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A look at the best runners in the NewsTribune area for the 2024 season.
First team
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Griffin Hammers, jr., La Salle-Peru: Hammers was runner-up in the Plano Invitational and the La Salle County Meet while placing third in the Princeton invite. He placed 26th at the Class 2A Morris Regional in a personal record 16:47.4 to help the Cavaliers advance to the sectional.
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Adam Kasperski, sr., La Salle-Peru: Kasperski won the La Salle County Meet, placed third at the Plano invite and finished seventh at the Princeton invite. He finished strong as he was 13th at the Class 2A Morris Regional and 42nd at the Metamora Sectional. He recorded a 3-mile PR of 16:25.6.
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Anthony Kelson, sr., Mendota: Kelson had a strong start to the season as he placed second in the Genoa-Kingston Kickoff, won the Princeton invite and finished fifth in the Bureau Valley invite. He placed seventh at the Class 1A Seneca Regional to advance to the Alleman Sectional, where he placed 29th. His 3-mile season best was 16:37.2.
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Caleb Krischel, sr., Fieldcrest: The 2024 NewsTribune Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year put an exclamation point on his career as he qualified for the Class 1A state meet for the first time. He placed fourth at the Seneca Regional, finished 24th at the Alleman Sectional and ran a 3-mile PR of 16:18.3 at state. Krischel placed second at the Princeton invite, third at the Lowpoint-Washburn/Roanoke-Benson invite and 14th at the Bureau Valley invite.
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Augustus Swanson, jr., Princeton: Swanson ran a 3-mile PR of 16:14.2. He finished third at the Erie-Prophetstown invite, sixth at the Princeton invite and 10th in the Geneseo invite. Swanson placed sixth at the Class 1A Seneca Regional to advance to the Alleman Sectional, where he finished 42nd.
Honorable mention
Braylin Bond, jr., La Salle-Peru; Alexander Gallardo, so., Bureau Valley; Maddox Moore, jr., Bureau Valley; Kaden Nauman, sr., St. Bede; Henry Nichols, so., Amboy co-op; Anthony Padilla, so., La Salle-Peru; Amboy co-op; Jeremy Smith, sr., Hall.