Byron, Oregon and Polo-Forreston qualify for cross country sectionals

OREGON – As expected, Byron qualified both its boys and girls team for the 1A sectional on Saturday. Somewhat unexpected, Oregon did the same.

Running on its home course at the regional, Oregon took third in the girls portion and seventh in the boys. The top seven teams move on and it has been several years the Hawk boys have made it. They nipped Stillman Valley 196 to 199 for the final qualifying spot.

Also sending a team the sectional will be the Polo-Forreston boys.

Oregon coach Gabe Poser was quite excited to have the boys sneak in and the girls finish third.

“The girls had a plan and strategized what teams and runners they needed to stay with,” Poser said. “We practiced using the hill to our advantage. We really wanted third. We went and did it. Amazing.”

Next order on the agenda is attempting to return to state, the last time being 2011 for the girls.

Leading the way for Oregon were Ella Danhorn in 14th and Jillian Hammer in 15th. Daniel Gonzales was eighth in the boys race for Oregon.

“It felt good and it may have been my best race,” Gonzales said.

For Byron, the regional served more like a training run in preparation for the sectional. Tim Starwalt was third for the boys and Ashley Potter 10th in the girls race.

“Our number one goal was to punch our ticket to sectional,” Byron coach Mike McHale said. “We have a girl (Potter) up towards the front and then a nice pack.”

Starwalt is also forecast to place third at the sectional. Last year, the boys were 10th at sectional and girls ninth.

“We’re going to get after it next week,” McHale said.

For the first time in several years, Oregon’s Park West will not be the sectional site. The Saukie Golf Course in Rock Island is this year’s host.