Cross country: Sterling’s Johnson wins 2A sectional title; Dixon girls take third at Kaneland

MAPLE PARK – Going out hard early was not actually a strategy Sterling junior Dale Johnson considered before the Class 2A Kaneland Cross Country Sectional Meet on Saturday.

It just kind of happened.

And once it did, there was no stopping Johnson, who cruised over the 3.1-mile course at Kaneland in 14:36.88 to win the boys race by 15 seconds.

“I went out today, I was feeling really good,” Johnson said. “I don’t know exactly how to explain it, I just felt really good. It just happened.

“I went through the first mile at 4:40. It was faster than I expected. I was like, ‘Are they going to catch me? Am I going to slow down?’ But I didn’t.”

Belvidere North’s Evan Horgan was second in 14:51.92, and Riverside-Brookfield’s Cooper Marrs was third in 15:04.60.

Dixon sophomore Aaron Conderman finished 18th in 15:51.10 to take one of the 10 individual qualifying spots for next Saturday’s state meet at Peoria’s Detweiller Park.

In the girls race, Kate Boss and Emma Smith led Dixon to third place and a team berth at state. Sterling freshman Delia Block finished 34th in 19:29.57 and got the last of the 10 individual spots.

Crystal Lake South and Crystal Lake Central finished with 93 points in the girls race, with South taking first on the sixth-runner tiebreaker. Dixon was next at 105. Boss was 15th (18:47.72), Smith was 16th (18:49.52), Emily Conderman was 18th (18:53.56), and Kamryn Rogers was 25th (19:11.30) for the Duchesses.

“I’m really excited that we all get to go to state,” Boss said. “I’m excited we get to be together, it’s going to be really fun. We had to stay positive and encourage each other and work together as a team.

“I tried my best to bring others up too. I tell myself that I can do it and finish it and just try my best.”

Keeley Mick (37th, 19:37.70), Kait Knipple (40th, 19:43.87) and Hannah Steinmeyer (44th, 19:52.65) rounded out Dixon’s lineup.

Block had to wait about an hour-and-a-half to learn if she had made it.

“We knew it was going to be close,” she said. “I ran pretty well, it was really close to my [personal record]. I was happy. It was a nice day and I had a good mentality about it.”

Prairie Ridge’s Rachel Soukup won the race in 17:11.57.

Johnson finished seventh in last year’s Class 2A boys state race, and is eager for next weekend.

“I got a chance to do something pretty special this year,” Johnson said.