcock and Green continue their chase of the leaders to finish strong. Mojonnier wins in 15:36 followed by the M-S duo, and Stanford with Beckmier in 5th in a season best 16:01. Jake Adcock runs a career best to finish 9th in 16:35.9. Jace Green completes the Knight’s medalist finishing 11th in 16:40.2. Scoring 4th for the
Knights is Jesus Corona (18:31.3) and 5th is Steven Edwards (19:00.4) with the best effort of his rookie season. Jacob Duzan (19: 03.4), Connor Edmonds (19:41.7) and Nate Codgill (22:19.41) completed the Knight’s scoring. In the team race, the Knights finish 3rd behind the powerhouse from Mahomet Seymour and Champaign Central.
Additionally, Logan Beckmier was named Boys Athlete of the Week by the Champaign News Gazette in their Sunday edition.
The Lady Knights were part of 128 fillies in the starting boxes for the distaff event. Once again, Emma Edwards leads our girls finishing 51st in a season best of 22:56.6. Maddie Kingery (26:39.1) drops a 3 minute PR to become the 2nd Lady Knight to finish. She is followed by Kayla Johnson (28:21.8)PR, Lindsay Rohacs (29:15.9)PR, and Emma Jones (30.43.2)PR. Our girls finish 13th in the team scoring.
The Knights travel to Paxton on September 11 to run the always competitive PBL Invite. This meet will feature Hersher’s multi-time state champion and Gatorade Illinois Runner of the Year Drew Rodgers as well as the News Gazette 2020 Cross Country Runner of the year, Ryder James of PBL as well as highly ranked squads from Monticello, SJO, and Unity. Consider making the trip up I-57 to support your state ranked ALAH runners!
