The Times Area Roundup: Sunny Weber wins sectional title; Seneca, Ottawa, Sandwich, Streator all see runners advance

The Sandwich cross country teams, as well as the Seneca girls squad, put together solid efforts at Saturday’s Class 1A Oregon Cross Country Sectional.

The Indians girls team – led by an individual championship run by freshman Sunny Weber – qualified for next weekend’s state finals at Detweiller Park in Peoria for the first time since 1998. The Sandwich boys also advanced to make the first time since 1994 that both the boys and girls teams are going to state in the same season.

The Seneca girls team and boys individual Austin Aldridge will also be making the trip to state, while in 2A Streator’s Kody Danko and Ottawa’s Grace Carroll will also be part of the runners in Peoria next Saturday.

Class 1A Oregon Sectional

The Sandwich girls placed third as a team with 163 points, while Seneca finished fourth with 178 behind champion Winnebago (85) and runner-up Rock Falls (101).

Following Weber – who crossed the finish line in 18 minutes, 48 seconds, a full 26 seconds ahead of the runner-up – for the Indians were Emily Urbanski (15th, 20:32), Joanna Rivera (24th, 21:10), Erin Lissman (54th, 22:55), Hannah Treptow (94th, 24:41), Karlee Henkins (112th, 26:04) and Emma White (113th, 26:05).

For Seneca, Evelyn O’Connor had an outstanding race, finishing fourth in 19:30, followed by teammates Gracie Steffes (35th, 21:50), Lily Mueller (49th, 22:46), Keeli Pumphrey (59th, 23:07), Ashley Alsvig (62nd, 23:14), Natalie Misener (68th, 23:33) and Ruthie Steffes (82nd, 24:19).

Marquette finished 21st as a team, paced by Maggie Jewett’s 60th-place mark in 23:09. Following Jewett for the Crusaders were Morgan Nelson (104th, 25:50), Keely Nelson (120th, 26:25), Olivia Tamblyn (137th, 29:12), Chloe Larson (138th, 29:23), Ella Biggins (139th, 29:27) and Grace Dose (142nd, 30:14).

In the boys race, Sandwich placed fourth (174) and Seneca 12th (317), with Riverdale capturing the title (33).

The Indians were led by a 19th-place mark by Wyatt Miller in 17:33, followed by Dayton Beatty (24th, 17:41), Max Cryer (38th, 18:05), Hudson Wills (44th, 18:13), Josh Schaefers (77th, 19:10), Alex Walsh (79th, 19:13) and A.J. Parkison (19:27).

The Fighting Irish’s Austin Aldridge placed 14th after a run of 17:22 to advance. He was followed by Chris Poyner (47th, 18:20), Logan Pasakarnis (97th, 19:40), Nate Sprinkel (104th, 20:01), Calvin Maierhofer (108th, 20:12), Colin Collet (133rd, 21:43) and Connor Pabian (135th, 22:06).

Class 1A Elmwood Sectional: At Elmwood, Fieldcrest’s Caleb Krischel placed 51st in a time of 17:02 in the boys race, while in the girls race Clare Phillips finished 60th in a time of 20:59 for the Knights.

Class 2A Metamora Sectional: In the girls race, Ottawa’s Grace Carroll advanced to state for the second straight season after finishing 28th in a time of 19:09. Carroll will be the first Pirates runner to compete at the state finals since the boys teams in the early 1970s.

Ottawa as a team scored 270 to finish ninth, while Washington won the title with 43.

Following Carroll for the Pirates were Kendra Martin (50th, 20:01), Addyson Miller (55th, 20:12), Shaylen Quinn (70th, 20:52), Morgan Stone (90th, 21:36), Eva Heimsoth (102nd, 22:00) and Michaela Froisland (121st, 23:40).

In the boys race, Streator’s Kody Danko ran a personal-best 15:11 to cross the finish line fourth and advance to the state finals. Ottawa’s Liam Tipple placed 66th in a clocking of 16:58.