The Lady Hawks’ cross country team will be running on familiar ground this Saturday after finishing fifth at the Winnebago Class 1A Regional at Fuller Forest Preserve on Oct. 21.
Oregon’s team of Leah Watters, Cynthia Nyderek, Katlyn Ramirez, Lydia Cermak, Madison Byerley, Katelyn Byerley, and Olivia Lambrigtsen took fifth place honors behind regional champion Johnsburg to qualify for the Oregon Sectional this Saturday at Oregon Park West.
Rockford Christian finished second at the regional followed by Winnebago in third and Genoa-Kingston in fourth. Also qualifying as a team were Harvard in sixth and Rockford Lutheran in seventh.
Oregon was led by Watters, a freshman, who crossed the finish line in fifth place in 18:47. Nyderek, a sophomore, finished 24th in 20:03 followed by Ramirez, a freshman, in 20:50.
Freshmen Cermak and Madison Byerley finished 40th (21:36) and 47th (22:00) followed by Katelyn Byerley, a junior, 56th (23:08) and Lambrigtsen, a sophomore, 62nd (24:00).\
Winnebago’s Natalie Martino, a freshman, finished first in 17:27.31. Byron’s Meghan McCarey, a senior, and Annie Pearson, a sophomore, advanced as individuals with McCarey finishing seventh in 18:50 and Pearson, 21st, in 19:55.
The Lady Hawks will run this Saturday at the sectional with a chance to qualify for the state finals next week in East Peoria. The sectional girls race is slated to begin at 10 a.m.
Hussung Qualifies
Senior Ian Hussung was the only Hawk runner to qualify for the sectional this Saturday at Oregon Park West after finishing sixth at the boys regional on Saturday at Fuller Forest Preserve.
Hussung ran the course in 15:18. Rockford Christian’s Riley Wells, a junior, won the race in 14:33.3.
Other Hawks running at the regional, but failing to qualify were: 52. Jordan Wilkins, 17:22; 59. Mike Bower, 17:47; 63. Ricky Bower, 17:50; 65. Ryan Hussung, 17:53; 73. Andrew Harshman, 18:10; and 74. Connor Harshman, 18:14.
Teams qualifying for the boys sectional were 1. Rockford Christian, 2. Marengo, 3. Winnebago, 4. Woodstock Marian, 5. Aurora Central Catholic, 6. North Boone, and 7. Johnsburg.
The boys sectional is slated to begin at 11 a.m., following the girls race, this Saturday at Oregon Park West.